Spring arrives in a newly wired Chariton during 1882

If you're looking for an anniversary to celebrate this spring, consider the fact that telephone service arrived in Chariton during the spring of 1882, 140 years ago.

Organizers of that first system were businessmen associated with First National Bank which had recently installed a telephone system in its offices, then newly located in the Union Block (above). They included Smith H. Mallory, Edward Ames Temple and others.

The offices of the fledgling Chariton Telephone Co. were located initially on the second floor of the bank's former home on the west side of the square, occupied during 2022 by Johansen Plumbing & Heating.

By 1900, about the time this photograph was taken, "central" had been moved to the second floor of the Union Block, above the bank, and the big pole at left was there to organize the city's various telephone lines before feeding them into the switchboard.

The telephone company was incorporated formally during 1894 and sold during 1912 to the Bell Company, then in the process of buying up most major telephone exchanges in Iowa.

But back to 1882 now:

"At last Chariton is to have a Telephone system. The central office will be the rear room over the First National Bank building," The Democrat-Leader reported on March 23.

That brief item was followed up in the Democrat-Leader of March 30 with this: "The Telephone business is an established fact now and the necessary wires, poles, arms and instruments are arriving. The central office will be located in the old Bank building, and already a sufficient number of orders for the telephones have been secured to insure a regular net work of wires over the city. When once the advantage of the system are tested by our citizens the telephone will be considered as much of an advantage as sidewalks. It will save many a walk and facilitate business."

"The telephone poles are being erected and the system will be in working order at an early date," The Chariton Patriot reported on April 5.

The Democrat-Leader added, on April 6: "Telephone wires are now stretching out over the city, and the time will soon arrive when we can call on our neighbors without going. Of course a few of the chronic talkers will monopolize the wires for a short time after the system and circuits are completed, but they will of course die of quick consumption and then other people can do some talking."

By late April, the system was in place and in use and generating editorial comment. Here's a report from The Democrat-Leader of April 26: "The champion talker through the Telephone is Mr. John Culbertson. The other day he called up the Central office, and asked to be connected with a certain number. It seems he talked a little too loud, and the lady who has charge of the Central office quickly responded, "My dear sir, if you will just step out on the platform  you will find yourself connected with any office in the city. A gentleman with a pair of lungs like you seem to have does not need any telephone to be heard any place within a radius of seven or eight miles."

On May 4, The Democrat-Leader published Chariton's first telephone directory --- consisting of the numbers and names of all 42 telephone "stations" then operating in the city:

"The following is a complete list of the Telephone stations now in operation in Chariton with their numbers: 32, Allen L.B. Residence; 19, Arnold S.S., Residence; 38 Bartholomew O.A., Office; 41, Bartholomew O.A., Residence; 13, Braden & Co., Dry Goods; 6. Brown J. Lee, Residence; 25, Brown J. Lee, Auditors Office; 37, Curtis & Son, Mill Office; 31 Deming & Hollinger, Grocery.

"24, Depot C.B.&Q., Freight; 23,, Eikenberry & Co., Office; 2, First National Bank, Office; 29, Gilbert Hedge & Co., Office; 21 Haskins C.T., Residence; 34, Hull J.D. Democrat-Leader; 35. Hull J.D. Residence; 42, Hickman S.D., Residence; 8, Lewis E. & Co., Mill Office; 36, Leinen N., Residence; 33, McKlveen Dr., Residence; 5, Mallory S.H., Office; 4, Mallory S.H. Residence; 

"7, Manning & Coles, Grocery; 14, Maple L.F., Residence; 28, Monarch Saloon, Office; 39, Mitchell J.C., Residence; 18 Palmer H.C., Residence; 20, Ragsdale, G.H., Patriot; 40, Sheller P.P. & Co., Grocery; 27, Schulze & Graves, Livery; 9, Stewart S.F., Residence; 22 Stewart G.J., Residence; 10, Stuart Bros., Attorneys; 11, Stuart T.M., Residence; 12 Stuart Dell, Residence.

"1. Telegraph Office, W. Union; 3 Temple, E.A., Residence; 30 Thompson, D.M. Residence; 17 Waynick D.D., Dry Goods; 16, Waynick D.D., Residence; 26, Wormley D., Depot Hotel; 15 Wright A.N., Residence."