Phoneton in Miami County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Phoneton
The Historic National Road in Ohio
— Communications Center —
Photographed By Rev. Ronald Irick, July 5, 2016
1. Phoneton Marker
Inscription.
Phoneton. The Historic National Road in Ohio. Originally known as “Phone Town”, this community along the National Road was once a major telecommunications center in America. In 1893, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) selected this site as the location for a repeater station to boost transmission for the company’s long distance lines between Pittsburgh and St. Louis. The first operations were located in the local Grange Hall. This soon proved to be too small, and AT&T built a three story structure to house telegraph and operator assisted station-to-station calls.
The top floor housed the telegraph operations. Personal and business messages as well as communications for the Associated Press, and United Press, and International news Service were handled here.
The second floor contained the long distance center. Operators were responsible for 120 circuits that connected east and west coasts and all other parts of the nation. Special emergency circuits were also located here for use by the press and government agencies. Electric power was provided by on-site generators to make sure that operations would continue in any weather.
Telephone switching operations ceased in 1936 with the installation of an automated system at the AT&T office in Dayton. Part of the original three story building remains.
Originally known as “Phone Town”, this community along the National Road was once a major telecommunications center in America. In 1893, the American Telephone and Telegraph Company (AT&T) selected this site as the location for a repeater station to boost transmission for the company’s long distance lines between Pittsburgh and St. Louis. The first operations were located in the local Grange Hall. This soon proved to be too small, and AT&T built a three story structure to house telegraph and operator assisted station-to-station calls.
The top floor housed the telegraph operations. Personal and business messages as well as communications for the Associated Press, and United Press, and International news Service were handled here.
The second floor contained the long distance center. Operators were responsible for 120 circuits that connected east and west coasts and all other parts of the nation. Special emergency circuits were also located here for use by the press and government agencies. Electric power was provided by on-site generators to make sure that operations would continue in any weather.
Telephone switching operations ceased in 1936 with the installation of an automated system at the AT&T office in Dayton. Part of the original three story building remains.
Location. 39° 53.82′ N, 84° 8.123′ W. Marker is in Phoneton, Ohio, in Miami County. Marker is at the intersection of Old National Road (U.S. 40) and Old Troy Pike (Ohio Route 202), on the left when traveling west on Old National Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4440 West National Road, Tipp City OH 45371, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Marker can be seen at a distance; bottom floor is all that remains of the three story building
Photographed By Rev. Ronald Irick, July 5, 2016
4. Phoneton Marker
This building housed the phone center operations for AT&T in
Phoneton. Note the thick phone cable entering the building.
The awnings were used to keep the interior cooler in the
summer months.
Photographed By Rev. Ronald Irick, July 5, 2016
5. Phoneton Marker
Note the gas lights
Credits. This page was last revised on August 6, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 3, 2016, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. This page has been viewed 686 times since then and 73 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 3, 2016, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
