CRANK TO DIAL

The Chicago Telephone Co. office in 1914 located on the upper floor of the Eastern Will County State Bank building. 

Mrs. Esther (Conrad) Holl is the operator.

 

From: OUR ROOTS ARE DEEP BY MURIEL MUELLER MILNE

"CRANK TO DIAL"

"Probably the first communication by telephone in Monee was that of John Freese, who, in April of 1894, installed a telephone from his home to his father's (Edo R. Freese) store.

At a special meeting of the Monee village board on May 31, 1899, an ordinance was drafted giving the Chicago Telephone Co. the right of way to install a telephone system in the village.  Shortly thereafter, on July 27, a meeting was called by township highway commissioners, Andrew Holl, George Kuersten and August Ebert for the purpose of granting Chicago Telephone the right to place its poles and lines along Crete-Monee road east of the village to the township line.

At the turn of the century songwriters capitalized on the popularity of the telephone and penned such lyrics as Charles K. Harris' 1901 hit, "Hello, Central, Give Me Heaven."  It was a novel experience to pick up the receiver, crank up "Central" and "hello" with neighboring towns.  The "Hello, Central" girls had an inside track on the happenings of the town and were the first to know whether an awaited newcomer was a boy or girl.

Chicago Telephone installed its first magneto switchboard above Sander's jewelery store on Chestnut street.  Miss Anna Vollrath was the first chief operator of the exchange office; Miss Anna Mauer was the night operator.  Those who installed phones learned that "an instrument in the house is a great convenience."  By September, 1902, twenty-one phones were reported in the village.  "

"Not long after Chicago Telephone began operations in Monee,  the Inter-State Independent Telephone and Telegraph Co. also extended it service through the village.  Thus, two competitive telephone companies vied for local customers.

Early "hello" girls in Monee were Matilda Katz, Lena Wilke, Lillian Vollrath, Manetta Diercks, Bertha Wilke, Emma Schmidt, Marie Wilke, Frances Emde, Esther Conrad, Minnie Holmstrom, and Lillian Crapp.  No doubt one of these young ladies was guilty of the humorous antedote found in the Monee Review of Mar. 20, 1908:

A Monee young man who liked to jolly the telephone girls, was called up by one of them recently and asked if he wouldn't like to go fishing with her.  After expressing his pleasure he was told to "hold the line."  After keeping the receiver to his ear a few minutes it dawned on him that she had landed a sucker.

The Eastern Will County State Bank opened its doors in August, 1903, and shortly thereafter Chicago Telephone located its exchange on the upper floor of the bank building.

In the summer of 1907 Chicago Telephone had a force of men erecting a toll line between Monee and Peotone, after which a number of country lines were erected.  They advertised their phones brought "home sunshine," giving you power to talk to friends, relatives or business houses.  Their advice: "Get a telephone even if you have no other modern conveniences in your home-only five cents per day."

In January, 1908, Fred C. Holl succeeded William Marshall as manager in Monee.  In October, 1971, at the age of 91 years, Holl recalled, "They told me they were looking for a man in Monee and that I was recommended to them since I could speak German.  I told them I didn't know a thing about telephones."  It is evident that Holl learned because he retired Nov. 1, 1939, after 32 years as trouble shooter for Illinois Bell in the territory surrounding Monee and Peotone.

In March of 1914 Chicago Telephone listed 123 customers in the Monee community.

Officials of Chicago Telephone announced in November, 1919, that they purchased the Inter-State Independent Telephone and Telegraph Co. operating in the Monee territory.  The merger of the two companies was beneficial to all customers.  Later Chicago Telephone became Illinois Bell.

In the spring of 1923 Fred Holl tore down part of the old Vollmar store and residence at 14 E. Main and remodeled it into a modern home.  On Oct. 1 of that year Illinois Bell moved their switchboard and office from the bank building into the Holl residence.

Plans were completed in May, 1938, by Illinois Bell for replacing the central office switchboard in Monee and converting all telephones in the village and vicinity to dial operation.  Equipment for the dial system was installed in a new building north of the Holl residence.  The dial system went into effect Aug. 8, 1938, after which long distance calls were made through the Chicago Heights exchange.

On the day of June 16, 1963, direct distance dialing became a reality in the Monee area.  Customers enjoyed the new service as it put telephones all over the continent as close as a few spins of the dial.

In the fall of 1970 Illinois Bell acquired the southeast corner of Court street and Oak road for their site to erect a new electronic central office to serve phone users in Monee and Park Forest South.  On Mar. 3, 1971, ground breaking ceremonies were held for the 64 x 76-foot building.  The structure is the first in the southern Chicago suburbs built exclusively for an electronic switching system installation; it began operations Nov. 5, 1972."