Downtown Detroit in Wayne County, Michigan — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Stearns Telephone
Photographed By J.T. Lambrou, October 18, 2022
1. Stearns Telephone Marker
Inscription.
Stearns Telephone. . On September 22, 1877, a Bell telephone was installed on this site in the drugstore operated by Frederick Stearns. An iron wire strung along the rooftops connected the store with the Stearns laboratory a half mile away at the foot of Fifth Street. This service, only eighteen months after Alexander Graham Bell patented his invention, was the first to be offered by the organization which eventually developed into the Michigan Bell Telephone Company. A placard in the store window invited the public to drop in every hour on the hour to speak over the amazing new device. Other private lines followed, but it was a year before the first telephone exchange was constructed with fifteen or twenty subscribers on each party line.
On September 22, 1877, a Bell telephone was installed on this site in the drugstore operated by Frederick Stearns. An iron wire strung along the rooftops connected the store with the Stearns laboratory a half mile away at the foot of Fifth Street. This service, only eighteen months after Alexander Graham Bell patented his invention, was the first to be offered by the organization which eventually developed into the Michigan Bell Telephone Company. A placard in the store window invited the public to drop in every hour on the hour to speak over the amazing new device. Other private lines followed, but it was a year before the first telephone exchange was constructed with fifteen or twenty subscribers on each party line.
Erected 1972 by Michigan Historical Commission and Wolverine Chapter No. 10, Telephone Pioneers of America. (Marker Number S303.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Industry & Commerce. In addition, it is included in the Michigan Historical Commission series list. A significant historical date for this entry is September 22, 1877.
Location. 42° 19.779′ N, 83° 2.743′ W. Marker is in Detroit, Michigan, in Wayne County. It is in Downtown Detroit. Marker is at the intersection of State
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Highway 1 and Larned Street, on the right when traveling south on State Highway 1. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 511 Woodward Avenue, Detroit MI 48226, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 12, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 9, 2015, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan. This page has been viewed 847 times since then and 73 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on October 18, 2022, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. 2, 3. submitted on December 9, 2015, by Joel Seewald of Madison Heights, Michigan.
