History of telephone office continues

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent 
With Leonard Cash
 
In this week’s installment of “History on Main,” historian Leonard Cash continues his discussion on the local telephone office. 
According to the Dec. 31, 1953, edition of the News Letter Journal, the telephone company was moving its office from “its present location” (near the post office, Cash said) to the basement of the library. 
According to Cash, the company left the telephone equipment in its old building because it was just the office that was moving to the library.
“The company is adding three new positions to the switch board in February which necessitated (the) move … and the present telephone building will be closed to the public,” the article says. 
The following spring, the newspaper reported on May 20, 1954, that many updates could be expected in the near future. For starters, they were converting from a switchboard to a dial system, which would require a new building. It was a year-long project, with estimated costs over $225,000 and “is only a part of the major improvement program being completed in this area by the company.” 
The full project would reach costs closer to a half million dollars and would include the provision of long distant communication. Some $54,000 had already been spent to bring in 160 more telephones for local families. 
“About four miles of lead-covered cable will be placed and almost six months will be required to complete this job,” the article says. 
The new building (which is on its current location) would contain the dial and long-distance switchboard (the Osage office was also switching to dial, according to the article).
It was also noted that “the first public mobile telephone service” was being installed, so oil workers and the like could call people from their vehicles “while operating far from regular telephone service.” 
“Even before the building is completed a crew of Western Electric Workmen will start the installation of the intricate dial switching equipment, the switchboard, and the long distance units,” the article says. 
According to the June 3, 1954 issue, local office manager Dale Hill announced that the contract for the new office was awarded to Riesdal Lowe Construction Co., of Billings, Mont. Construction was to begin immediately. 
A picture of the groundbreaking ceremonies was published in the June 17, 1954, paper. Present at the event were District Traffic Superintendent Martin Miller, Publisher J. Parrish, former Mayor Ty Thomas, County Commissioner J.C. Christensen, District Manager W.S. Anderson (from Casper), manager Dale Hill, radio announcer Floyd Sparks, Mayor Earl Z. Crum and City Councilman Ted Cochran.
Crum removed the first shovel of dirt, and the building was scheduled for completion by Sept. 24. 
At noon on July 10, Osage converted to a dial operation system, according to the July 15, 1954, paper. The two-month project cost $35,000 (including construction and installation) and could serve up to 93 customers. 
“The new system which serves Osage is in conjunction with the dial conversion of Newcastle which is planned for 1955,” the article says. 
The Newcastle office was making headway, and by Oct. 7, 1954, the office was out of its temporary location in the library and at home in its brand-new building on Sumner.
“Mr. Hill stated that all of (the) office work will now be done in the new building and that work had begun on the installment of the dial to be housed in the same building,” the article says. 
The Western Electric Company men were there to work on the job, and soon there would be 28 technicians to complete the installation. It was estimated to be a four-to-five-month project. 
Hill was transferred to Casper, so according to the Nov. 18, 1954, paper William Nolan from Gillette assumed the manager’s position in Newcastle.
The March 17, 1955, issue reported that there were “tons of new dial telephone equipment” that to be installed, and Nolan said it was “just one part” of the expanding project. By the end of the month, the date was set for April 16 to make the switch. 
According to the reprinted edition of an April 1955 article in the April 18, 1985, News Letter Journal, 1,900 telephones were to be converted to a dial system on Saturday night (April 16). The switch was to happen at midnight when calls were quiet, so as to make the disturbance as short and smooth as possible because the switch would interrupt services “for only a short time.” 
Shortly after the conversion, the office held an open house on May 12 and 13 from 7 to 10 p.m., reported the May 12, 1955, edition, for the community to see the $425,000 “spent to expand and improve the telephone service in Newcastle.” Included was a display called “Modern Telephone Service for Modern Living.” 
“The dial equipment will be available for inspection and telephone people will explain how it handles calls,” the article says.
One piece of equipment on display was the then-modern “speakerphone,” which had a microphone and loudspeaker enabling its users “to carry on a telephone conversation by merely pushing a button.”
About 11 years later, two new projects were under  way, and Nolan had announced the awarded contracts, according to the Oct. 20, 1966, paper. Microflect Co. from Salem, Oregon, was contracted to install a passive microwave repeater 1.3 miles southwest of town for $11,885, which would help with long distance circuits as a “part of the Casper to Newcastle microwave system.” 
The other contract was given to Lower and Cool, Inc., from Casper for $11,700 to construct an 80-foot microwave tower base “adjacent to the rear of the present Newcastle Exchange building,” as well as a retaining wall on property owned by Mountain State Telephone and Telegraph Co. 
An article from the Jan. 5, 1967, issue says that Telectric Company from St. Louis was in Newcastle to install a microwave reflector on top of the tower and a parabolic dish antenna at the bottom. 
“Work on office equipment to convert to local circuit has begun by a four-man team from Western Electric,” the article says. 
After 35 years of service, Nolan retired as manager, announced by the March 8, 1973, newspaper. Vincent Keogh became the new manager. 
There haven’t been many updates since then, according to Cash, so that wraps up his records on the telephone office.  Next week, he will begin a series on the Isabella’s building.