Hiram Sibley

Sibley was born in North Adams, Massachusetts, on February 6, 1807, and later resided in Rochester, New York. He was the second son of Benjamin Sibley (1768–1829) and Zilpha (née Davis) Sibley (1771–1824).

Too poor to receive more than a country education, Sibley started training as a shoemaker's apprentice, but, unhappy with the career, went to Lima, New York, at age 17 to work in a cotton factory. The following year he became a wool carder in a shop where future president Millard Fillmore then worked. At age 21, he started a foundry and machine shop in Mendon, New York. Ten years later, the business was successful enough for him to sell and afford to move to Rochester, where he was elected Sheriff of Monroe County from 1844 to 1846.

He became interested in the work of Samuel Morse involving the telegraph. In 1851, Sibley along with Ezra Cornell and others organized the New York and Mississippi Valley Printing Telegraph Company in Rochester. Sibley later served as first president of Western Union Telegraph Company.

In 1861, Jeptha Wade, founder of Western Union, joined forces with Benjamin Franklin Ficklin and Hiram Sibley to form the Pacific Telegraph Company. With it, the final link between the eastern and western coasts of the United States was made by telegraph. In conjunction with Perry Collins, Sibley later hoped to build a telegraph line from Alaska to Russia through the Bering Strait, the so-called Russian American Telegraph. However, this dream collapsed with the establishment of a cross-Atlantic line to Europe.

Sibley was married to Elizabeth Maria Tinker (1815–1903), the daughter of Giles Tinker of Connecticut. Together, they were the parents of:

Zilpha Louise Sibley (1833–1868)

Giles Benjamin Sibley (1841–1843), who died in infancy.

Hiram Watson Sibley (1845–1932), president of Security Trust Company of Rochester.

Emily Sibley (1855–1945), a founder of the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester.

After a five-day illness, Sibley died on July 12, 1888, and was interred at Mount Hope Cemetery in Rochester. At his death, his wealth was estimated between $8,000,000 and $10,000,000.