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Shelby County |
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CHAPTER XIII -- TRADE AND COMMERCE.TELEPHONES.
In the summer of 1881 Harlan had a telephone exchange. Among the persons taking telephones were: N. Booth; The Central House, E. Gish, proprietor; city hall; City Hotel, D. A. Williams, proprietor; O. H. Cone & Company; the Rock Island depot; G. S. Gibbs; Graham & Munger; Chris Happe; J. W. Harrod, county treasurer; Herald, Hub and Tribune, newspaper offices; Hurless & Rainbow; Kyhl, Muckler & Company; Ledwich, Hunt & Long; J. C. Murray & Company; J. W. Newby; B. I. Winsey, postmaster; C. C. Redfield, sheriff; John Reed & Company; Stock & Grain Exchange; Swain's Livery and Feed Stable; Waynick & Hunter; Western Union Telegraph Company; C. J. Wyland and D. M. Wyland.
The only persons at first having residence telephones were G. S. Gibbs, C. J. Wyland and D. M. Wyland. In April, 1884, the Harlan Telephone Exchange had completed a line to Defiance and there was at that time almost enough funds subscribed to complete a line to Earling, which was soon done. The Harlan and Avoca Telephone and Telegraph Company has been established at Harlan for many years. M. Fretz is now and for many years past has been the efficient local manager. This company has several hundred subscribers in Harlan and through the territory adjacent to Harlan. One of the early successful telephone companies resulting from helpful co-operation on the part of both business men and farmers, was the Panama Telephone Company, of which such men as Eugene Sullivan, Henry Arkfeldt, N. J. Roundy and others were promoters. There is also an independent telephone company at Shelby, which supplies the territory adjacent to that town. There are mutual telephone companies at Panama and Portsmouth. There is also a Lincoln Township Farmers' Mutual. There is a highly successful mutual telephone company operating at Elk Horn and also at Marne, Cass county, which has several hundred subscribers. An independent company at Manning also reaches into the northeast part of Shelby county. Independent companies reach Shelby county patrons in the vicinity of Manning, Walnut and Dunlap. The Farmers' Mutual Telephone Company of Shelby County was incorporated in 1903, with its principal office at Kirkman, Iowa. The first directors were Thomas Kilcoin, Andrew Rasch and Ole Johnson, and the first officers were: President, Rasmus Anderson; vice-president, F. F. Faltonson; secretary, Julius Schmid, and treasurer, Frank DeKoltz. Andrew Rasch is now president and George W. Cox, secretary. The company was incorporated for twenty thousand dollars, divided into shares of thirty dollars each, but later they were raised to forty dollars each. The company maintains telephone exchanges at Harlan, Irwin and Jacksonville, Iowa. It is affiliated with the Lincoln Township Farmers' Mutual Telephone Company, the Earling Telephone Company, Portsmouth Mutual Telephone Company, Defiance and Manilla Telephone Companies, also with the Elk Horn & Marne Mutual Telephone Company. The company has arrangements whereby its subscribers and those renting telephones from it have connections with companies operating at Elk Horn, Lincoln township, Portsmouth, Earling, Defiance, and Manilla, Crawford county. The first telegraph lines came with the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad lines.
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