Courtesy of Salem Museum
Long before cell phones, or even telephones, telegraphs could be considered an early form of texting. They use Morse Code, a series of dots and dashes that symbolize different letters and numbers, to quickly send messages. The message is typed into a “key” and sent through a wire to a “sounder” that rings with each corresponding dot or dash. This technology was useful for quickly sending messages, but because they were spelled one letter at a time, they needed to be short.
You can see this telegraph key on display this weekend for the opening of “Through Their Eyes” on March 25. This exhibit highlights sixteen major events, dating back to 1671, that have shaped Salem and the Roanoke Valley into the community it is today. History gets personal as seen ‘through the eyes’ of men and women who lived here at the time. The Gallery features personal narratives, pictures, maps, artifacts, hands-on elements, and augmented reality technology.
To celebrate the opening, the Salem Museum is hosting a Living History Day on Saturday, March 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Costumed interpreters representing the 17th through the 20th centuries will bring the region’s history to life.