Vigo County Historical Society
Historical Treasure Article

October 31, 1993
By Alice Zimmerman Johnson
Vigo County Historical Society

First long-distance hookup in 1894

A wonderful picture of the first commercial telephone hookup and trial, taken on Oct. 3, 1894, is on display at the Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley.

The photograph piqued my curiosity and therefore I found the article in the Terre Haute Evening Gazette on microfilm in the Vigo County Public Library. The Gazette titled its article, “Simply Marvelous,” and that it was.

Terre Haute as of Oct. 3, 1894, was connected to many northern and eastern cities. American Telephone and Telegraph Co. built the line that extended from Chicago and Wisconsin to New York City and Portland, Maine. The excitement was well deserved as Terre Haute was the farthest point west and south.

The costs for using this hookup were said to be minimal: 75 cents for five minutes to Indianapolis and $10 for a five-minute call to New York. The line was anticipated as being quite a boon for Terre Haute businessmen.

The test began at 2:30 p.m. Mayor Ross opened the line by speaking with General Manager Bates in New York City. The article stated: “Mr. Bates was plainly heard.”

The men participating in the historic moment were Col. R.W. Thompson, H.G. Thompson, R.G. Jenckes, F.A. Ross, Charles Goodwin, A.G. Austin, E.E. South, B.F. Havens, L.S. Briggs, Will Arnold, J.B. Arkman, Joe Clay, Ed Welsh, J.J. Bayes, J. Shields, W.W. Byer, H.T. Biel, B.V. Marshall and Charles Baur.

Mayor Ross said to Bates: “We of Terre Haute congratulate ourselves that the long distance telephone brings us into such easy communication with the great commercial cities of this country and we are not certain but that this accomplishment is of equal, if not of greater interest to you. It is not long since we were in the far west; now both time and space are annihilated and we can almost shake hands with you who, in the beginning of this century, were many weeks distant from this state. Let us hope that the bonds of this union may be the more firmly cemented as we are brought nearer together.”

The men gathered that afternoon felt that perhaps the long distant phone would prove to be more remarkable than the telegraph.

We are able to enjoy the photograph which was credited to H.T. Biel, who took “a flash light picture.” Come and see the “marvelous” picture at the museum.

The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

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