"Proclaimed in the Heavens" : 1900 Election Results Delivered Via Rocket

Born on this day in 1843 was William McKinley, who would become the 25th president of the United States. A fun local fact about McKinley was the unique way his election in 1900 to a second term was announced to Tri-State residents.

At the turn of the century, election results and other news items of import were sent to communities via telegraph or telephone, but if you lacked access to this technology, you simply had to wait. The Dubuque Daily Times, wanting to provide another option, purchased "especially large rockets" to launch from the top of their newspaper office, visibly displaying election results for the presidential race between incumbent William McKinley and challenger William Jennings Bryan for twenty miles around.

Area residents were encouraged to clip out the following codes to decipher the multiple rocket launches planned throughout the evening.

Published in the Dubuque Daily Times (November 3, 1900).

It seems that the rockets did the job because on November 11, 1900, the Dubuque Daily Times reported that the aerial signals were indeed visible from Hazel Green, Cuba City, and Platteville.