January 15, 1931 Early Telephone Service

The Interlaken Review of January 18, 1931, included the obituary for Mrs. Nancy Symonds. The opening line noted “…Mrs. Nancy Dildine Symonds, 73, pioneer ‘hello girl’ of Seneca County...” An interesting comment until you read further in the notice.

In 1895 when telephones were first installed in Farmer Village, the equipment and exchange were installed in Mrs. Symonds’ home. Not only was this the first location in Farmer, but one of the first in this part of Seneca County.

For twenty-five years Mrs. Symonds operated the exchange, watching the steady increase in the number of subscribers, so that in 1931 there were over 400 telephones.

Even with her retirement as an operator in the early 1920s, she continued to supervise the local office. She was a member of the Telephone Pioneers of America and a life member of the New York Telephone Company.

It is a brief history of one person’s involvement in our community, and at that time most people knew the rest of the story.

For those of us who don’t know the history, I went looking in the Historical Society files and found an August 1961 article which provides more details on the early years of telephone service.

In the beginning there was the Seneca Telephone Company, which was locally owned. Mrs. Symonds not only had the equipment in her home, she was also the agent for the company. That title meant she operated the switchboard, employed relief operators, and took care of the financial arrangements.

Nancy Symonds' home, and home to the first telephone service
Photo ca 1940s, Interlaken Historical Society photo #1005

 On June 15, 1900, the Empire State Telephone Company took over. The Empire State Telephone Co., (a Bell Company) had its headquarters at Auburn. Supervision of the local exchange was under the management of Messrs. G. Paddock and F. Herendeen.

1900 also saw the first toll service. A special telephone was mounted on the wall and connected to the first toll circuit to serve the village. Then on August 20, 1900, a new switchboard was installed, which remained in service until the Symonds home was torn down in 1950. (A future snippet.)

Mergers and changes continued, in 1908 the Empire State Company was merged with the Central New York Telephone Co., with their headquarters located in Syracuse. In 1909 the Central NY Telephone Company merged with the New York Telephone Company.

During this same time the Trumansburg Home Telephone Co. had extended its lines into the Interlaken area. They established an office on the second floor over the local drug store. Marguerite Dowdle was the chief operator, with Sarah O'Reilly and Anna Mahoney as additional operators.

Telephone operators Margaret Dowdle and Anna Mahoney,
Office above the drug store 1914
Interlaken Historical Society Photo # 2284

In 1922, due to competition with the Trumansburg Company, the New York Telephone Co. sold its interests to the Trumansburg Home Telephone Co., which merged the two properties in both the Trumansburg and Interlaken areas. Walter McKeel of Trumansburg, was president, and J. K. Wheeler, Interlaken, treasurer. Mrs. Symonds continued as agent up to that time.

The employee roster included Jane Dowdle, Anna Mahoney, EIsn McEvoy, Marguerite Dowdle, Sarah O'Reilly and Lena Smith. After Walter McKeel died, Foster Owens of Jacksonville became president for a short time.

On January 1, 1927, the stockholders decided to dispose of their interests to H. H. Griswold, of Clifton Springs, who took over management of the company. One of the first projects was to remove the duplicate poles, cable, and wire throughout the entire territory. Another project was to improve the working conditions of the operators and make the necessary changes in the business office, not only to benefit the operators but the public as well. At the time the new management took over, there were approximately 225 telephones in Interlaken and 325 in Trumansburg.

And so we come back to January 15, 1931, and Mrs. Symonds’ obituary, “for a quarter of a century Mrs. Symonds operated the exchange which is still maintained in her home...While she actually retired from her position as operator more than 10 years ago, Mrs. Symonds acted as a supervisor in the local office until she became ill six months ago and was removed to her daughter’s home.”

Mrs. Symonds is buried at Lake View Cemetery lot 206 with other members of her family.

Sources: Interlaken Historical Society paper files, 1961 article on the telephone company. 

  

Dewitt’s Diary: January 15 1928 Cloudy & colder this morning. I scrapped the road early this morning. It beginning to freeze some. No snow and thawing weather for two weeks back. Temperature 28 this morning, north wind. Drew Mr. Predmore out of the mud up by Burch's. [Mr. Predmore is Dewitt's father-in-law.]

1929 Leland is broken out with the measles today. He feels some better since he is broken out. We got about 4 inches of snow last night.

1930 Cy and I worked in the woods this afternoon. I cleaned up my car this winter today. Getting colder tonight. I scrapped the road down this evening, ? Wyckoff came up and helped me. Freezing tonight for the first time this week.

1931 Temperature 10, we got about 5 inches of very light snow last night and this morning. George Wickes died today. Mrs. Simmons also died.

1932 Temperature 60 this morning and muggy. Bad for fruit buds. Saw a dandelion bloosom in the yard yesterday.