Who made this type of telephone connection box (302 telephone) ?

[unbeldi]

I am cataloging inventory...
This very nice 302, vintage 1952 from Shawano, WI, came with the pictured connection box, which was carefully cut from inside wiring.

Shawano is today served by Frontier Communications; it may well have been served by an independent in the 1950s, but I don't know. I suspect that the dial card is from the mid 1950s to early 1960s. There was evidence that another dial card  was once on top of the one shown as there were edge remnants left in the frame, as if torn out without removing the card holder group.  The office name once was Lakeview.

The dial number plate also points to a non-Bell company, having no operator designation around digit 0.

Any idea about the company that made or routinely used this type of connection box?

Any one know about the central office history of the region?  This would be the eastern part of area code 715, just west of Green Bay in the adjacent numbering plan area.  In fact, the use of numbers in area code 920 (Green Bay, formerly 414) seems common in Shawano.

[poplar1]

Is the handset marked NE, Be!l System F1, or WE F1W?

[unbeldi]

It was found with a BELL SYSTEM F1 handset, albeit not the original handset of manufacture.  The phone must have been refurbished at least once by 1956 with new cords (both dated 54) and transmitter (R256) during which the handset was changed to a Dec1940-made handset.  This is why I am also looking for CO history, it could be that ownership had changed by the time of this change.

From what I found, many counties in upstate Wisconsin had small local telephone companies even until the 1990s in some places.  I suspect that the region was part of Frontier's buy-out  from Verizon a few years ago.

The central office in Shawano is small, only two prefixes, 524 and 526, and looks almost like a normal business with a glass door and display window.  Perhaps I should call them, the number is still 526-xxxx.

The connection box appears to be made from Bakelite, base and cover, but I haven't tested the material. Perhaps one would expect to find in installations of the 1940s.

No dates or markings on the number plate:

[andre_janew]

It looks to be the same shape as the one that came with my grandmother's 500, but it is different.  I'm thinking the top on hers was metal and painted white.  The bottom part looks different as well.  Hers was made in the 1950s and came from the Bell System.  This one may be older than hers.   

[Jon Kolger]

In the GTE world, we called these Murdock blocks.  I was told back in the day, but cannot verify, that one of these came packed in the box with every AE 40.  I removed hundreds if not thousands of these back when GTE was converting over to modular jacks.  I used to have lots of them that I sold on ebay years ago.  I did keep a white one though, the only white one I ever found. 

[unbeldi]

In the GTE world, we called these Murdock blocks.  I was told back in the day, but cannot verify, that one of these came packed in the box with every AE 40.  I removed hundreds if not thousands of these back when GTE was converting over to modular jacks.  I used to have lots of them that I sold on ebay years ago.  I did keep a white one though, the only white one I ever found.

Thank you, Jon.

That makes a lot of sense then, GTE having had its early origins in Wisconsin.  It eventually owned Automatic Electric, when acquiring Gary Co. in 1955.   —Just in time for my telephone to be installed, lol.

Indeed the 1940s Automatic Electric catalogs do specify that a Bakelite connecting block was delivered with every Type 40 Monophone.   AE was actually on my mind, but the connecting blocks of the time, as shown in the 1940s catalogs had their corners 'cut off', created an octagonal foot print, not the rounded corners of mine.  This must have changed in the 50s, I suppose.

Puzzle solved.  Thanks.

Of course, GTE became Verizon together with Bell Atlantic.  Frontier must have acquired Wisconsin in their acquisitions not too long ago.

[unbeldi]

I guess, now is the time to figure out when GTE land dropped central office names in favor of strict 2L 1N-4N syntax on number cards.  In most Bell states this probably only happened after DDD service became available.

The other puzzle remaining... is the reason for the set having a Bell System handset.

[TelePlay]

Shawano is today served by Frontier Communications; it may well have been served by an independent in the 1950s, but I don't know.

Shawano is about 30 miles west of Green Bay. I grew up 30 miles east of Green Bay. To this day, there are pockets of independents. As of about 2000, there was an independent (IIRC - North West Telephone) serving the Delafield area about 30 miles west of Milwaukee. It may still be the case. My office had to get a special line to dial Milwaukee from there to avoid toll charges. The Bell System tried to buy them but they always wanted too much for the company. Cell phones took care of that toll call problem. Shawano may be another. It is not a highly populated area and still had Dobson's Cellular One service (US Cellular did not buy out that MTA) in 2002. May still have.

Any one know about the central office history of the region?  This would be the eastern part of area code 715, just west of Green Bay in the adjacent numbering plan area.  In fact, the use of numbers in area code 920 (Green Bay, formerly 414) seems common in Shawano.

Memory seems to tell me that all of eastern Wisconsin was 414 in the early 60s when DDD was introduced (my parents number was 414-388-2303). South central and south eastern was/is 608 and north central and north west was/is 715. When they came into use, I do not know. Seems there were 3 area codes when DDD first came into the state so those two (608 & 715) may still be as originally defined. As Milwaukee and the Fox Valley area grew (Oshkosh, Appleton), they split 414 into 262 and 414 with Milwaukee being 414 and everything else 262. While Milwaukee shrunk, the rest of the region grew causing 262 to be split into 262 and 920. The southern half of eastern Wisconsin is 262, the northern half is 920.  It was rumored that 920 was chosen in honor of Reggie White who joined the Packers and helped them win a super bowl a year or two before the split. His number was 92 and the area code became 920. Might just be an urban legend. Don't know. So, the only region that uses 414 is Milwaukee County. Everything around Milwaukee County is 262 and starting about the southern border of Sheboygan County is 920.

Does that help?

[AE_Collector]

Yes, an AE Set Block. Never heard them called Murdoch Blocks though. Not only did one come with each AE 40 (or so I am told) but two screws came with each block, packed in a recess in the back of the block with tape over the recess. AE set cords had a ring crimped onto the end that went around the post on the block. I too have one white block that I found somewhere. That is where the similarity of what AE colored items I have compared to what Jon has ENDs!

Terry

[DavePEI]

Proof of the pudding... 1947 photo taken at the Phillips Electrical Works in Brockville showing a block being attached to an newly assembled AE phone:

[unbeldi]

Memory seems to tell me that all of eastern Wisconsin was 414 in the early 60s when DDD was introduced (my parents number was 414-388-2303). South central and south eastern was/is 608 and north central and north west was/is 715. When they came into use, I do not know. Seems there were 3 area codes when DDD first came into the state so those two (608 & 715) may still be as originally defined. As Milwaukee and the Fox Valley area grew (Oshkosh, Appleton), they split 414 into 262 and 414 with Milwaukee being 414 and everything else 262. While Milwaukee shrunk, the rest of the region grew causing 262 to be split into 262 and 920. The southern half of eastern Wisconsin is 262, the northern half is 920.  It was rumored that 920 was chosen in honor of Reggie White who joined the Packers and helped them win a super bowl a year or two before the split. His number was 92 and the area code became 920. Might just be an urban legend. Don't know. So, the only region that uses 414 is Milwaukee County. Everything around Milwaukee County is 262 and starting about the southern border of Sheboygan County is 920.

Does that help?

Sure, and thanks for the summary. I always summarize area code history in diagrams like this, which I had already drawn for WI.
Indeed 715 is still today as drawn up in 1947, only has had an overlay assigned six years ago.  Area code 414 was cut up over time.

[PS: Map came from NANPA site]

[unbeldi]

Shawano is today served by Frontier Communications; it may well have been served by an independent in the 1950s, but I don't know.

Shawano is about 30 miles west of Green Bay. I grew up 30 miles east of Green Bay. To this day, there are pockets of independents. As of about 2000, there was an independent (IIRC - North West Telephone) serving the Delafield area about 30 miles west of Milwaukee. It may still be the case. My office had to get a special line to dial Milwaukee from there to avoid toll charges. The Bell System tried to buy them but they always wanted too much for the company. Cell phones took care of that toll call problem. Shawano may be another. It is not a highly populated area and still had Dobson's Cellular One service (US Cellular did not buy out that MTA) in 2002. May still have.

Indeed, right next to the central office in Shawano is located a cell phone shop (& wireless Internet service & computer repair), Granite Wireless and Bertram Wireless,  with its own antenna tower in the back yard.  The store's telephone number is in NPA 920, but it also has a 715-524 number listed, the latter served by the switch on the other side of the driveway.

[unbeldi]

Last not least, this must be the reason for naming the central office "LAkeview", an AT&T 1955 sanctioned standard name.
Thanks for all contributions.


PS:  Shawano comes from the language of the Menominee and Chippewa tribes having a reservation in Wisconsin. It means southern.

[andre_janew]

What is an AE block doing on a 302?  I've always thought that the block and the phone came from the same source to assure everything went together properly.

[unbeldi]

What is an AE block doing on a 302?  I've always thought that the block and the phone came from the same source to assure everything went together properly.

This being independent territory, the connecting block was probably on the wall there, perhaps connecting a Monophone, before the 302.  So the question should be phrased inversely.

What is the definition of proper?