Origin of Telephone Service in Manawa

Pictured above on May 18, 1899 --- Mrs. Ida Stafford holds the distinction of being the first telephone operator for The Little Wolf Telephone Company in Manawa. This switchboard was located in her home which today was the home of Mrs. Henry Jensen. She states that with the new switchboard called The 'Central'  we will have day and night service.

Changes in Ownership

Early in the 1900's U.S. Briggs owned a jewelry store in Manawa and was also proprietor of the Manawa Telephone Exchange.

In 1909 the exchange was sold to Karl Mess who was then manager and owner

In 1910 Karl Mess sold the telephone business to Mr. J.T. Penn.

In 1920 L.M. Lamkins  became Manager of the Manawa Telephone Exchange under the ownership of Mr. Penn.

Mr. Penn died in 1945 and in the following year ownership changed to Gladys Penn, Ann Pembleton and L. M. Lamkins as a partnership. About 1955 Gladys Penn and Ann Pembleton sold their interest to Mr. and Mrs. L. M. Lamkins and Mr. and Mrs. F.J. Binder.

In 1960 this partnership changed again to L. M Lamkins, Mr. and Mrs. F.J. Binder, Nancy Squires and Shirley Underberg

In 1961 this partnership was dissolved and the Manawa Telephone Company, Inc. was formed. Mr. Lamkins served as President until his death in 1967. Robert E. Squires, who joined the firm in 1952 took over as President and Manager.

In 1993 Manawa Telephone Company was merged into a holding company along with Manawa Telecom, Inc. (Cable TV) to Manawa Telecommunications, Inc.

The year 1937 marked an important milestone in the history of the Manawa Telephone Company with installation and cutting into service on April 1, of a new two-position common battery, non-multiple switchboard. Pictured above is the 1937 Operator Switchboard.

Pictured below is the new location of Manawa Telephone Company which was needed because of needing space for the expanding business.

Pictured above ----- The Manawa Telephone Company took another step forward Sunday morning, July 15, 1962 in keeping pace with the progressive era in which we live, when the new dial system went into service. The Stromberg Carlson switch a 400 line system could be expanded to 1000 subscribers. At this time a 36X24 foot addition was needed to house the equipment just west of the building pictured above. In 1969 another step forward to expand and upgrade services was implemented by replacing open wire with new underground cables and upgrade from 10 party lines to 4 parties on a line in the rural area and from 1 and 4 party to 1 and 2 parties on a line. The cost to install the Stromberg Carlson switch was $125,000.

Pictured above left to right is Robert E. Squires son in-law of Leslie Lamkins owner. Bob is testing a line for dial tone with a test set.

In 1984 the rotary dial switching office was changed out for an advanced digital switch call the Northern Telecom DMS-10 capable of providing all digital switching and advanced services. By this time the telephone industry was going through deregulation with the break up of AT&T and changed the way telephone companies did business.

In 1978 a new building was constructed. Here we are celebrating 100 years of service from 1899 to 1999.