PHONE LINE LINKS CAPE GIRARDEAU, JACKSON (100 YEARS AGO)

A telephone line running from Cape Girardeau to Jackson was established in 1877, just one year after the new invention was demonstrated at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition. This was later changed to a telegraph line, because of the poor service the telephone line provided. In 1896, however, the Cape Girardeau Telephone Co. was formed and the first switchboard was installed on the second floor of the Sturdivant Bank building, at the corner of Main and Themis.

Excerpts from The Cape Girardeau Weekly Democrat newspaper:

Saturday, Jan. 1, 1898; page 5

Monday: The citizens of Dutchtown want telephone connection with this city. If they will secure the right of way they may be able to negotiate with the Cape Girardeau Telephone Exchange to put them up a line.

Saturday, Jan. 1, 1898; page 5

Tuesday: Robert G. Ranney will have a telephone at his country home five miles from the city. The poles are now being set for the line. It will not be long before every farmer within five or six miles of this city will be connected by telephone with this city. The convenience of the system is such that the people cannot afford to do without the phones.

Saturday, Jan. 22, 1898; page 5

Monday: The city telephone line now extends out to Louis Houck's Elmwood home.

Capt. (George) Alt has a telephone in his country home.

Saturday, Jan. 22, 1898; page 5

Thursday: Judge (Kenrick) Burrough informs us that he is going to have telephone connection with this city.

The Telephone Company is still putting in new phones. The network of wires now looks like the wires in a big city.

Jackson will have its telephone exchange in operation by the first of February. Then we will have free access to the Jackson phone renters.

Saturday, Jan. 29, 1898; page 5

Monday: The telephone exchange between Cape Girardeau and Jackson will be in operation from the first day of February. Jackson will start off with ninety-eight phones, and all surrounding towns are trying to complete their arrangements with the Telephone Company to connect with Jackson and Cape Girardeau.

Saturday, Jan. 29, 1898; page 5

Thursday: If the Telephone Company want the Populists to patronize them they will have to put up a line in the middle of the road.

Saturday, Feb. 5, 1898; page 5

Tuesday: Now we have free telephone exchange with Jackson and if we had an electric railroad to that town we would be fixed.

The managers of the Cape Girardeau Telephone Company did better than they promised to do. The Company promised to have free telephone exchange between Cape Girardeau and Jackson. That we now have, and we have also free exchange with every town in the county that has telephone service.

The hello end of our telephone line to Jackson is not in good working order yet, but it will be all right in a few days.

Feb. 5, 1898; page 5

Wednesday: Our telephone connection with Jackson is not working as it should work. The central office at Jackson does not understand its business yet.

The telephone business between this city and Jackson is too much for one wire. The managers of the two companies will have to put their heads together and make arrangements for another wire.

The central telephone operator at Jackson is evidently a new beginner. He, or she, or whoever it may be, gets the Cape and Jackson mixed up and it is hard to tell which end of the line is at the phone.

Saturday, Feb. 12, 1898; page 5

Monday: Gordonville now has telephone connection with this city.

Saturday, Feb. 12, 1898; page 5

Tuesday: The telephone company is still putting in phones. Our people are beginning to appreciate the convenience of the telephone.

Saturday, Feb. 19, 1898; page 5

Tuesday: The Telephone Company will soon put in a new switch board.

Saturday, Feb. 26, 1898; page 5

Monday: The telephone connection between this city and Jackson will be much better when another wire is put in. Now the business is too great for one wire.

Saturday, Feb. 26, 1898; page 5

Thursday: The Cape Girardeau Telephone Company has two hundred and fourteen phones in operation. The system is the finest in the country and as our people learn the convenience of the service the business grows.

Saturday, March 5, 1898; page 5

Monday: The Cape Girardeau Telephone Company is making improvements all the time. They have received new poles to take the place of some of the old poles and the line up Broadway will be changed to come down the alley from Broadway to the central office.

Saturday, March 5, 1898; page 5

Wednesday: Cape Girardeau is large enough to have at least five hundred telephones and if the people who have phones will shut off those who are too stingy to have phones in their houses we will have them.

Saturday, April 23, 1898; page 5

Tuesday: New poles for the telephone line between this city and Jackson are being placed along the road. When they are put up we will have three or four wires from here to Jackson, and then we will have good service.