“Mr. Bell, I heard every word you said—distinctly!”
The interconnection of these individual subscribers awaited the development of the telephone switchboard. The first switchboard was installed in the office of E. T. Holmes, in Boston, in May, 1877, and connected four banks and a manufacturing concern. It connected these few telephones in the daytime by wires that were used for a burglar alarm system at night. New Haven, Conn., became the first city in the world to have a commercial telephone exchange. A switchboard connecting eight lines and 21 subscribers went into service there in January, 1878.
Two years later in April, 1880, the American Bell Telephone Company was organized. It greatly developed the telephone organization and business throughout the country. A line from Boston to Providence was built in 1881. Service between Boston and New York, 235 miles, opened in 1884.
An important step in the attainment of a nation-wide telephone service was the organization of American Telephone and Telegraph Company in 1885. This company was formed to build and operate long distance lines to interconnect the regional companies that had developed, by merger and growth from early licensee companies.
To attain the ideal of universal telephone service, it became increasingly important to extend the long distance lines even farther, to carry on continuous investigation in the practical development of the telephone art, to make further progress toward the standardization of apparatus, equipment and methods and to handle economically and efficiently the many general problems shared by the telephone companies. In 1900, therefore, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company took over the assets of the American Bell Telephone Company and became the headquarters company of the Bell System.
Artist’s conception of the first commercial switchboard, placed in service in New Haven, Conn., 1878. In the early days of the telephone industry, operators were men.
The Future Holds Great Promise
Year after year, the Bell System has provided service of steadily increasing value to more and more people. Through times of boom and depression, during all-out war and postwar readjustment, and now in a period of defense preparation, the Bell companies have improved and strengthened the communications network in order to do the best possible job for the nation. Here are some of the accomplishments that have been made in the period since 1920: