This file portion of www.watertownhistory.org website

Telephone Service

1895

08 21 Telephone exchange located in the Post Office block WR

1905

12 12

Extensive improvements are in progress at the telephone exchange and when completed, this city will have one of the largest and most convenient exchanges in the state. The entire second floor of the post office building is to be occupied, and will be so arranged that the superintendent's office and the apartments for the male employees will be in the front end of the building, the operating room in the center and ladies' rooms in the rear reached by a side door at the south end of the balcony. Each of the office apartments will be provided with lavatories and every appointment up-to-date. A new large switchboard has already been received, as well as other necessary equipment for making it a perfect exchange in all the requirements for a first-class service. The improvements are being made under the personal supervision of W. C. Stone, and it is unnecessary to remark, that nothing will be left undone to give the people of this city as good a telephone service as is possible to be obtained.

1909

01 22 Telephone pay station established in Deutsches Dorf Cafe WG

1910

04 15 Notice to Telephone Users WG

Upon a request of the Wisconsin Telephone Company to the city to enter into a new contract for telephone service at a higher rate to be furnished to the city, the Common Council at its last meeting directed the Public Buildings Committee and the City Attorney to investigate into the entire telephone proposition for the purpose of determining what would be just and right for the city to do under the circumstances.

It appears that the Wisconsin Telephone Company, through its agents, is working among private parties with a view of raising telephone rates for private services also, without consistent reasons.

In behalf of the Public Buildings Committee I would appreciate parties who have been approached by representatives of the Telephone Company, who consider themselves aggrieved by the demands of said Company, to communicate their grievances to the Public Buildings Committee so as to enable said committee to take proper action in the matter.

Dated April 13, 1910

H. Tetzlaff, F. C. Werner, M. D., Frank Kalina,

Members Public Buildings Committee

Chas. A. Kading,

City Attorney

1958

10 23 Plans for construction of addition to building, directly west of the Market Street parking lot WDT

1961

08 11 A new look in telephones — a dial equipped instrument — made its appearance in Watertown today. The instrument was installed in the office of Mayor Robert P. White. Its installation signaled the start of work to provide all Watertown telephone subscribers with dial-equipped telephones, marking another step forward in the Wisconsin Telephone Company’s plans to bring dial service to Watertown. A special crew of 12 telephone installers will be in the community for about one month to make telephone instrument changes in residences and business establishments throughout the city. WDT

12 30 When Watertown telephone users are introduced to a new dial telephone system next spring, the “new look” in telephone numbers will also make its debut here, manager Giles Clark of the Wisconsin Telephone Company announced today. The new numbers will be the latest kind — seven numerals. This new metropolitan-type dialing arrangement, known as All Number Calling, is being gradually introduced throughout Wisconsin and eventually will be standard across the nation. Notices of the new numbers are being mailed to residence and business customers this week. They will become effective with the Watertown dial conversion next spring. WDT

1980

12 16 The Wisconsin Telephone Company office at 115 South Fourth Street, will be closed next summer. All Watertown customer records will be transferred to a centralized unit in Beloit. Art Jaehnke, district manager of residence service centers, said the firm's four local business office personnel will be offered other employment in the company. Installers, repairmen and linemen are working out of a central office in Ixonia which handles all Watertown and Oconomowoc work. A small staff of maintenance officials will remain in the local facility, but no services will be provided for the public. J aehnke said the move toward consolidation of various customer business offices in the state was being made to take greater advantage of a new computerized system which eliminates most paper records. The centralized Beloit office will handle customer telephone service activities involving sales contracts as well as customer billing and collection matters. WDT