 On September 6th, 1850, Hiram Sibley, Judge Samuel Selden, and a group of other prominent Rochester businessmen formed the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company. As soon as all the details were set, Hiram Sibley, battered old traveling bag in hand, began to wander along the highways and byways of the backcountry of the Middle West. He began to lay the groundwork of his dream. Hello there, blacksmith.