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Tampico Telephone Co
The Tampico Area Historical Society encompasses parts of Whiteside County and Bureau County in Illinois. Focus is on Tampico, Hume Twp., Hahnaman/Deer Grove, & Prophetstown in Whiteside County & Yorktown & Thomas in Bureau County.

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Administrator Denise 380 posts Aug 03, 2006 8:35 AM	Terry Gaskill is researching the Telephone companies in Tampico through the years. If you have any information on the companies or even their employees, please email me. Thank you. ---------- Denise Family History Coordinator Tampico Area Historical Society
LesN 62 posts Aug 03, 2006 3:19 PM	Here ya go from the Tampico Tornado 1895-1902 - Les Niemi: September 7, 1895 Walnut and New Bedford are now connected by telephone. It will not be long before Tampico will have telephone communication with all the towns around here. October 5, 1895 The HARRISON Telephone workmen were over this way setting poles last week. They will soon have the wires up, the phones placed and the entire line in operation. October 5, 1895 Rock Falls is now lighted with electric lights. The town is marching right to the front. With its new store buildings, its permanent sidewalks on Main street, its telephones, electric lights, to say nothing of its big manufactories, it may now be classed among the leading towns of our county. November 9, 1895 A dozen more of the HARRISON Telephone Co.'s instruments were distributed around town today. It is expected that connection with the exchange will be made in about a week. Yesterday a big cable was stretched on poles between Buzzard's farm on Fourth street and the central office, a block south on Third street. Next week, a cable will be put up to connect the lines in this city and Rock Falls. - Sterling Gazette. December 21, 1895 The Bell Telephone company is contemplating the building of a long distance telephone line from Chicago to Clinton, tapping the towns along the Northwestern road. The charge for talking to Chicago will be about sixty cents. January 11, 1896 The Whites Harrison telephone people set and erected up a number of instruments in this city with their system leasee. More will be placed in residences and businesses as soon as received from the manufacturer. January 11, 1896 B.D. GREENMAN has put in one of the Bell telephones at his drug store. He now has one of each kind. Guess he can reach anyone and anywhere he wants now. January 14, 1896 The Bell telephones were taken out of the County buildings at Morrison last Thursday by order of the Board of Supervisors. February 22, 1896 B.D. GREENMAN has taken considerable interest in telephones of late and now has three different lines in his store to operate. He can attach them all together and hear from any line. He is trying new experiments and son expects to have the system so perfected that he can play upon a fiddle in his store and have all in town who own 'phones her his music. October 31, 1896 Burt GREENMAN said he wanted to attend the Republican rally at Sterling last week Friday, but circumstances were such that he could not. He said if he went he would have to engage the services of a registered pharmacist to tend his drug store, an expert electrician to run the telephones, a hosteler [sic] to care for his equine, and a dairyman to attend to his bovine. "No use talking," he said, "I have to get too many helpers and it is hard to find the kind I want." February 6, 1897 B.D. GREENMAN has just put in a new switch board at the central office of the Harrison Telephone Co. of this place. July 16, 1898 A telephone line long enough to connect this town [Tampico] with Yorktown. It is believed that the line would pay a good interest on the investment. November 5, 1898 The telephone poles are all set from Tampico to Yorktown and will soon be set to Thomas. This work is being hurried through. December 17, 1898 The telephone is very interesting at the present. February 11, 1899 James CAIN started at work last Monday to partition off one corner of the H.A. STILSON's store room for a telephone office. The room is to be lathed and plastered and will make a good place to receive and send messages. It will be shut off from the store so that no one but the party using the phone will know what is being said. April 22, 1899 A.D. HILL, of HARRISON Telephone fame, was a business visitor in our village Friday morning between Fred trains. May 18, 1901 Mrs. E.A. EMMONS and her daughter, Miss Minnie, were business callers a this office Thursday. She told us that Ed was so busy erecting the Telephone Exchange that he had any time for hardly anything else. May 25, 1901 Ed EMMONS says they are getting along with their telephone exchange south of town. That they are to have a switch board here and have several phones in town. June 1, 1901 The Farmers Telephone company have got their line in running order and have cards printed with their service calls. They have 32 phones to commence with and will have many more in a short time. September 14, 1901 WHAT THE FRATERNITY SAYS. Sterling Gazette, September 7. Chas. F GIFFORD, for more than twenty-five years publisher of the Tampico Tornado, has sold his paper to A.D. HILL, lately of the Morrison Sentinel and Whiteside Harrison Telephone co. People of Tampico and the newspaper fraternity of the county will regret the departure from the ranks of Mr. GIFFORD, whose business relations with all have always been most pleasant. Mr. GIFFORD made money at Tampico and retires with a good sized wad. Mr. HILL is one of the ablest and most experienced journalists of this section and will give the people of Tampico a lively newsy paper. December 28, 1901 POLES FOR PHONE LINE DISTRIBUTED The poles which will be used in the construction of the new telephone line, which is to be built by the farmers company from this place to Rock Falls, have all been distributed along the road from South Hume School to the limits of Rock Falls. The line will be erected on the east side of the road running north from here and on the south side of the river road. The plies are not the ordinary length, but are shorter by several feet. This makes the cost less and they are just as serviceable. C.B. SCHICK distributed the poles. Work will begin on the building of the line very soon. The city council of Rock Falls has granted the company a ten year franchise to run the line into that city. December 28, 1901 Marvin GRIFFIN has sold the telephone which was in his farm residence to Allie PIERCE. Charles POWELL, the present tenant, has rented one from the Farmer's Company until the owner takes possession. February 15, 1902 A VERY SICK BOY Young ROOSEVELT Suffering from Double Pneumonia, Both Lungs Being Affected. Groten, Mass., Feb. 11., 3 a.m. - The condition of Theodore ROOSEVELT, Jr., at this hour is apparently serious, for lights can be seen in the infirmary and nurses and doctors are moving around. For the last half hour the voice of the boy calling for water could be heard on the street. Nothing could be obtained from the house, but it is believed the patient is delirious. The boy is seriously sick, but it is too early to say what the chances are for his recovery. President and Mrs. ROOSEVELT spent a long, anxious day in the infirmary, awaiting the crises of the disease which this morning appeared to have taken such a strong hold of their son. The change for the works in the boy's condition occurred during the night, and shoed itself when the regular morning examination was made by Dr. SHATTUCK and Dr. WARREN. During the day the telephone and telegraph lines to the white house were kept busy. It was thus possible for the president to transact considerable executive business of a pressing nature. The bulletin issued form the sick room at 11 o'clock p.m. stated that the patient's condition was unchanged. The president spent the entire evening in the infirmary. February 22, 1902 L.A. WHEELOCK says the Farmer's Telephone line north of here will be completed as soon as a line man can be secured to do the work. May 24, 1902 TO BUILD A NEW PHONE LINE WEST Poles were set Wednesday for a new telephone line which runs south a mile and one-half from BAKER's corner. The new line will connect the following farmers: Mr. SMITH, J. DARNELL, Levi LUTYENS, W.E. BROWN and Fred RUCK. The wire will be strung on the poles and the instruments installed shortly. Another new line is being projected to run west from William McCREEDY's corner. This line if built will go about three miles west, as far as STURMs and will connect a number of farmers. The line south from BAKER's corner will necessitate another line from the central here to the corner as the three wires in use at present have all the work they can handle. September 27, 1902 TELEPHONE CENTRAL WILL BE MOVED The Farmers Mutual Telephone central which is located in Marvin GRIFFIN's residence will be moved in several weeks to the rooms over HOWLETT's hardware store. Irving STEWART has been engaged by the directors to have charge of the central in the new location. When installed in the new quarters a day and night and all day Sunday service will be given to the patrons. Mr. STEWART will have a sale and move to town from his farm a half mile north of here. He will live in the rooms where the central is located. Mr. STEWART is a genial, good fellow who will make a fine "hello" girl. Last Edited by LesN on Aug 03, 2006 3:42 PM
LesN 63 posts Aug 03, 2006 3:41 PM	Tampico Tornado "Telephone Notes" 1903-1906 - Les Niemi January 3, 1903 The New Bedford farmers' telephone central now charges ten cents for everybody who talks through the exchange there, no matter whether they own a 'phone or not. The Tampico central now charges New Bedford ten cents to go through the central here. January 3, 1903 Agent CURNOW now hellos through a fine new desk telephone which has been installed at the depot. The 'phone is so arranged that either Mr. CURNOW or John PIERCE can reach it without leaving their desks. February 21, 1903 MAY GET ELECTRIC ROAD Company May Build Electric Railroad From Rock Falls to Tampico Rumor is that an electric railway will be built from Rock Falls west on the river road, south through Tampico and then south through Yorktown and then on to Sheffield. According to the Sterling Gazette at the recent meeting of the Farmers' telephone company at Hume center school a proposal was received from the Northern Illinois Electric Railroad company to build a line. March 14, 1903 The Hume Mutual Telephone company has moved the switch board from GREEN's restaurant, Rock Falls, to HALSTEAD & GRAY's store and teh board will be in charge of Miss Nettie DOW. Increase in business has made it necessary to have a hello girl. March 28, 1903 Mrs. E.W. and Thomas MEREDITH received the sad news by telephone last week Friday that their brother, Howard CUSAC, had died at his home in Wenona. April 25, 1903 Hear after I will keep zinc bars and all telephone supplies. Come to my house. E.A. EMMONS. June 6, 1903 Harry CAIN has returned from New Bedford where he worked on the Bureau county farmer's new telephone line between Manilus and New Bedford. August 1, 1903 NEW BEDFORD Herman DRAPER, Henry ERICKSON, Mrs. Peter ERICKSON and Henry MURPHY had independent telephones put in their residences last Friday. August 29, 1903 Poles have been hauled for the Farmer's telephone line east and north of here and Monday work was begun digging the holes and setting them. The new line goes east to Aug. HEIN's corner and then north and east over the route as started in the paper several weeks ago. November 6, 1903 BLAMES INDEPENDENT CO. A.O Hunter Tells Where Telephone Trouble South of Here Originated. Editor Tornado: As the real issue between the managers of the Yorktown telephone company and those of the Tampico switchboard still seams to be poorly understood xxx xxx want to state that through you xxx xxx few facts concerning it. In the first place, remember xxx xx switchboard is intended for all xxx xxx tual lines. The more lines of this kind the better the service and any such line is allowed to come on our board by paying a trifle more than the cost of the same. The real trouble began when the Bureau County Mutual company (organized this summer) asked the privilege of coming on the board. Because we allowed them to do so, the Bureau County Independent, with which we have been having free exchange through the Yorktown lines, refused us service over their lines as they had previously notified us they would. Our action was not so much because of a preference of companies, but we denied the right of any company to dictate that far. This would have passed quietly by, but the managers of the Yorktown lines differed with us and preferred to stand by the Independent, and as we look at it, placed them in the same position on this point as the Independent. This at once became an issue and has been the issue between us and the Yorktown lines. Of course we know the patrons of the Yorktown lines have been divided and the indifference on the part of so many necessarily counted for nearly as much with us as the action of the officers. This is not a complaint, but only a plain statement. We make no complaint either for or against the Independent company. Such company xxx xxxx xxx xxxx operate with a system of mutual lines than the old line insurance company can with a mutual. If the farmers will stand together a system of mutual lines can be successfully operated at cost, giving everyone service and equal rights. It ought now, it seems to me, to be plain that the issue with the Yorktown lines is not a money consideration at all, although there has been some reasons to think so. To grieve these reasons full now would seem too much like trying to advertise the favors the Yorktown lines have had on our switch board. After all these very reasons, together with the fact that we have made no demands, ought to prove that this is not an issue. In plain words the issue is whether we allow the managers of the Yorktown lines to force us into yielding to the dictates of the Independent company. Much as we regret the conditions of things we prefer to continue our separation with Yorktown lines rather than yield this point. We want to say too that in defense of it we have not resorted to the use of any profane or abusive language. We hope and believe that when this matter is better understood a satisfactory settlement can be made. A.O. HUNTER. December 4, 1903 XXX TO CONNECT WITH STERLING Arrangements are being made by Farmers' telephone company north of here to transfer the company's switch board from Rock Falls to Sterling where it wll then be connected with another system in Sterling and then xxxx xhere or lines connecting with xxx xxxd here will have free service xxx xxx Bell company's lines in Sterling xxx xting Tampico in touch in the xxx of 'phones in use in Sterling xx xxk Falls. The best im xxxxnt yet in the farmers' lines xxx give fine line service. Under this xxxment, a person having a farxxx xxhone connecting with the xxx board will be able to call xxxxne in Sterling our [sic] Rock Falls xxxx Bell of Farmers' 'phone. Xxxx xxx could be made with xxx xxx xxx par excellent. December 18, 1903 There was to be a meeting of the directors of the Tampico telephone lines here last Saturday and it was decided to pass around a petition to call for a new election to elect a director to take R.B. SENSEY's place. If there is another election it is thought the telephone war will be decided as there will be a majority on the Yorktown board. As it now stands there are two against two. June 11, 1904 The Interstate Telephone company's line was connected with the Farmer's Mutual switch board here last Saturday and it is now possible to talk over the Interstate line through a Farmers' 'phone. The fee for this is five cents for any place in Whiteside Co. The Interstate has hundreds of 'phones in Sterling, Rock Falls, Morrison and other places which can all be reached now by any person having a Framers' 'phone, provided they pay the extra five-cents toll. The same arrangements were made with the Bell company, but the company failed to carry out their part, hence the Farmers' took the Interstate. June 11, 1904 New Farmers' 'phones have been installed in the farm residences of William HUTTON and John DEVINE east of here July 15, 1904 A carload of telephone poles and a large quantity of wire was received here this week for the new farmers line north-west of here on which work has been started. The new line will extend into the OLSSON district, among some of the subscribers will be W. WETZEL, Mert and John OLSSON, Nels ROSENE, John HELLIER, Olaf PIERSON and others. The line covers a territory heretofore not reached by any other lines. September 16, 1904 'PHONE TROUBLE ADJUSTED Yorktown Line Now Connected With Tampico Switchboard Settled Satisfactorily. The telephone trouble between the Yorktown and Tampico Farmer's companies has at last been adjusted satisfactorily and the Yorktown lines are again connected with switch board here after being cut off for several months. The new board of directors met last Friday and agreed to pay the Tampico company $50 per year for switching fees and $35 to go on the board at the central here. The Yorktown company's lines were disconnected with the switchboard here sometime ago, trouble arising over the Tampico Farmers' company permitting the Bureau county mutual to connect with the board here, the Yorktown company it is understood had agreed not to give service over a competing line of the Bureau County Independent with which the Yorktown line had an agreement. The Yorktown lies being disconnected has been a source of annoyance to all business men here and everybody is glad the matter is settled and the service is greatly improved. The only hardship that has been worked has been on John HOWLETT, R.B. SENSENSY and BURDEN's store who consented to pay double switching fees in order to settle the trouble. They own shares in the Yorktown line September 16, 1904 E.A. EMMONS was sick several days last week and while he was on his back "sick" telephones and wires had to brace up of their own accord. December 2, 1904 SHREDDER CUTS ARM OFF Robert COLLINS has Left Arm almost severed in Shredder Cogs, Monday. Robert COLLINS' left arm was caught in the gears of a corn shredder Monday and it was severed almost completely about half way between the elbow and shoulder. The terrible accident which will make Mr. COLLINS a cripple for life happened about ten miles south west of Tampico at Aaron BRANDT's farm. Mr. COLLINS was shredding corn there with his machine and went to oil the cog wheels which operate the snapping rollers. It is supposed that he slipped as his elbow struck the swiftly revolving cogs and in an instant his arm was drawn into the terrible cogs which mashed the forearm and cut the arm off, bone and all above the elbow the blood spurting in streams. John ESHELMAN who was close at hand and others went to Mr. COLLINS assistance and a ham strap was buckled around the arm to stop the profuse bleeding. The men then wanted to carry Mr. COLLINS to the house but his display of grit was remarkable as he calmly remarked he was able to walk. While in the house waiting for the arrival of Doctors WAHL of Tampico and Dr. BOHNETT of Yorktown who had been summoned by telephone, Mr. COLLINS laughed and joked with the horror striken men and walked unassisted to the operating table where he also assisted in undressing himself. At first he refused to take anesthetic saying he could stand the operation but the doctors administered it and the arm was amputated a few inches above the place where the machine got in its awful work. January 27, 1905 The Northern Illinois Mutual Telephone Association will meet in Morrison Feb. 1, 1905. E.A. EMMONS of this place is on the program for a talk on "Is the Mutual Telephone a Success." There will be other addresses and talks on telephone subjects and election of officers. February 3, 1905 YORKTOWN Mr. A.O. HUNTER is attending the meeting of the Mutual Telephone Co's of Northern Ill., at Morrison. An organization of mutual companies is to be completed known as "The Northern Illinois Mutual Telephone Association." February 3, 1905 HUME John POPE had a new telephone put in his house this week. February 3, 1905 Wallis (Texas) Graphone: George HOWLETT is putting up a private telephone line from his residence in town to his farm. It will be quite a convenience. May 5, 1905 F.C. THACKABERRY has discovered a new way to kill angle worms. While refilling his telephone batteries recently with sal-ammoniac, he poured the old fluid onto the ground and in a short time numbers of the worms appeared on the surface wriggling and writhing in death throws. May 26, 1905 Ed EMMONS was jogging along peacefully with his horse north east of here last week deep in thought, probably how to invent a telephone that would kick the kicker or how to make ice cream out of buttermilk, at any rate his horse turned at a cross road and he didn't see it. When Ed came out of his reverie he didn't recognize the country and had to drive into John HENREKIN's place to find out just where he was at. June 30, 1905 A fancy sign on a telephone pole near the livery barn tells the public where OLDS' barn may be found. September 22, 1905 The annual meeting of the Hooppole-Yorktown-Thomas-Tampico Telephone company will be held at Thomas, Monday October 2 at 2 o'clock P.M. for the election of officers and to transact other business. C.H. JENSEN is the secretary. April 13, 1906 Ed EMMONS and Will COLLINS installed a new telephone at C.F. SIPPLE's residence this week. April 26, 1906 Mr. and Mrs. E.A. EMMONS were calling on Rock Falls friends Wednesday and making arrangements to secure tents for the Mineral Springs Chautauqua. Mr. EMMONS is manager of the Tampico Farmer's Telephone company. He reports the line to be booming and that it will be necessary to enlarge the company's switch board in order to accommodate the large number joining the company. Gazette. Tampico Tornado: May 11, 1906 BUY A NEW SWITCHBOARD Ed EMMONS and Luther WHEELOCK Have Purchased 200 Line Board for Farmer's Line. The Farmer's telephone central here will have a new switch board. It is an assured fact, a telegram was received from Ed EMMONS Wednesday afternoon stating. Have bought 200 line switch board. The new board is a modern one with all the made appliances for quick, accurate service. It will be installed in the upstairs of the DONAHUE building. June 29, 1906 The public highways in Tampico township are receiving attention along another line. Why is so much of our valuable land worth $100 per acre given over to the public highway purpose? For years the question has been asked but never answered. There is no sense in using 60 feet for a road way and having about ten feed on each side to grow weeds. The actual roadbed is about 20 feet wide and surely 40 feet from fence to fence would be just as good as the present unnecessary width. Worse than throwing it away is the use it is put to growing of weeds. If but 54 feet were allowed for road purposes the roadsides would be left in better condition. The farmers could better care for the extra ten or twelve feet if it were inside the fence than where it is on the outside. He is compelled to mow it anyway and now it is the catch trap for tin cans, bottles, wire and telephone poles which make the mowing of weeds anything but a pleasant job or profitable because of damaged machines. August 31, 1906 Dr. H.A. TERRY has rented the rooms over BREWER's hardware store, formerly occupied by the telephone central office, and will have his office there hereafter. September 7, 1906 The work of rebuilding the Farmers company telephone lines was completed this week all except some minor details. The service is greatly improved, transmission of sound more audible and things are generally working much better than with the old board and lines. The improvements have cost considerable money but the system had reached a point where it had out grown the old appliances and good service could not be rendered. September 28, 1906 VETTER-DYSON WEDDING Miss Anna VETTER and Walter P. DYSON Married Wednesday Evening at 8 o'clock. A very nice home wedding occurred Wednesday evening at the residence of Mrs. Mary VETTER when in the presence of sixty of the close friends and relatives of the family. Miss Anna VETTER and Mr. Walter P. DYSON took upon themselves the vows of matrimony. The ceremony was pronounced by Rev. C.G. WRIGHT, pastor of the Baptist church, at eight o'clock and the couple stood unattended beneath a pretty festoon of fern asparagus and roses where they had taken their places to the inspiring strains from Mendelsonn played by Mary RICHARDSON. The bride was very prettily and nicely gowned in a creation of white swiss mull trimmed in hand embroidery and carried a bunch of white roses. After the ceremony the guests tendered very hearty congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. DYSON and then all partook of a two course wedding supper in the dining room which was decorated in green and pink - foliage and roses, the color scheme being pink and white. The maids of honor who assisted at the supper were misses Mina and Minerva LYONS, Ruth BECKER. The bride, Mrs. DYSON, is a daughter of Mrs. Mary VETTER. She is a bright, capable young lady of winning manners and until recently has clerked in BACKLUND's store. She is an excellent lady in every respect and will make a true help mate to Mr. DYSON. The groom is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson DYSON of New Providence, Pa. He is an electrician in the employ of The Independent Telephone Company at Streator where he is well liked for his industry and reliability. Mr. and Mrs. DYSON will go to Streator Saturday where they will reside for a month and then xxxx xxx xxxx xx xxxx xx. A number of very fine presents were received. November 23, 1906 J.M. JACOBS has a new telephone and patrons of his mile route can now order by wire. December 21, 1906 The Tampico telephone central office will be closed on Christmas and New Year's Days the same as Sunday in order to give the operators a chance to enjoy the holidays. Do your telephoning the days before. January 18, 1907 The Farmers Mutual Telephone company has decided to discontinue service to those patrons who are behind with their switching fees, assessments etc. There is considerable money owing the company from this source and some of it has urn for some time, hence the directories have decided they will take measures to collect the same. February 1, 1907 Mrs. Ellen STEWART attended to the duties at the telephone central Wednesday while Mr. and Mrs. Clarence VanDREW attended the funeral of Mrs. Charles VanDREW at Rock Falls. Patrons were glad to again hear Mrs. STEWART's cheery voice. April 12, 1907 BOYS LEAVE GOOD HOME Clyde McKENZIE and Ralph PRATT Skip From Home But Are Found at Rock Island Ralph PRATT and Clyde McKENZIE two boys seventeen and fourteen years of age left Tampico last Sunday without telling their parents or friends who the have caused considerable anxiety by their sudden unexpected departure. They hired a livery rig at OLD's barn Sunday and drove to Sterling where orders had been telephoned to the police to stop the boys in their flight but they evaded the officers and boarded a west bound train Sunday night going to Clinton where it has been ascertained they stayed all night at the hotel, from there it is claimed they went to Rock Island where all trace of the boys had been lost until later. The boys claimed they left town to look for work and a WOODS boy who road with them to Sterling said he tried to dissuade both from leaving and McKENZIE agreed to return when he got to Sterling but WOODS says PRATT called him a baby etc and this spurned him on. McKENZIE has a splendid home, good parents and everything almost that he could wish and there is no reason for his leaving other than an itching desire to get out and see the world, which takes hold of every young man sometime in his life. Ray McKENZIE father of one of the boys received word through relatives that the boys were in Rock Island and that PRATT had secured work. This relieves the anxiety felt by all. April 19, 1907 Tone ENGEL forgot to fill the gasoline tank of his automobile on a recent trip to Sterling. When he got within four miles of that place the last drop was gone and the machine of course wouldn't go. He had to telephone to Sterling for a man to bring him a supply. May 3, 1907 F.F. BUREN has installed a new telephone in his jewelry store. Last Edited by LesN on Aug 03, 2006 3:43 PM
Administrator Denise 382 posts Aug 03, 2006 4:59 PM	Oh wow, Les. Once again you have come through. Thank you so very much. I have passed the info on to Terry Gaskill. ---------- Denise Family History Coordinator Tampico Area Historical Society
LesN 65 posts Aug 05, 2006 9:21 AM	Denise, You are more than welcome. Les

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