Old East Dallas in Dallas County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)
Communications in Dallas
Photographed by Kayla Harper, June 28, 2020
1. Communications in Dallas Marker
Rapid long distance communications came to Dallas in 1872 when the first telegraph lines arrived with the Houston & Central Texas Railroad. The first telephone line in Dallas ran from the city's water supply at Browder Springs to the firehouse at Harwood and Main in 1878. Twenty years later, Southwestern Telegraph and Telephone Company erected a building on this site, in what was then the city of East Dallas, to house a toll relay office. All toll calls were switched through at this facility, linking the city with the wider world. By 1905 the "toll building" was taken out of service as a larger space became necessary and the telephone quickly became an integral part of communications in Dallas.
Erected 1998 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 11820.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Industry & Commerce.
Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 32° 47.316′ N, 96° 46.255′ W. Marker was in Dallas, Texas, in Dallas County. It was in Old East Dallas. It was at the intersection of Main
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Regionally, this marker was in the Prairies & Lakes Region. Globally, it was in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once New Spain, the Republic of Texas, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this location: Sons of Hermann in Dallas (approx. 0.3 miles away); Grace United Methodist Church (approx. 0.4 miles away); Dr. Frank E. Rutherford Veterinary Hospital (approx. half a mile away); Baylor University Medical Center (approx. half a mile away); State Fair of Texas (approx. 0.6 miles away); Continental D.A.R. House (approx. 0.6 miles away); Texas Centennial Exposition (approx. 0.6 miles away); City of East Dallas (approx. 0.6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Dallas.
Another
Photographed by Kayla Harper, June 28, 2020
2. Communications in Dallas Marker
Photographed by Kayla Harper, June 28, 2020
3. A view of buildings near the Communications in Dallas Marker
Photographed by Kayla Harper, June 28, 2020
4. A view of buildings near the Communications in Dallas Marker
Photographed by Jeff Leichsenring, January 1, 1980
5. Missing Communications in Dallas Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on March 31, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 30, 2020, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. This page has been viewed 1,466 times since then and 136 times this year. Last updated on March 30, 2025, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 30, 2020, by Kayla Harper of Dallas, Texas. 5. submitted on March 30, 2025, by Jeff Leichsenring of Garland, Texas. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.
