The Syracuse Telephone Boom Through 63 Years of Progress
A retrospective traces Syracuse electrification from the 1870s to the 1930s, recounting Bell’s early demonstrations, Brower’s shop lines, and the formation of the Syracuse Telephonic Exchange. It notes cross-town rivals Pyke and Gurney-Lapham, the 1880s merger into a 10-county system, and the giants Edison, Western Union, and New York Telephone shaping a growing central office network.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bell
Watson
Atte
Genesee St
Brower
New York
Hrawer
J Office
Wieting
Syracuse
Hamilton
White
Bisome
Robert Gere Bank
George K Collins
Chahge
Matthew J. Myers
Dervier
Gridley Build
Od. L Pyke
Western Union
Stieling
Judge Hiscock
George J. Whelan
United Cigar Stores
Sted
Bet
Fied
Edison
Western
Toten Telegraph Company
Bal
Central
Crouse
New ‘York Telephone Company
Syracuse 4
Empire State Telephone and Telegraph Company
New Fork Sd
Pennsylvania Telephone ‘and Telegraph
Tier
Acad
Syracuse Pastor Made Chaplain in Congress
A Syracuse pastor, Rev Daniel Waldo, was chosen as chaplain of the House after a long local dispute over a subway franchise and stringing wires underground. The selection, made in December, follows years of civic wrangling and is tied to Amos P. Granger, with history tracing back to the 1865 era and earlier.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ayoft- Subway
Daniel Waldo
Syracuse
Amos P. Granger
Xetihc
Syracuss
Love and growth in Syracuse and global reach
A fragmented account traces Syracuse milestones from early navigation to dial telephones. It notes New York and London links by 1927, a 1922 dial system expansion, and strong local phone adoption with thousands of subscribers. The excerpt highlights Syracuse’s growing connectivity and substantial daily call activity.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Phy
Boston
San Francisco
New York
London
Syracuse
Omicago
Telephone Directory of the Past Two Sections
Read as two sections from an old Syracuse Telephone Exchange directory, the item preserves historic listing style and organization. The record highlights period-typical phone numbers, exchange names, and local business and resident entries from an earlier era.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Syracuse Telephone Exchange
Jefferson Denounces Canal Plan as Madness
President Thomas Jefferson dismissed the canal project as madness while speaking to Judge Joshua Forman of Onondaga Valley in January 1809 about a federal grant. He recalled earlier proposals to harness the Potomac and connect Lake Erie with the Ohio River, noting the idea was short of madness yet completed nine months before his death in 1926.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Thomas Jefferson
Eris
Joshua Forman
Ongadaga Valley
Jefferson
Menia
Virginia
Lake Erie
Pennsylvania
World War Draft Entry Confused by Obscure Message
A garbled OCR snippet describes African American volunteers in World War I, mentioning divisions and selective draft elements. It references soldiers possibly from Seracoee and Stracere areas with vague notes on recruitment and numbers, but the text is largely unreadable and incomplete.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Seracoee
Bolt
Mies
Mistry-Teorth
Intartzy Ericadt
Minetyafeath
Sen of
Stracere
Fayetteville Rivalry and Town Stories
Fayetteville remains notable in the nation as a hub where Syracuse natives retire. The village attracts former Syracusans who build homes on eastern plots, eyeing the quaint early American architecture along the historic highway. Oscar Frost of Red Creek sold a matched team of day horses to Jacob Croure of Syracuse for 700 dollars.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Long & Thrmox
Fayetteville
Grover Cieve- Jana
Syracuse
Oscar’ Frost
Rea Creek
Jacob: Croure
the ‘Journal
Last Stand of Canal Weighlock Structure in City Hall Site
The two story gray brick weighlock building near City Hall in Syracuse traces to the Erie Canal era. Built 1550 with later alterations, it housed scales and offices used to weigh canal cargoes before tolls ceased. The structure was filled in as a dry dock and the site repurposed as the city evolved.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
City Hall
Erle Bird
Engineers
Syraguss
Erle
Oswese
City Market
Elortice
Montgomery
Xincers
Market Hall
Syracuse
James
Utlea
David
Colvin
Erie
Jeargo
Joshue Forman
Oliver Teall
Local commerce snapshot from early town directory
The fragment lists various businesses including 22 grocery and provis stores, 18 variety stores, 2 hardware, 3 clothing and boot shops, 1 drug store, 2 book stores, 3 printing offices, silversmiths, 2 flour mills, 1 lumber mill, 1 planing mill, 3 tin shops, 2 furnace and carriage shops, with additional hotels and numerous others noted as present in the town. It hints at many establishments then, without full details.
Also Mentioned on This Page
Frederick Brower
Fair
Brazil
Don Pedro
Philadelphia
Bing Mexander Gahan
Anpartus
Boston University
First Phone
A. Nicholaes
Warren HL Gitta
Walter TY
Xighol
Aden
Mickie
Thraenbeway
Congress
Onondaga
Oliver P. Morey
Syracuse Chamber OF Commerce
Kiwanis Club OF
All-Kiwanis Bowling League
Syracuse Assn OF
Credit Amen
City
Postal Telegraph
Grouse
Onondaga Creek
Moreco
Lyceum
Loperaton
An & Real Investment
Ovstomers
Eincare Alogan
Erte Blyd
Binghamton, N. Y
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!