Thanks to untiring efforts of these men the telegraph and telephone finally came to Greensboro, Alabama

Communication with the outside world was slow coming in Greensboro, Alabama¹

Telegraph Lines

In 1869, the citizens of Greensboro donated a thousand dollars to induce the Western Union Telegraph Company to extend its line from Marion to this place. The first office was opened in Greensboro during that year. It was through the untiring efforts of Henry Beck, Al Stollenwerck and A. S. Jeffries that the line was brought here.

Twenty-four years after this, the citizens do not appear to have been so anxious for a telegraph line as formerly, for in 1893, the Postal Company humbly petitioned the Mayor and Council to allow it to enter the town and maintain an office,—which petition was granted, and the Postal opened for business in Greensboro in 1893.

Telegraph worker from 1862 repairing line (Library of Congress)

Local Telephone

In 1895, T. B. Fitzpatrick was granted a franchise for a period of twenty-five years to establish and operate a telephone system in Greensboro. He at once went to work on the line, but died in September of that year, and his wife, Mrs. Lucy Fitzpatrick, carried the work to completion. On the 15th of April, 1896, the local telephone commenced business and was conducted by Mrs. Fitzpatrick until 1907, when she sold the property to the Southern Bell Company, who now operate it.

Typical Old telephone (Library of Congress)

Long Distance Telephone

The Southern Bell Telephone Company was granted the privilege of entering the town by the Mayor and Council in the year 1895. It did only a “long distance” business in Greensboro until 1907, when the company purchased the local telephone system from Mrs. Fitzpatrick, since which time it has had exclusive charge of both the long distance and the local telephone service.

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About Donna R Causey

Donna R. Causey, resident of Alabama, was a teacher in the public school system for twenty years. When she retired, Donna found time to focus on her lifetime passion for historical writing. She developed the websites www.alabamapioneers and www.daysgoneby.me All her books can be purchased at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. She has authored numerous genealogy books. RIBBON OF LOVE: A Novel Of Colonial America (TAPESTRY OF LOVE) is her first novel in the Tapestry of Love about her family where she uses actual characters, facts, dates and places to create a story about life as it might have happened in colonial Virginia. Faith and Courage: Tapestry of Love (Volume 2) is the second book and the third FreeHearts: A Novel of Colonial America (Book 3 in the Tapestry of Love Series) Discordance: The Cottinghams (Volume 1) is the continuation of the story. . For a complete list of books, visit Donna R Causey

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