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
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.
Erected
this page online
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Communications • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles. In addition, it is included in the The Historic National Road series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1893.
Location. 39° 53.82′ N, 84° 8.123′ W. Marker is in Phoneton, Ohio, in Miami County. It 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.
Regionally, this marker is in Ohio’s Dayton Metro, in the Miami Valley, and in the Till Plains. It is also in the American Midwest and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: A different marker also named Phoneton (approx. Ό mile away); Taylorsville (approx. 2.1 miles away); Taylorsville Metropark - Metroparks Park System (approx. 2.3 miles away); Tadmor - Taylorsville (approx. 2.3 miles away); Taylorsville Metropark (approx. 2.3 miles away); The Old National Road (approx. 2.6 miles away); World War II Veterans Memorial (approx. 3.3 miles away); Cpl. John B. Buckmaster (approx. 3.3 miles away).
Another marker is no longer nearby. The Village of Tadmor / The National Road (was approx. 1.6 miles away but has been confirmed missing).
Additional keywords.
Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, July 5, 2016
2. Phoneton Marker
Full view of marker
Photographed by Rev. Ronald Irick, July 5, 2016
3. Phoneton Marker
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
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, May 30, 2025
6. Phoneton Marker
Another angle of the marker in context of the former telecommunications building.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 24, 2025. It was originally submitted on August 3, 2016, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. This page has been viewed 1,448 times since then and 57 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on August 3, 2016, by Rev. Ronald Irick of West Liberty, Ohio. 6. submitted on July 24, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
