The Medaryville Telephone Company

Brian Capouch

brianc@palaver.net

sunnycrestfarm.org/medarytel

The Plan

• A short history of telephones in Medaryville
• The historic structures of Lots 27 and 28
  • The Calaboose
  • Theodore and Mary Bremer houe
  • The fire bell
• How old telephones work
  • Demonstration

1. Timeline and Locations

In 1976 Zera Howe put together a book of early Medaryville "trustees'" minutes

A telephone franchise was discussed at a board meeting on January 9, 1901.

Wm. Knotts proposed setting up a system and asked for a franchise of 20 years.

The franchise was approved and terms agreed to on February 4, 1901

The town was to receive 10% of the company's gross earnings

In 1904 Theodore and Mary Bremer purchased a half-interest in the company.

In 1906 they purchased the remaining interest

In 1908 they built a combined house and central office just south of the Calaboose

It was built by the same man who built the Calaboose, J. R. Linton

(How I know that)

Ailsie Daughtee Hansell

From the 2003 Sesquicentennial book, we learn further details

Rough timeline

• The Bremers sold to Fred W. Kellogg
• In 1927, Kellogg sold to The Winona Telephone Co.
• The Interstate Company purchased it from them
• The company then merged with the United Telephone Co.
• The operation has gone through several owners since
  • Sprint, Embarq, CenturyLink

Locations

• Unknown until the construction of the Bremer home
• Bremer location from 1908 until ?? (After 1917)
• South end of National Bank building (today's Post Office)
• In 1956 the present block building was erected
  • That same year automated dialing began

2. The historic corner

Three structures standing today constitute a unique historical asset.

I. The Calaboose was one of the very first things the trustees addressed

The board ordered the marshal to investigate a calaboose on September 10, 1900

There are many, many entries in the board's minutes discussing the topic

Construction Details

• September 27, 1904: Advertised bidding
• October 17, 1904: Bids were opened
  • Detailed specifications were given
  • J. R. Linton was the only bidder, at $757
• Somewhat complex dealings to secure a lot
  • Eventually purchased on Lot 27, OP, 40' x 50'
• July 6, 1905: "Special meeting at the new Town Hall"

The "lattice cages" (cells) were purchased for $128 from the Champion Iron Co. in 1905

II. After the telephone company was erected next door, a fire bell was acquired

January 3, 1910: Clerk instructed to "get prices on a curfew and fire alarm bell' as well as a variety of fire-suppression equipment

April 4, 1910, fire bell purchased from C.W. Holl & Co. for $30.25

On June 6, 1910, Ellis Redinbo was paid $53.75 for a bell tower

III. The Bremer House, con't.

Property History

• Originally the home of John Crouch, shopkeeper
• Next owner was James Farnsley
• Farnsley sold calaboose part to town, rest to Bremer

Some views

September 24, 2018

3. Telephone Tech

Parts of a Telephone*

*Local-battery type

• A talk circuit
  • AKA "bearer"
• A signal circuit

The hookswitch toggles between the two

Hookswitch DOWN: signal

Hookswitch UP: talk

Signal Circuit

• Generator (magneto)
• Gongs (bells)
• Alternating current
  • It can SHOCK you!!

Talk Circuit

• Transmitter
• Receiver
• Battery for power
• Connecting Line
• Induction Coil
  • Provides the "magic sauce"

Historical Sequence

• One-box wall set
• Candlestick
• Grab-a-phone
• Desk set

I have accumulated a lot of gear

• 12 Switchboards
• Many dozen telephone sets
• Power and safety equipment
• Documentation and Catalogs
• Ephemera