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This newspaper page contains 11 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Athens Messenger
Location
Athens, Ohio, United States of America
Date
Aug 19, 1928
Page
15
The city celebrates a new telephone building housing offices and service rooms and two modern apartments for Wire Chief E R Mc Laughlin and Mrs Mary Cunningham. The upgrades promise faster, more reliable service with improved access to trouble calls and special service.
A report recalls the early Athens telephone era when Ed Laughlin, a leading wire chief, and other officials shaped a franchise struggle with the Home Telephone Co. The 1902 shift to a new exchange in Athens spurred rural connections, toll stations, and the move toward competition and modernizing lines.
The article traces how the switch in a local dentist office helped spark Athens exchange history and reflects on the telephone becoming a vital tool for all walks of life. It notes how telephones linked communities and saved time, labor, and lives by connecting people to doctors, news, and daily needs.
The Athens Telephone Company began in 1898 in Athens with a line from the railroad station. Its initial office and early lines connected Athens, Nelsonville, and Glouster, serving a growing telephony network before the Bell system acquired and dismantled that independent setup to block opposition in the Hocking Valley.
The article recounts how Mr Dane of Rad eltsburg promoted a telephone line from Londonderry to Chillicothe and extended to Albany by 1898. Albany merchants backed expansion toward Athens, enabling rapid subscriber growth as Marshfield and nearby towns joined, signaling success for the new telegraph-like service.
Mrs. Harry Cunningham, night chief operator for Home Pelephone, reflects on the challenging yet interesting field. Born Mary Uebo Cunningham near Jerseyville, she taught briefly before eight years with Bell in Columbus and since 1922 with Athens local telephone. She has a daughter Frances and two sons, and lives at Maplewood drive. She notes rapid number growth and her broad knowledge prevents routine lookups.
The article profiles Fire Chief Laughlin who saved the old telephone building from a downstairs tool box fire, and outlines the careers of Dr. Andrew S. Holmes and W. E. Moler. Holmes, a prominent Republican physician in Albany now largely retired, has been active in hospital service and local politics. Moler, longtime Home Telephone treasurer and director, built a varied career in business and family life in Athens and Albany.
The Home Telephone Company of Athens completes a fireproof modern building marking a new era in Southeastern Ohio telecommunications. Dr C L Jones and colleagues lead a loyal team praised for service quality and community trust as Athens becomes a regional hub for advanced phone service.
A fragmented historical piece notes Alexander Graham Bell’s early work on the telephone and its impact. It mentions a 1874 membrane device, Bell’s patent, and rival claims, with references to Elisha Gray and court rulings in 1872 and 1922. The article also touches on deaf education and 1876 demonstrations, ending with notes on an upcoming meeting.
At stroke of midnight workers switched Athens main office cables to automatic operation. Manager C L Jones dialed the mayor and a test call to the fire department proved the new system ready. Officials from Automatic Electric Co and Ohio Bell attended along with city and local company representatives.
A new telephone building in Athens is set to formally open in August. The Ohio Telephone Association district meeting will be held here to mark the occasion.
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