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Telephone History in my Town!

Started by WEBellSystemChristian, May 06, 2015, 01:04:21 PM

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WEBellSystemChristian

There are two buildings that I know of in my town that are telephone-related that I think are really cool!

The first is just down the street from me; what was a Long Distance center for Bell System. It now serves as an AT&T parking lot. At least most of the old microwave equipment is still there!

The next is an old Automatic Electric building; this was for building mechanical switching equipment! It closed in the early '80s due to favorability towards electronic switching.

My town is also home to the invention of the Electronic Secretary! I didn't realize so much happened here!
Christian Petterson

"Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right" -Henry Ford

DavePEI

#1
Quote from: WEBellSystemChristian on May 06, 2015, 01:04:21 PM
There are two buildings that I know of in my town that are telephone-related that I think are really cool!

The first is just down the street from me; what was a Long Distance center for Bell System. It now serves as an AT&T parking lot. At least all of the old microwave equipment is still there!

The next is an old Automatic Electric building; this was for building mechanical switching equipment! It closed in the early '80s due to favorability towards electronic switching.

My town is also home to the invention of the Electronic Secretary! I didn't realize so much happened here!

Waukesha, Wisconsin is not only the home of Automatic Secretary, but all the diverse products produced by them, and then by GTE when they took it over. I think the Automatic Secretary plant was at 1101 South Prairie Avenue - what is there now, Christian?

It is something to be proud of, just as I am proud of Brockville, Ontario being my home town, home of Phillips Electrical Works/ Phillips Cables, and GTE Automatic Electric in Canada.

Nice to come from Telephone towns.

Below photo of a later Automatic Secretary, and a Teletrainer made at the Automatic Secretary plant after they took it over in your city. I thought I would post the photos in case anyone was unfamiliar with Automatic Secretary.
The Telephone Museum of Prince Edward Island:
http://www.islandregister.com/phones/museum.html
Free Admission - Call (902) 651-2762 to arrange a visit!
C*NET 1-651-0001

allnumbedup

I am bumping up this thread after picking up this loose 10" aluminum "Electronic Secretary" emblem on ebay. Based on the example at the Milwaukee Public Museum, I think it may be from the original 1949vVersion or later of the first answering machine invented by Joe Zimmerman before it was produced by Bells Systems and AE. I don't know any more about it than what is described in the two other threads here and on this site:

https://www.mpm.edu/null/virtualexhibit/322
Analog Phones for a Digital World

RDPipes

Certainly nothing like the much later models of answering machines we're used to seeing.
I reckon one better have two desks, one just for the answering machine, LOL!
Great find BTW!  ;)

Robert Gift

Could the green parts be placed below the desk?
How manyacuum tubes did it use?
I'd take an educated guess but am unqualified.
In paramediclass, doctor asked me signs of Alzheimers.  "I forget.", I answered.

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