Telephone History of Culver  

1882 - Mar 4 - Plymouth... A telephone line will be built from here to Maxinkuckee this summer, and will be connected with the exchange here. - Argos Reflector (Indiana)

1895 - July 15 - Culver Ordinance No 8 presented for allowing the Plymouth Telephone Exchange to build, install a telephone system for Culver

1895 - August 5 - Culver Ordinance No 8 declared passed and adopted.

1898 - Apr 15 - J. B. Skinner, manager of the long-distance telephone at Logansport is in town looking after the interests of the phone station at this place, which will have to be moved from the Colonade hotel to some other quarters.

1898 - Apr 22 For fear there might be some misunderstanding relative to the removing of the telephone station from the Colonade hotel, as mentioned in last week’s edition, we wish to state the phone station will be removed because the new landlord, who will tak possession May 1st, desires to utilize the space it occupies in order to have more office room. Mr. Postlethwaite has given great satisfaction as manager of the station and the company greatly appreciated his services.

1898 - Apr 29 The long distance telephone station is now located at Geo. Vories the residence. Miss Daisy will have charge of the office.

1904 Jun 2 - The long distance telephone office, conducted by Mrs. George Voreis, is being remodeled and will be made uptodate in every respect.

1905 Apr 13 - Rural Telephones.

The convenience of Bell telephone in your is not fully appreciated until you have tried it. Once tried you would not be without it for double the cost. Inquire of your neighbors who have had telephones. The Central Union Telephone Company (Bell) is extending its lines out among the farmers within a radius of five to seven miles of Culver. Some thirty-five or forty farmers are to be connected up with Culver Exchange within the next two weeks and those farmers that have not signed contracts, desiring telephone service at their house are requested to call at the Company’s Exchange at Culver on aturday, April 15th and consult with a representative of the Central Union Telephone Company, who will be pleased to answer all questions in connection with rural telephone service. The estimate for tho construction and building of the farmer lines will close Saturday night and those desiring telephone service this summer had better make arrangements by Saturday next

1905 - May 4 - The Bell telephone co. has completed the construction of a rural line.

1905 - June 29 The Bell telephone company has 95 subscribers here and more names are., being added almost daily

1905 - Sep 14 - Mr. Tolbert, of Indianapolis and Mr. Skinner, of Logansport were in town Tuesday looking after the nterests of the Central Union Telephone Line. Culver is getting to be an important point for the company and many improvements will be made in the near future

1905 - Nov 30 The Central Union Telephone Company has leased a suit of rooms in the new - Osborn Block for fifteen years. New booths, furniture, etc., will be bought and Culver will have one of, the best equipped telephone stations in this section. We understand that new rural lines will be built soon, and on account of tho greatly increasing business, a new switchboard for two operators will be installed. 111 S. Main and 113 S. Main in the Osborn Block

1906 - Apr. 5 - The removal of the telephone exchange has not been effected although it is understood tha quarters in the Osborn block have been rented for some time. The new location will be more central as well as comfortable for the operators.

1906 - Aug 2 - Canvassing for subscriptions to stock in the Home Telephone Company is stil going on

1906 - the Sanborn map shows that the telphone exhange was in a building on what today is the Carnigie library building property

1909 - Aug 16 - Farm Telephone

Every farmer who desires telephone connection with Culver is requaested to call Thursday or Firday of this week at the Culver telephone office and leave his name.

This is for the p[urpose of enadling the committee of citizens appointed last Friday night and the telephone compant to ascertain more definitely the needs of the farmers and also in what directions the company will be justified in extending it lines.

1909 - Mar 12 - The Central Union telephone repairmen, who have been doing repair work in this vicinity since the big sleet storm of Feb. 14, went to Logansport Tuesday. Earl Brown, Lon Patesel and Clark Bogardus went with them.

1909 May 20 New Telephone Franchise is Given

The Town board at its meeting Monday night granted a 50 year franchise for the use of the streets to Robert C. McFarland and associated, their heirs and assigns.

This settles an agitation which has interested the public for some years.

A similar application was rejected three years ago, but apparently sentiment has meantime grown more favorable to the independent interests.

1909 May 27 - The Independent Telephone

R. C. McFarland, to whom the town has granted a telephone franchise, desires to say throught the Citizen that he will give the people of Culver an opportunity for the next 30 days to organize a company under his franchise.

If no action has been taken at the end of that period he will fell at liberty to enter into negotiations with out side parties

Two companies, he says, stand ready to build an exchange in Culver and connect with the existing independent lines.

Both are said to have ample capital to construct a first-class plant and are ready to begin work immediately.

This is a matter of importance and should receive full consideration

1909 Jun 24 - New Telephone Manager

S. L. Bulter having tendered his resignation as manager of the local Bell exchange, whas checked out last week and his office turned over to A. R. Keith of Chicago, recently with the Western Electric company.

Mr. Butler left Tuesday for Indianapolis where Mrs Butler has been staying for several weeks

1910 - Mae 24 - Change of Managers

F. W. Baird of Indianapolis will come to Culver April 1 as manager of the telephone exchange.

Mr. Keith will remain in charge of construction work which rquires all the attention of one man. - Citizen

1910 - October 20, Work on Telephone Lines

Considerable Money Spent on the Exchange in Culver

The Central Union Telephone Company has completed the new constrcution work which a gang has been engaged on here since early July.

A new trunk-line cable has been carried to the academy and to the East side exchange, adding 100 lines to the capacity of the Culver exchange, whic is now has a total of lines.

The cost of the work has been over $2300.

Manager Keith says that some extenison of the rural lines are also in comtemplation for the near future.

1912 - Jun 20 - Huldah Wiseman, Marie Buswell and Myrtle Pianer are new employes in the telephone office.

1912 - Jul 4 - Telephone Construction

The Central Union has a gang of about thirty men who will be busy here for a month longer stringing a cable to the East side exchange.


When the work is finisher, most of the wires will have disappeared from the poles.

Material for a new switch board in the Culver exchange is arriving. Thee sections will be constructed - two to take the place of the present board, and one for an additional operator.

The the early Sanborn maps depicts buildings still there and one housed the telephone exchange for several years and a postcard tho unclear indicates at least one building on a lot between the bank and methodit church
	before moving to its Lakeview Street locality. (the first house on the SouthEast corner, sit in back of what was the car lot of the Ford garage ) Lot 16

1913 - March 20 - People of Culver Give their Prostests Against the Bell Company's short comings. 1914 - May 7 - Changes in Telehpone Force.

Herman Sayger has resigned his position as night operator and Clara Wiseman has taken his place. In preparation for vthe summer business Vera Zechiel and Leona Geisleman have been added to the force.

Four-party residence and rural phones have been practically discontinued as the new reate for an independent phone is but 25 cents more that the four party phone.

1916 - Dec 1 - Terhune Man Promoted. Card Colby formerly of Terhune and Lafayette, has been promoted by the Bell Telephone company as manager of their exchange at Culver , Ind., on Maxinkuckee Lake. He has assumed his new duties and will move his family there early in December Sheridan News, Friday, December 01, 1916, Sheridan, Indiana

1919, Feb 19 - Private Telephone Exchange

Manager COlby this week closed a contract with the academy for the installation of a private exchange for the school, with a common battery switchboard for 40 stations.

There are already over 20 stations at the school, but each station has to be called from central - a matter of delay and trouble to all concerened.

Under the private exchange arrangement on coll to central rings up the school exchange where connection is made with every department except the farm which, by reason of its distance from the school, will remain as a seperate call from cnetral.

Thirty days will be sufficient time for installing the exchange if equipment is received at once.

1919 Apr 30 - Forty foot poles are replacing the shorter poles through town to carry the telephone wires to Kewannans. A gang of eight or ten men are dooing the work

1919, Nov 19 - Telephone Rates Restored

The Indiana public service commission Saturday resumed complete jurisdicition over all telephone matters in the state, following the ruling of Judge Ewbank in circuit court holding the Burleson rates and tolls illegal.

In a commumication issued by the commission it also points out that the installation and moiving charges intiated by the federal department in Decmebr are likewise illegal, because these telephone charges habe not been approved by the commission.

The commission announces that it "will regulate telephone rates and service regardless of Mr. Burleson's orders."

1919, Nov 12 - Telephone Meeting -

About 20 men met at the library last night to discuss the telephone situtation.

A hearing to consider the retention of the present rates when the company is turned back by the government to itsowner, the Central Union, on Dec. 1 is scheduled in Indianapolis for Nov. 17.

The local contention is that the present rates are to high considering the service given.

W. O. Osborn will represent the local objectors.

1919 - Nov 19 - The Telephone Controversy

W. O. Osborn, C. W. Newman, C. E. Medbourn, Earl Zechiel, J. P. Walter and Manager Colby were in Indianapolis Monday to presnet ecidence before the public service commision in the case of the application of the Centraul Union Telephone Co. for a continance of the present rates established when the government took ove the relephon systems of the country, plus ad additon of 15 per cent for rural line.

Attorney Osborn sought to show that the valuation owhich the company places upon the Culver system as a basis for the present rates is to high, that there are parties reay to but the system at a fair cash valuation, and that the sevice is limited and unsatisfactory.

The commission heard the evidience and will render a decision at a date not yet known.

1920 - Feb 25 - The new rates granted the telephone companies by the Public Service Commission make no change at Culver except in wo instances. The rural business rate is raised to $2.25 from $2, and the rural residence rat to $1.65 from $1.50

1920 Mar 3 - Culver Telephone Finances

1920 - Mar 28 - A Fine Increas

Manager Dalrymple is not feeling badly over the showing of the Bell Telephone Co. in the Culver district.

Today there 51 omre phones than a year ago.

The total number in the Culver exchange is no 408.

WHen Mr. Dalrymple took charge three years ago last July therre were 250.

"Dal" has been onto his job all the time and stands well with the company's patrons. - Citizen

1920 Jun 9 - The local telephone office handled 230 toll messages Monday. Two operators did the work

The hearing of the petition of the Indiana Bell Telephone Co. for a raise of rates at Culver is set for June 21 at Indianapolis



1920 - Jun 20 - Increased Phone rates class The Indiana Bell Telephone company Friday filed a petition with the Public Service Commission asking for the authority to put into effect temporarily an increased schedule of rates for service at 35 exchanges, including Culver, operated by the company in Indiana. The advertisement in this issue will explaine.



Manager Colby asks us to notify the public that owing to the restriction in the line of material it will be impossible to accept any more orders for installing phones except in cases of absulute emerency or necessity.

1922 - Aug 23 - Phine Icrease Denied - Indianapolis, Auf. 11 Petition of the Indiana Bell Telephone Co. for and increas in toll rates covering all exchanges in INdiana, was denied today. The Public Service commission in refusing to grant the increased rates declared the present rates are on a parity with Bell rates in other states and that the desired increase was "Unjust and unreasonable".

On Aug 21, 1924 - Ezra E Hawkins gave right of way and granted Indiana Bell Telephone company to maintain thier lines of telephone and telagraph including necessary poles and equipment. On April 20, 1933 he had to re-affirm this agreement NOTE this was at 419 S. Main Street

1932 - May 25 - The Indiana B ell telephone COmpant announced today that all telephones in Culver anf immediat vicinity will be changed from madneto to common battery

1942 - Ayg 19 - A Indiana Bell ad reminding to "Please avoid unnecessary long distant calls...be brief. "War calls come first."

1942 - Sep 16 - Maxey Named Local Communications Head - Howard J. Maxey, of the local office of the Indiana Bell Telephone company, has been appointed by the town board as communications coordinator. The appointment was made at the request of the Indiana Defense Council to disseminate locally air raid warnings as part of a statewide setup. Mr. Maxey will attend a district meeting in South bend on Sept 16, to receive instructions regarding his new duties

1943 - Apr 21 - V. G. Kerceval Named Local Phone Manager - ... is also manager of the Mishawaka office and will continue in that capacity and live in Mishawaka...

1945 - May 30- - New Telephone Manager - J. Woodrow Mitchell, of South Bend, has been appointed manager of the Mishawaka-Culver exchanges of the Indiana Bell Telephone Co., succeeding J. E. Flanagan, who has been transfered to Muncie.

1947 FEBRUARY 5 — Howard J. Maxey, plant man here for the Indiana Bell Telephone Company, has been promoted to wire chief at Peru, and Wilbur Rollen has been assigned o fill the vacancy at the local exchange.

1948 - Jan. 21 - Indiana Bell Telephone Co. has purchased the lot at the corner of Lake Shore Drive and Main and School Streets and plans to construct a new telephone building and establish dial service in Culver at a later date.

to the left is the property that one belonged to the Indiana Bell company or they rented - as it looks today. Sometime during this period the telephone exchange office was located on Lakeview St. the first house (230 Lakeview St. now 228 N Lakeview St.) just south of 415 Lakeshore (which then was the Ford garage)

1953 July 29 The Culver exchange of Indiana Bell Telephone Company is being manned by one-third of the normal staff of 21 operators during the strike which began a week ago today.

1953 - AUGUST 5 - The telephone strike continues here in town

1953 - AUGUST 19 - An explosion of undetermined origin early Tuesday morning, preceded by a holley of rocks that crashed through four windows of the telephone exchange at 230 Lakeview St., marked the first local violence atrributed to the telephone strike.

1953 - September 16 - the Indiana Bell Telephone Company and Its workers, including the 21 operators at the Culver exchange, worsens as the strike begins Its ninth week.

1953 - Sep 23 - The two-month-old lelephone strike 1s over and the 21 Culver operators at the Culver exchange are back on the job

1956 - (built) - Indiana Bell Telephone Company - 1956-1984, Parent company AT& T 1920-1983

1956 - Apr 25 - Phone Technicians Begin Installation of Dial Equipment

Telephone technicians moved into the new 1telephone buildinghere this week to start installtion of the dial switching equipment that will bring dial service to Culver on Aug. 5

Indiana Bell Manager R. E. Million said that the project will include installation of switiching facilities to handle local calls and long dfistance service.

He riminded that the new Culver dail office will be linked directly to a $2 1/2 million dollar inistallation at South Bend which will permit Culver telephone users to dail many of their long distance calls in the same manner as they will dial local calls.

Installation of the dial eqipment is scheduled to be completed by mid-July, after which it will undergo thorough testing to insure a smooth changeover to the dail system on AUg. 5

Meanwhile, Gene Bleck reported that the Indiana Bell crews are progressing will with installation of dial telephones inn residences and buainess establishments in the exhange area.

"We are aprticularly pleased with the fine cooperation being received during the installation of dial telphones", the Culver wire chief said. "And we also are glad to see people taking advantage of the oppertunity to have telephones in color installed without the normal change-in-instrument charge".

Gene said that the early trend shows Culver residents have made red the most popular of the eight colors avaiable for virtually every decorating scheme. He also reported that many persons have been interested in having extension phones installed at the same time.

1957 - February 27 Indiana Bell has announced the appointment of Richard S. Musser as manager of the Culver telephone exchange.

1957 - Dec 18 - Indiana Bell Adds Eight More Cities to Direct Dialing

EIght more cities have been added to the Direct Distance Dialing list for Culver telephone users, Indiana Bell Manager Richard Musser said today.

Six of the new cities to chich customers may dial their own long distance call are in Indiana - Plymouth, Boubon, LaPax, North Salem, Jolietville, and Jamestown. Also added are Dayton, Ohio and Fort Worth, Texas.

Musser said the DDD list now includes 18 million phones in 1,939 cities.

1962 - Oct 31 Culver Telephone Users Will Make Change Nov. 5

Culver telephone users will make a change next week in their procedure for paying bills and conducting other types of business transactions with Indiana Bell. David S . Orr, manager for the company, says the changes will be for the better.

Beginning Monday (Nov. 5), the telephone company will close its business office on Lakeshore Drive in a move designed, Orr explained, "to provide more convenience for our customers."

Telephone bills may be paid, after the change, either by personal visit to Kline' s Appliance and TV Store at 120 North Main Street or by use of self-addressed envelopes provided by the company.

"Kline's is open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday, including the noon hour," Orr pointed out. "This wlill give customers considerably more hours per week in which to transact telephone business."

Persons seeking information about telephone service will continue to dial VI2-3301 but the calls will he answered by IBT service representatives in South Bend. Special equipment will switch the calls to South Bend automatically.

Installation and repair service, Orr emphasized, will not be affected by the new arrangements.

1973 NOVEMBER 8, - INDIANA BELL IMPROVES SERVICE READY FOR SERVICE-Bell technicians Bill Martin [left! and Mike Bennett make a final check of equipment in the Culver telephone buliding which starts today, November 8th, and wlll enable one- and two-party phone users to direct dial long distance calls themselves without the necessity of giving their phone number to an operator