Central Office

In the early 1900's a most-welcome invention, the telephone, with 50 subscribers, was an addition to many homes in our township. The Leatherwood Telephone Company installed a Central Office at Rockville, G. R. Summerville was elected president of the company, J. F. Laughlin was vice president, W. P. Henry was treasurer and F. J. Marshall was secretary. The directors were E. E. Polliard, Henry Spindler and S. A. Fowkes. The central office was located in one room of Mrs. Eliza Woods' home. She served as the first telephone operator. Some of the others later employed were Kit Lamison, Ruth Hoover Laughlin, Besse Laughlin, Maude Matthews, who later owned the home and office, and her daughter, Avis Matthews Blair.

It was called the Central Telephone Office, but might have well been called the "Central Bureau of Information" or the "Early 1900 Computer." The people did not have the dialing system or a telephone number, and they could not ring their neighbors. They called the operator and told her the name of the person they wished to talk with, and she connected them with their party. She was kept quite busy with calls wanting information, on such things as births, deaths, time of funerals, illnesses, fires, and even quite often, the time of day. Few people had radios. Television had not been invented, so if your clock stopped, "call Central" -- she knew the time.

In the 1930's a new telephone system was installed by Henry Drohn, with the office located in New Bethlehem.