Comments on: Portland’s Phone Network, Circa 1911 http://alamedahistory.org/2009/11/14/portlands-phone-network-circa-1911/ Connecting Past and Present in Northeast Portland's Historic Homes Sun, 04 Jul 2010 15:52:22 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Doug http://alamedahistory.org/2009/11/14/portlands-phone-network-circa-1911/#comment-2479 Doug Wed, 28 Apr 2010 05:44:05 +0000 http://alamedahistory.org/?p=612#comment-2479 Thank you, Sergey. Interesting observation. Pittock would have had the latest technology at the time, which apparently involved being able to access both telephone networks. Thank you, Sergey. Interesting observation. Pittock would have had the latest technology at the time, which apparently involved being able to access both telephone networks.

]]> By: Sergey http://alamedahistory.org/2009/11/14/portlands-phone-network-circa-1911/#comment-2474 Sergey Tue, 27 Apr 2010 19:43:34 +0000 http://alamedahistory.org/?p=612#comment-2474 Recently I visited Pittock Mansion, and in the office, there are two phones provided by different competing phone companies. One was connected to Home Telephone and Telegraph Company network and another one to Pacific Telephone & Telegraph. The Home Telephone one used rotary dial, while the Pacific used a phone operator and a switchboard to complete connection. Also there is a note saying that these two phone networks were not interconnect, and that the reason for having both phones in the office. Photos: http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lXu51ZOomlgJNsJa_aEGFA?feat=directlink http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-mrwz_okBfCL2owDIc7DhA?feat=directlink Recently I visited Pittock Mansion, and in the office, there are two phones provided by different competing phone companies. One was connected to Home Telephone and Telegraph Company network and another one to Pacific Telephone & Telegraph. The Home Telephone one used rotary dial, while the Pacific used a phone operator and a switchboard to complete connection. Also there is a note saying that these two phone networks were not interconnect, and that the reason for having both phones in the office.

Photos:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/lXu51ZOomlgJNsJa_aEGFA?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/-mrwz_okBfCL2owDIc7DhA?feat=directlink

]]> By: Doug http://alamedahistory.org/2009/11/14/portlands-phone-network-circa-1911/#comment-1597 Doug Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:03:23 +0000 http://alamedahistory.org/?p=612#comment-1597 Hi Tad. Thanks for visiting the blog. There was indeed another company (and other phones) in Portland at the time: the Home Telephone Co. figures represent a single snapshot and not the comprehensive picture of Portland telecommunications in 1911, but still an interesting order of magnitude. Home Telephone was owned by Henry L. Corbett, who was involved in everything from banking and investments, to railroads, to statewide politics as a member of the Oregon State Senate. Corbett's competition (and the source of those other phones in Portland at the time) was the Pacific States Telephone and Telegraph Co., owned by John C. Ainsworth, another Portland business giant. I am confident the numbers for PST&T may have been comparable with Home Telegraph, but I just haven't come across them in the microfilm (yet). When I do, I'll post it here. -Doug Hi Tad. Thanks for visiting the blog. There was indeed another company (and other phones) in Portland at the time: the Home Telephone Co. figures represent a single snapshot and not the comprehensive picture of Portland telecommunications in 1911, but still an interesting order of magnitude. Home Telephone was owned by Henry L. Corbett, who was involved in everything from banking and investments, to railroads, to statewide politics as a member of the Oregon State Senate. Corbett’s competition (and the source of those other phones in Portland at the time) was the Pacific States Telephone and Telegraph Co., owned by John C. Ainsworth, another Portland business giant. I am confident the numbers for PST&T may have been comparable with Home Telegraph, but I just haven’t come across them in the microfilm (yet). When I do, I’ll post it here.

-Doug

]]> By: Tad http://alamedahistory.org/2009/11/14/portlands-phone-network-circa-1911/#comment-1590 Tad Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:24:36 +0000 http://alamedahistory.org/?p=612#comment-1590 Great find(and great blog!). Just a small point of clarification - it's possible/likely that there were two competing (and possibly non-interconnected!) landline companies in operating in Portland in 1910, so it may be that the numbers for the Home Telephone Company don't represent the total number of phones in Portland at the time. I just spent a few minutes Googling and couldn't come up with any hard info for Portland, but I see that some other cities had two competing carriers well into the teens. Great find(and great blog!).

Just a small point of clarification – it’s possible/likely that there were two competing (and possibly non-interconnected!) landline companies in operating in Portland in 1910, so it may be that the numbers for the Home Telephone Company don’t represent the total number of phones in Portland at the time.

I just spent a few minutes Googling and couldn’t come up with any hard info for Portland, but I see that some other cities had two competing carriers well into the teens.

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