Today, making a phone call seems almost magical; but this hasn’t always been the case.
At Cle Elum Manual Exchange – one of the last working telephone switchboards west of Mississippi – there used to be an incredible telephone switchboard known as Cle Elum Manual Exchange that houses this unique museum.
Inside you’ll see the equipment that made this all possible from the first telephone to modern cell phones – from old operator switchboards and antique line insulators, all the way through novelty phones.
History of the Telephone
The word “telephone” derives its name from two Greek roots tele, meaning distant and phone, meaning sound. Antonio Meucci is widely acknowledged to have invented the first basic telephone in 1849 while Charles Bourseul developed similar technology four years later in 1854 – however Alexander Graham Bell was responsible for commercializing their invention into everyday use.
Though Bell’s invention has gone through physical modifications since 1876, its functional design remains virtually the same. Early telephones consisted of a battery-powered base equipped with carbon granule transmitter and electromagnetic receiver; when not in use, its handset could be placed into an attached cradle for storage.
This museum houses hundreds of telephones and related items spanning multiple centuries, giving visitors an interactive learning experience about telecommunications history. Visitors may play the part of an operator when dialing a rotary phone; knowledgeable docents (current or former phone company employees) are on-hand to answer questions and demonstrate equipment. The museum is self-guided but docents can provide further assistance and answer queries as required.
Early Telephones
Early telephones were much simpler than what we are used to today. Some phones used liquid transmitters that dissolving into an incoming signal while others used sound power with diaphragms vibrating carbon transmitters. Some early phones survived through to modern times in military and maritime applications where producing electrical energy was essential.
Telephone networks grew quickly. House-to-house lines, known as party lines, allowed anyone on the line to listen in on calls made between parties; privacy issues were an enormous source of worry. An undertaker in Kansas City developed the first automatic dialing system in 1891 due to concerns that dishonest operators were steering customers elsewhere; by 1904 Bell experimented with an “French phone,” with transmitter and receiver operating within one handset.
The telephone revolutionized our way of communicating, and this guide will help you trace its development and understand its influence in our lives. It features inventions, businesses and the extensive telephone wire network across America.
Early Switchboards
Calls placed over the telephone in the 1800s were routed through a manual switchboard – large boards that connected many telephones via a central exchange in a city. At first these boards were operated by teenage boys; however, due to their reputation of rudeness and misdirection of calls they soon earned themselves women were quickly hired as replacement operators.
As well as physically connecting calls, operators had to undergo extensive training in switchboard etiquette. They were provided with strict rules regarding dress and language usage.
When someone called, an operator would pull forward the talk key and say, “Number please.” She would then locate and plug in their jack before applying current and returning the talk key back to its normal position before moving onto her next call. By the 1890s, divided switchboards had become popular, enabling teams of employees to serve customers assigned plugs individually; customers came to know their operators by name over time as teams serviced individual plugs assigned them; eventually these systems were replaced with panel switches or other automated systems.
Modern Telephones
Modern telephones boast many features that augment–but do not replace–Bell’s original invention, including automatic redialing, call number identification, voice recording and visual data display. But its basic design remains unchanged since 1876!
Telephones can be divided into various categories: landlines, cordless phones and mobile phones. Each uses different technologies to connect with the network.
Visit the Telephone Historical Centre to gain a deeper insight into its transformation over time. So next time you use your phone, remember to thank its creators. For more information about this museum located in a historic 1896 building listed on the National Register of Historic Places that’s operated by employees from Southwestern Bell, SBC and AT&T as well as members of Telecom Pioneers (a 501(c)(3) employee service organization).
