*This article is from the 1952 Centennial Program Booklet published by the city of Logan.
By L. E. “Chief” Thompson
Since the advent of the telephone 76 years ago this service has played an important part in the development and growth of every community, and so it has been with Logan. The first telephones in Logan were owned by Island Creek Coal Company and extended from Holden to the C. & O. Railway dispatcher’s office, which was located at that time in what is now known as Slab Town. An extension of this line was installed in the residence of Dr. S. B. Lawson on Cole street, which was the first residence telephone in Logan.
In 1905 the Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company established two lines from Huntington and connected them into a newly installed magneto switchboard in the old Guyan Valley Bank building on the corner of Stratton and Washington Avenue. This first switchboard served 45 subscribers and was operated by a young lady by the name of Eula Dejourneete, now Mrs. C. B. Morris of Catlettsburg, Kentucky. The first telephone repairman was Russell Bryan, now deceased.
The intervening 47 years have been the local telephone system grow and prosper from this beginning until today it serves 7000 subscribers and includes 31 positions of switchboard, more than 700 miles of open wire and 50 miles of aerial cable. These years have not been peaceful and tranquil, they been rugged and exciting as the development of the community itself.
And example of the more exciting happening recalled by L. E. “Chief” Thompson, present service foreman at Logan, who remembers the new office which was installed in the White and Browning building in 1921, only to be destroyed by the of September 3, 1922.
The operator on duty that Sunday morning, Alice Widner, now Mrs. Ralph Coberly of Huntington, disregarded personal safety and stayed at the switchboard completing calls until the building began to collapse and she was removed to safety.
Immediately after the burning of the building and the interruption of the telephone service, Mr. Thompson and his assistants connected long distance lines to telephones located in booths in the hotels and in this way gave emergency telephone service. A temporary witch board was installed and all service to the 953 subscribers was restored by September 10, 1922.
As soon as the work of restoration was under way, plans were made to purchase property and erect a new fireproof building, in which to house the permanent switchboard equipment, which would serve Logan and community. The construction of the building was rushed and the installation of equipment was started as soon as possible. The new equipment was placed in service early in 1923 in the present location of the Logan office.
Since that time new and improved equipment has added to keep pace with the growth of the community and the plans of the future tis to grow with Logan and give the possible telephone service and its men and women have done in the past.
* * * * End of the above article. * * * *
*The content on this page is for educational purposes and is used in accordance with the Fair Use Law (Per Title 17—United States Code—Section 107). This is a nonprofit website and no commercial gain is derived from its operation and publication by the owner.
You may also like:
1925 Directory of Logan
1947 Phone Book
1969 Phone Book
My mother was a switch board operator for 40 yrs
My mother worked as a switchboard operator for the telephone company in Logan in the 1950’s, but I’m not certain which building the phone company was located in. I believe it was either the tan brick building at the corner of Hudgins and Hinchman streets or the red brick building next to it on the corner of Cole and Hinchment streets. If someone remembers which building it was, please let me know.
The operators worked the switch board that was located in the red brick building located on the corner of Cole and Hinchman streets. I worked there from 1954 to 1956 and then from 1966 to 1985. The Telephone Co. business office was located on Hudgins Street. About the article above, I knew Chief Thompson and I met Ms DeJournette.
Are you the one of two twins that lived next to the Baileys?
I still remember our first phone number; 478!