HISTORY
The
history of the telephone in Jefferson can be traced back to 1882, when a
private two telephone installation connected the Milligan Elevator
Company's elevator on the North Western Railroad tracks to their mill
south of Jefferson near the present golf course. Charles
Cockerill started the first public telephone exchange in Jefferson.
In 1891, the Jefferson City Council passed a resolution granting the
Cockerill Telephone Company the right to use the streets and alleys to
erect poles. In 1912, this company was acquired by Northwestern Bell
Telephone Company. In 1903, a
second company was formed called the Farmers Mutual Company (later changed
to Citizens Mutual Company). From 1903 to 1940 there were two
competing telephone companies in Jefferson. This duplication of
service made it necessary to have two telephones (one from each company)
in order to make connection to everyone in Jefferson! These two
companies were consolidated to form the present Jefferson Telephone
Company in 1940. Since it's
inception, the Jefferson Telephone Company has striven to provide quality
service at fair rates. In its history it has been an industry
leader in providing the latest in technology. Some of these
include: being one of the first in Iowa to furnish full metallic
common battery, full selective ringing to its farm subscribers; being the
first in the United States to install a ringing converter known as the
K-5, a machine which allowed ringing any one of ten parties on a farm line
without ringing other telephones on the same line; and the first
commercial telephone company in Iowa to receive a two way radio permit in
1945. In more recent times,
dial switching was installed in 1957 and direct distance dialing equipment
in 1968. That equipment was in service until July 17, 1982, when a
digital switching system (NEAX61K) was placed in operation. With
that change the Jefferson Telephone Company was in the first 15%
nationally to convert to digital. In
1995, new fiber facilities were placed in service for toll calls. In
1996, a new digital switch (AT&T/Lucent Technology ESS CDX-2000) was
placed in service. The new switch provides a platform for the
future. It has the capacity to expand the features and services that
will be offered down the road. The flexibility of the new switch
means better, more sophisticated communications. |
