Downtown Las Vegas in Clark County, Nevada — The American Mountains (Southwest)

The First Telephone

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, September 26, 2011

1. The First Telephone Marker

Inscription. At this site the first
Telephone
was installed in Las Vegas

Dedicated during Las Vegas'
Diamond Jubilee

Erected 1980 by Central Telephone – Nevada.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Industry & Commerce.

Location. 36° 10.293′ N, 115° 8.774′ W. Marker is in Las Vegas, Nevada, in Clark County. It is in Downtown Las Vegas. It can be reached from the intersection of Fremont Street and South Main Street. Marker is set in the sidewalk, on the southeast corner of South Main Street and Fremont Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: One Fremont Street, Las Vegas NV 89101, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Nevada’s Mojave Desert.

It is also in the American Southwest

and in the Mountain West.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Las Vegas' Most Historic Hotel & Casino (within shouting distance of this marker); Gaming / Helldorado (within shouting distance of this marker); Fremont Street (about 600 feet away, measured in a direct line); Block 16 (about 700 feet away); Neon / Atomic Testing (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Flame Restaurant (approx. 0.2 miles away); Nevada Motel (approx. ¼ mile away); Manneken Pis (approx. ¼ mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Las Vegas.

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Other markers no longer nearby. Historic Light Standard (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); Auction Site (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); Auction Site / First Train Depot (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been confirmed missing); Von Tobel's Hardware Store (was approx. 0.2 miles away but has been confirmed missing).

Additional commentary.
1. Centel - The Central Telephone Company
When this marker was placed, the Central Telephone Company of Nevada provided telephone service to the city. Central Telephone - Nevada, was then a subsidiary of Central Public Service Company of St. Louis, Missouri, which would become Centel in 1982. Sprint purchased Centel in 1993. In 2006 Sprint spun off it’s wireline business that included telephone service in Las Vegas as Embarq, which was acquired by CenturyLink in 2008. CenturyLink is currently the incumbent landline telephone service company in Las Vegas. Las Vegas telephone service was never part of AT&T’s Bell System.

The telephone installation referred to in this marker was a private telephone line installed by the Las Vegas Trading Company in 1907. But the Las Vegas Trading Company quickly turned into a real telephone company, installing

Electronic Board along Freemont Street on Golden Gate Casino. image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Denise Boose, March 8, 2013

2. Electronic Board along Freemont Street on Golden Gate Casino.

Charles "Pop" Squires Squires published the local newspaper and founded the local bank and electric company. Most importantly, he installed the first telephone in Las Vegas at our hotel in 1907. The telephone number was "1." See an authentic 1907 Kellogg telephone in our hotel lobby.

telephones for others and was renamed the Consolidated Power and Telephone Company in 1909. And by the 1940s it became the Southern Nevada Telephone Company, which merged with Central Telephone in 1961.

— Submitted March 1, 2020, by J. J. Prats of Powell, Ohio.

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, September 26, 2011

3. The First Telephone Marker

The First Telephone Marker (In the sidewalk) and Site image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Bill Kirchner, September 26, 2011

4. The First Telephone Marker (In the sidewalk) and Site

1907 Kellogg Telephone and Sal Sagev in-room telephone directory 1937 image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Denise Boose, March 8, 2013

5. 1907 Kellogg Telephone and Sal Sagev in-room telephone directory 1937

Located in the hotel lobby.

Golden Gate Casino image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Denise Boose, March 8, 2013

6. Golden Gate Casino

Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on September 30, 2011, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. This page has been viewed 2,124 times since then and 107 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 30, 2011, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. 2. submitted on March 31, 2013, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. 3, 4. submitted on September 30, 2011, by Bill Kirchner of Tucson, Arizona. 5, 6. submitted on March 31, 2013, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.