This is the story of how the telephone got to Hamilton County, and the changes that took place because of it. It all started in June 25, 1876 in Philadelphia, PA. Alexander Graham Bell had invented the telephone just three months earlier, but most people had not heard of it. The Philadelphia Exposition brought four men together when Bell demonstrated his invention that enabled speech to be transmitted over an electric wire. They were Bell; Dom Pedro, the emperor of Brazil; Edward T. Keim, a businessman from Dubuque, and Walter Van Brunt, a businessman from Duluth, MN. Keim and Van Brunt realized the commercial value of the device, and they teamed up to organize the Iowa and Minnesota Telephone Company. Keim was the General Manager of Iowa.

At first phones could only be used in pairs. Usually one telephone would connect a person from his business to his home. The first phone bill in the United States was paid by a Charlestown, Mass. fish dealer. He paid $20 to lease the first two commercial phones. The owner of the shop, where Thomas Watson constructed the devices, collected the money and carried it around in his pocket for eight days, not knowing what to do with it. By 1877 the total number of telephones in the entire world was only 234.

To make the telephone really useful it was necessary to have a device that would allow several phones to be connected. This led to the invention of the switchboard in 1878. The first switchboard was installed in New Haven, Conn. Just three years later, in 1881, Keim came to Webster City and set up our switchboard in the rear of the Webster City Post Office. Dwight L. Hunter was the assistant postmaster at the time. An early write-up in The Freeman listed 22 subscribers. B. F. Miller ordered two phones, one for his bank and one for his elevator. Grocery stores, banks, a meat market, furniture stores, railroad depots, and the lumber yard were also listed as subscribers. Only two residences had connections: one for D. D. Miracle, another for L. L. Estes.

The notice in the paper cautioned that the phone would not be used for post office business, a theme that continued for several years. When the telephones became more common, it was very probable that many citizens called asking if they had any mail.

The numbers ranged from 1 to 55 with many gaps. The courthouse number was 14. The telephone in the auditors office provides a very interesting story. Capt. Frank Landers, Civil War veteran and county auditor, was a no-nonsense person. The ringing of the telephone interrupted his work. The calls were probably for a judge or other official, and someone would have to be sent off to locate them. Finally, one day, Landers had one call too many. He took a large pair of shears out of his desk drawer and cut the phone line. That ended his interruptions. The supervisors, fearful that the citizens would think the expenditure of tax funds for something so frivolous as a telephone was too great, decided to have the phone removed. The telephone company refused to take it out. It sat on the desk, unused for over a year. Eventually the supervisors authorized the re-connection of the telephone, and Landers never again cut the cord. Imagine operating our courthouse today with only a single phone on Mary Shultz's desk.

Hunter left the post office to become vice president and manager of the Freeman-Tribune in 1892. E. H. Martin, owner of the Orpheum Theater and former owner of the Family Theater and the Unique Theater, decided to go into the telephone business. In those days no franchise was required. He called his company the Martin Telephone Company. With two competing phone companies, the residents could sign up with either company. This caused a problem for the business man who was many times forced to subscribe to both companies in order to receive calls from customers. One newspaper account recalled that the store owner became frustrated with some customers who wanted to talk with a person that subscribed to the other phone company. There was one written account of the customer asking the meat market owner to call the other party and then hold the two phones to each other so that the lady could carry on her conversation. Advertisements in the City Directories frequently listed "Telephone 24 and Martin 17." This meant that the Iowa and Minnesota number was 24; the Martin number was 17.

Other people were attracted to the business. Dr. A. W. Chamberlain of Stratford decided that he would start up a rival company. His first service was to six telephones in the Stratford area. This he extended to Webster City. His exchange was located in his office. He invested thousands of dollars in underground circuits. After laying about 40 miles of line, he lost all of his money and declared bankruptcy. D. C. Chase and Asbury Johnson also started a rival company in Webster City. After losing a lot of money for the stockholders, "the exchange died a lingering death, unsung and unmourned."

Eventually, Martin drove the Iowa and Minnesota Company out of business. Much later, Martin sold out to Northwestern Bell Telephone Co.

A paid advertisement in The Freeman in April of 1942 contained a letter to Mr. B. O. Osborn, Northwestern Bell manager. It was from the Selby Poultry Company, protesting an announced 15% increase in the cost of telephone service. In it, Hu Selby urged all patrons in Webster City to follow his lead and have their phones disconnected.

The following instructions for the use of the telephone were published in The Freeman: "The customer …[should] ring one time. (this rings Central). She will answer with a return ring. Then take down the handset receiver, place it to the ear, and give the number of the party. The operator will instantly connect the wires and signal the party wanted (who will not ring back) and say 'Who wants No. 25?'. Then give your name and proceed with your call. When finished, hang up and ring once to tell Central that you are finished with your call."

Other towns in the county soon connected to a switchboard. Kamrar signed up with the Martin Phone Co in 1903. Their switchboard has been preserved and is on display at the Depot Museum in Webster City.

Stratford got the Chamberlain exchange in 1898. When Dr. Chamberlain went bankrupt, the South Marion Telephone Co was organized. The Stratford Telephone Company issued stock and bought out the Chamberlain lines and equipment. The two companies merged in 1918 into the Stratford Mutual Telephone Co.

Jewell Telephone Company was organized in 1902 and served Ellsworth. By 1905 had 125 town customers at a cost of $1.00 per month. Farm lines cost $1.80 since they had to string more wire for each phone. The switchboard was located in the rear of the Corner Store operated by Frank Snyder.

Blairsburg had a small exchange built by Harris Stafford. It had only 6 customers to start. Fred Vaugh installed his own exchange in 1903. Northwestern Bell bought out the Blairsburg and Williams lines in 1916. One operator, Mrs. Robert White, offered an unusual service as she placed calls and advertised sales. That sounds a bit like today's telemarketers.

The first telephones were the wooden box on the wall as pictured along with this story. Two dry cells inside the box provided the electricity. A magneto operated by the caller provided the electricity for the ring. When I was a child, I had to pull a footstool up to the wall and stand on my tiptoes to reach the speaker. The next telephone we had was the candlestick telephone. It stood on a desk or table. The speaker was located at the top of the phone, the receiver holder was located a few inches below the speaker, on the left hand side. Later, we got the cradle phone that had the receiver and speaker on opposite ends of the handset. It rested in a cradle when not in use.

Eventually the telephones became smaller. A princess phone had a lighted dial and hung on a wall. A very long cord allowed the user to walk about a bit while talking. Then came the cordless phone that had a base unit. The user was not limited by a cord and could carry the telephone about the house. One problem was that it became a "lost" item. When the phone rang, we had to scurry about to locate it. Now we have cell phones which allow people to talk while shopping, driving, eating, in a theater, and walking down the street. This has come very close to the telephone pictured in the Dick Tracy comic strip of my youth. This phone was a wristwatch telephone. Maybe some day we will all be connected this way.