The name Alexander Graham Bell today may bring some meaning to you, but then again, maybe not. To refresh your memory, Mr. Bell is credited with the invention of the telephone, nearly 150 years ago, March 7, 1876.
Alexander received his U.S, patent #174,465 as a vast improvement over telegraphy which led to the first successful speech transmission and commercialization.
Given where we are today in the 21st century, it’s incredible how far technology has improved and is widely accepted.
Mr. Bell’s first telephone obviously did not have a dial system yet, but contact was made phone to phone verbally. Later, came the rotary dial, then the push button phones which were at the time, considered a revolutionary change.
In fact, there are many today who remember November 18, 1963, the very day that push button dialing was used for the first time here in America.
Let’s harken back to the days of the mid – 20th century of the 30’s,40’s and 50’s when that wonderful dial tone of even today – was still asleep. It was a time when you picked up your phone of that era and a very pleasant female voice asked: “NUMBER PLEASE.”
One of those dynamic voices from General Telephone in 1960-1961 was later to be my wife of 64 years – Jo. Don’t ask me or Mrs. T why we remember our telephone numbers of the 40’s and 50’s – but we do. My phone number was: High 1155. Mrs. T’s: Oak 2542.
Here’s a thought for you – a call, say to Greenup, Kentucky from Ashland (a distance of about 15 miles) was deemed a “long distance” call and you paid extra for it.
The “Party Line” was by definition – a multi-shared line within a local circuit shared by many subscribers.
At the beginning of it all, even dating back to the late 1800’s there was an alternative option of users called an “Individual Line” or as we come to know it as a “Private Line.” This came about because callers on the Party Line would hold it basically, just gossiping for even hours.
The commercialized lines were utilized by radio stations and even the early TV stations as well to cover local sports, meetings and on the spot news.
Having grown up in the 1940’s back in Ashland, our house was connected to an infamous “party line.” Even back in the 30’s and 40’s subscribers were urged to use etiquette and common sense from monopolizing the lines. That obviously fell on deaf ears – no pun intended. I remember one time asking how much longer two people would be, and I was cursed out on the line. Sadly, over the years, the “party line” monopoly remained insensitive to pleas or the use of the line.
• 1955 – a woman was indicted by the Grand Jury for her refusal to give up the line to a caller who needed to report a fire which in turn, burned a shed and a barn to the ground. No justice – she was given a “suspended sentence.”
• 1970 – a 16-year-old girl and a woman were charged with failure to relinquish a party line to allow a distress call of three boys drowning in a pond in Colorado.
These are just two instances of an emergency that dictated a line needed to be used immediately and were stalled.
Over the years, the use of the phone lines both public and commercialized, became very complex with various court cases and decisions.
It should be noted that some relative telephone rates of October, 1959 offered rates for both business and residence pertaining to “private lines” and various rates for “party lines” as well.
Of course, today here in 2026, there are many options and plans that various companies use to cover the “land lines” and or course, your cellphone.
If you were around back in the mid-20th Century and you were told that in the 1980’s and early in the next century, we would enjoy certain cell phone features you could only dream about on what we take for granted today – an iPhone.
How about talking to your own personal robot – Seri or Alexa while asking virtually anything at all, and in seconds – you got the answer.
These wonderful robots can make a phone call or a text message for you.
Do you have to make a trip somewhere?
Just ask Seri or Alexa how far and how long you will be on the road. Your GPS system can and will guide you to your destination with all the information you will need to make a safe trip.
Right out the Star Wars era, we have today – a wonderful plus that we know as FACETIME.
Just tell Seri you wish to make a Facetime call and in seconds, you will be face to face with whomever you wish, complete with nice clear screen.
Then of course, you have the option to make your own “selfie” photograph – whenever you wish.
So, if we just take a deep breath and smile while remembering a 1978 hit record from Loretta Lynn that proclaimed: “WE’VE COME ALONG WAY BABY!”
You know what? We have, we really have.
Mike Tussey has “retired” from a 60-plus-year career as a legendary play-by-play announcer for over 2000 football, baseball, and basketball games, including most recently for ESPN+. His career also includes a stint in law enforcement, teaching and coaching, and writing books, including the “Touchdown Saints.” He grew up in Eastern Kentucky and now lives in Florence with his wife, Jo. He has opened another “Door of Opportunity” and is now a regular columnist for the NKyTribune.