The Western Electric Company, founded in 1869, was a major American electrical engineering and manufacturing firm best known as the primary equipment supplier for the Bell System from 1881 to 1984. In addition to its telephone technology, Western Electric played a key role in developing and producing telegraph components such as switches and relays. This telegraph switch, made by Western Electric, controlled the flow of electrical current by connecting or disconnecting circuits, allowing operators to direct signals along specific telegraph lines. Durable, precise, and used widely throughout, devices like this one helped make long-distance communication faster and more reliable across the United States.