The U. S. Army Signal Corps was first established on June 21, 1860 when army doctor Albert James Myer proposed the army use his visual communication system called "wigwag." In addition to visual signaling, the electric telegraph became a signal corps responsibility in 1867. Within twelve years, the Signal Corps had constructed, and was maintaining, some 4,000 miles of telegraph lines along the country's western frontier. Weather forecasting and military communications were among its many responsibilities. The Signal Corps established an office at Cape Lookout around 1876.This collection contains the Cape Lookout station's logbooks, which features records of incoming and outgoing communicatio ... (more below)
U. S. Army Signal Corps, Cape Lookout, Records of Correspondence and Daily Journals
33MSS-11
1876 - 1885
English
The U. S. Army Signal Corps was first established on June 21, 1860 when army doctor Albert James Myer proposed the army use his visual communication system called "wigwag." In addition to visual signaling, the electric telegraph became a signal corps responsibility in 1867. Within twelve years, the Signal Corps had constructed, and was maintaining, some 4,000 miles of telegraph lines along the country's western frontier. Weather forecasting and military communications were among its many responsibilities. The Signal Corps established an office at Cape Lookout around 1876.
This collection contains the Cape Lookout station's logbooks, which features records of incoming and outgoing communications, as well as daily journals.For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Outer Banks History Center.
Museum of the Albemarle
Outer Banks History Center
This collection is divided into three series: letters received, letters sent, and daily journals. In addition, the logbooks and journals are organized chronologically within those series.
Available for research.
Copyright is retained by the authors of these materials, or their descendants, as stipulated by United States copyright law (Title 17 US Code). Individual researchers are responsible for using these materials in conformance with copyright law as well as any donor restrictions accompanying the materials.
Processed by Sarah Downing, 1997
Encoded by Kelly Grimm, August, 2009
The U. S. Army Signal Corps was first established on June 21, 1860 when army doctor Albert James Myer proposed the army use his visual communication system called "wigwag." In addition to visual signaling, the electric telegraph became a signal corps responsibility in 1867. Within twelve years, the Signal Corps had constructed, and was maintaining, some 4,000 miles of telegraph lines along the country's western frontier. Weather forecasting and military communications were among its many responsibilities. The Signal Corps established an office at Cape Lookout around 1876. Life at the Cape Lookout station was extremely isolated, often the staff had little to no human contact.
The U. S. Army Signal Corps was first established on June 21, 1860 when army doctor Albert James Myer proposed the army use his visual communication system called "wigwag." In addition to visual signaling, the electric telegraph became a signal corps responsibility in 1867. Within twelve years, the Signal Corps had constructed, and was maintaining, some 4,000 miles of telegraph lines along the country's western frontier. Weather forecasting and military communications were among its many responsibilities. The Signal Corps established an office at Cape Lookout around 1876. Life at the Cape Lookout station was extremely isolated, often the staff had little to no human contact.
[Identification of item], 33MSS-11, U. S. Army Signal Corps, Cape Lookout, Records of Correspondence and Daily Journals, Outer Banks History Center, Manteo, N.C., U.S.A.
Donated by the Museum of the Albemarle
Additional information on topics found in this collection may be found in the Manuscript and Archives Reference System (MARS) http://mars.archives.ncdcr.gov.
This collection features five logbooks of the incoming and outgoing communications of the U. S. Army Signal Corps office at Cape Lookout. These communications deal with day to day operations, supply requests, expenses, telegraph line conditions and repairs, weather, and semi-annual reports. Specific references are made to nearby places such as Fort Macon, Morehead City, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, as well as the station at Wilmington. Other major events detailed are the hurricane of September 17, 1876, as well as several shipwrecks, most significantly the wreck of the steamer Rebecca Clyde, with the loss of thirteen lives. In addition to the logbooks are two daily journals. These journals were predominately used to keep track of the weather, but were also used to record when cautionary signals were ordered. They also kept track of the condition of instruments and telegraph line repairs.
This collection is divided into three series: letters received, letters sent, and daily journals. In addition, the logbooks and journals are organized chronologically within those series.
This collection features five logbooks of the incoming and outgoing communications of the U. S. Army Signal Corps office at Cape Lookout. These communications deal with day to day operations, supply requests, expenses, telegraph line conditions and repairs, weather, and semi-annual reports. Specific references are made to nearby places such as Fort Macon, Morehead City, the Cape Lookout Lighthouse, as well as the station at Wilmington. Other major events detailed are the hurricane of September 17, 1876, as well as several shipwrecks, most significantly the wreck of the steamer Rebecca Clyde, with the loss of thirteen lives. In addition to the logbooks are two daily journals. These journals were predominately used to keep track of the weather, but were also used to record when cautionary signals were ordered. They also kept track of the condition of instruments and telegraph line repairs.