News:

"The phone is a remarkably complex, simple device,
and very rarely ever needs repairs, once you fix them." - Dan/Panther

Main Menu

My Grandpa

Started by AET, May 17, 2009, 11:06:47 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

AET

As many of you may know, my Grandfather was with the telephone company many, many moons ago.

I sent him an e-mail with a picture of my collection.  My mom was talking to him on the phone the other day and asked if he had gotten it as it had been several days and I had not gotten a reply, and he told her yes and that he was putting together an e-mail for me yet.

Grandpa told Mom that when he worked for the telephone company in Menomonee Falls, WI, that it was still a Party Line service there.  One of his jobs was to go to peoples' homes and go into their basements and change the dry cells.  He also told her that his telephone number was 2 short rings and a long. 

He's a bit amused that I collect 500's, since he doesn't consider them collectible.  He was also telling Mom that his favorite phone he has is a Green Ericofone that was in my Mom's room when she was a teenager.  He says that whenever someone from the phone company is at the house, they are all fascinated by the phone and have to check it out.  It sits on a shelf in his office. 
- Tom

Tonyrotary

I still want an ericophone myself.  :)

McHeath

Interesting tale of your grandpa.  Not surprised that he sees 500s as not collectable, probably when our grandkids start to collect early 21st century cell phones we will think they are nuts.   :D

My mom always taught me to wait for 2 rings before answering the phone, never knew why, but I've wondered if it was because of some old party line thing in the past and she got used to it.  I still let a phone ring twice. 

HobieSport

#3
Tom does your Grandpa have any other old phones besides the nifty old Ericophone?

AET

I'm not sure, my mom said when she was a kid, they had a wood cabinet wall phone, "with the crank on it" as she described it.
- Tom

rp2813

The first time I saw Ericophones was in the early 60's at the first "Cost Plus" store in town here.  They were installed at the cashier and customer service desks there.  CP is currently more well known as "World Market" and I presume is now a national chain, but back then they were a quirky and novel Bay Area import store with phones to match.

Ralph
Ralph