Ever wondered how Atlanta became a telecommunications hub? In 1877 Atlanta’s telecommunications journey began modestly. It started with a private telephone line. This line connected the Western and Atlantic Freight Depot to Durand’s Restaurant. Both were at the Union Passenger Station. Imagine yelling into a wooden box. That was how the first telephone worked.
The first telephone exchange in Atlanta opened in 1879. It was called The Atlanta Telephonic Exchange. The National Bell Telephone Company ran it. The exchange was in a single room. It was on the top floor of the Kimball House Hotel.
Picture teenage boys operating the first switchboards. Most lines were shared party lines. By 1882 the company became American Bell Telephone Company. Soon after Southern Bell Telephone was formed.
Disaster struck the Kimball House. In 1883 a fire destroyed the hotel. It was rebuilt with a new switchboard. Years later another fire damaged the switchboard. The building was saved.
Early telephones were simple. They consisted of a single handheld piece. People used it for talking and listening. A button signaled the operator. It was called the Butterstamp Phone.
In 1884 Atlanta had about 370 telephone subscribers. There was also an exchange in Decatur. A call from Atlanta to Decatur was long distance. It cost 15 cents for 5 minutes.
Around 1887 the multiple switchboard was invented. It allowed a single operator to connect a call. Operators initially had no standard greeting. Hello became common. Later What Number became standard.
On February 2 1890 long distance arrived in Chicago. Now you could call Chicago. You could also reach St. Louis. Kansas City, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh were reachable.
Southern Bell built a new central office in 1892. It was at 78 South Pryor Street. It housed Southern Bell Headquarters. It also housed Atlanta’s Main central office. It included the Atlanta toll switchboard. Boy operators were replaced by young ladies. They were sometimes called telephone girls.
Around 1895 the Bell System adopted Number Please. This became the standard answer. Operators were trained to sit straight. They learned how to speak correctly. Please and Thank You were important.
Magneto telephones used a crank. The crank signaled the operator. Early phones were wall-mounted. They had separate transmitters and receivers. Employees replaced batteries every six months.
In 1899 a second company began service. It was called The Atlanta Telephone Company. It promised lower rates and better service. Rates were 36 dollars per year for business. It was 24 dollars for residential.
The two companies did not interconnect. Customers could only call others on the same system. Businesses had to have dual service. Atlanta Telephone’s first office opened at 104 Edgewood Avenue.
Around this time the candlestick phone was introduced. It required a subset box. Many phones were on party lines. Several subscribers shared a line. In 1900 Southern Bell opened the North office. Customers gave the office name plus the number.
Around 1900 common battery service phased out cranks and batteries. Power was supplied in the central office. In 1905 Southern Bell opened the West office. The East Point office also opened around this time. Calls between Atlanta and Decatur became local.
In 1905 Atlanta Telephone moved to 75 Edgewood Avenue. The company became Atlanta Telephone and Telegraph Company. By 1909 both companies had thousands of customers.
In 1908 Southern Bell opened the Ivy office. In 1917 Southern Bell opened the Hemlock office.
In 1919 Southern Bell bought out Atlanta Telephone. This ended the competition. By 1920 Southern Bell closed the Atlanta Telephone office. Around 1922 the Belmont office opened.
From its humble beginnings to the end of competition Atlanta’s telecommunications history shaped the city. It set the stage for Atlanta’s rise as a tech hub.