SIOUX CITY HAD REMARKABLE CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE EARLY USE OF THE TELEPHONE IN IOWA.
THAT’S THE THEME OF THE SIOUX CITY PUBLIC MUSEUM’S NEWEST EXHIBIT, “HELLO OPERATOR.”
MUSEUM CURATOR MATT ANDERSON SAYS IT SHOWCASES SIOUX CITY HOSTING ONE OF IOWA’S FIRST TELEPHONE EXCHANGES IN 1880 TO SERVING AS A REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS HUB FOR OVER A CENTURY:
PHONES1 OC…….OF TELEPHONE SERVICE. :19
ANDERSON SAYS IN THE 1890’S WHEN SOME OF THE EARLY PHONE PATENTS EXPIRED, THAT ALLOWED INDEPENDENT SERVERS TO BE CREATED, INCLUDING ONE BY THE FAMILY BEST KNOWN LOCALLY FOR JOLLY TIME POPCORN:
PHONES2 OC………ABOUT 20 YEARS. :33
OVER TIME, SIOUX CITY’S TELEPHONE MARKET CAME UNDER THE FULL CONTROL OF NORTHWESTERN BELL, A
BELL SYSTEM SUBSIDIARY. FROM 1921 UNTIL THE HISTORIC BREAKUP OF THE BELL SYSTEM IN 1984.
VISITORS WILL DISCOVER THE EVOLUTION OF TELEPHONE TECHNOLOGY. THE EXHIBIT FEATURES HISTORIC
PHOTOGRAPHS, ICONIC TELEPHONE DESIGNS, AND ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT THAT BRING THE CITY’S TELEPHONE
HISTORY TO LIFE.
THE EXHIBIT IS ON DISPLAY NOW THROUGH NOVEMBER 30TH.
