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Standard Telephone Company traces its beginning to the early days of the twentieth century
when Marler C. York, of Clarkesville, Georgia, purchased two telephone instruments, a coil of
wire, and some insulators. One of the telephones was installed in his residence and the other in a
mercantile establishment (General Store) operated by he and his uncle. The two telephones were
connected with the wire, which was strung on poles and trees between the two establishments.
Pictured are Mr. York and Ethel Barron, a clerk in the Clarkesville business office. The Stovall
Motor Company wall calendar displays the month of June, 1924.
In 1939, H, M. Stewart purchased the Company from Mr. York and in 1945 he moved with his
family to Cornelia. The new owner immediately initiated a program of rehabilitation, improve-
ment and expansion of the system. Mr. and Mrs. Stewart are pictured here in a proud moment,
the August 1950 cutover to a common battery system in Cornelia.
Hello and Goodbye
Goodbye to our first 80 years and...
Hello to our second 80 years of progress and service.
We invite you to talk telephone with us and tour our museum and
MODERN FACILITIES. To SCHEDULE A TOUR, CONTACT OUR MAIN OFFICE AT
404/778-2201.
STANDARD TELEPHONE COMPANY
The first complete sentence heard over the telephone was
SPOKEN ON March 10, 1876, in Boston when Alexander
Graham Bell said the now famous words, Mr. Watson, come
here; I WANT YOU. ThUS BEGAN THE MAGIC OF THE TELEPHONE.
A WORLD-WIDE COMMUNICATIONS REVOLUTION RESULTED FROM
Mr. Bells inventiona revolution so vast in scope that it is
HARD TO IMAGINE A MODERN HOUSEHOLD OR BUSINESS OPERATING
WITHOUT A TELEPHONE.
In Northeast Georgia, that communications revolution
WAS BORN IN 1904 WHEN GlARKESVILLE BUSINESSMAN M. G. YoRK,
ALONG WITH SEVERAL PARTNERS, INCORPORATED THE STANDARD
Telephone Company. Through the decades, the growth of
Standard has in many ways reflected and enhanced the
DEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA IT SERVES: WHILE NORTHEAST GeORGIA
HAS EMERGED FROM AN ISOLATED, AGRARIAN REGION TO AN AREA EN-
VIED FOR ITS TOURISM, STABLE ECONOMY, AND UNMATCHED QUALITY
OF LIFE, Standard Telephone has evolved from a tiny opera-
tion SERVING A FEW ClARKESVILLE HOMES AND BUSINESSES INTO A
MODERN COMPANY WITH 12 EXCHANGES IN SIX COUNTIES.
To COMMEMORATE STANDARD TELEPHONES EIGHTY YEARS OF
SERVICE TO North Georgia, we have prepared this brief written
AND PICTORIAL SKETCH OF THE COMPANYS HISTORY.
We consider ourselves to be a partner in the development
OF Northeast Georgia, but we also wish to be a partner in
THE PRESERVATION OF ITS HISTORY. We ARE ONE OF THE DIMINISHING
NUMBER OF SMALL, INDEPENDENT COMPANIES THAT SERVE PRIMARILY
RURAL AREAS OF THE COUNTRY. As THIS VISTA OF EARLY 20tH CEN-
TURY America passes, we strive to record and recollect the
PAST AS IT HAS SHAPED THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE TELEPHONE
INDUSTRY.
You ARE INVITED TO VISIT OUR MUSEUM ON MaiN StREET IN
Cornelia, Georgia. To arrange a special tour, call our main
OFFICE AT 404/778-2201.
Company ^Tirsts

1904- standard TELEPHONE COMPANY FOUNDED BY
M. C. YORK
1905- CLARKESVILLE AND CORNELIA EXCHANGES
PLACED IN SERVICE
1939-H. M. STEWART, SR. PURCHASED STANDARD
TELEPHONE COMPANY WITH 419 TELEPHONES IN
SERVICE
1944- DAHLONEGA EXCHANGE PURCHASED
1945- HIAWASSEE EXCHANGE PURCHASED
1945- CLEVELAND EXCHANGE PURCHASED
1946- FIRST COMMON BATTERY SYSTEM
(CLARKESVILLE)
1949-BLAIRSVILLE EXCHANGE ACTIVATED
1951- DEMOREST EXCHANGE ACTIVATED
1952- DAWSONVILLE EXCHANGE ACTIVATED
1953- YOUNG HARRIS EXCHANGE ACTIVATED
1954- HELEN EXCHANGE MERGED INTO STANDARD
1962- SUCHES EXCHANGE ACTIVATED
1963- BATESVILLE EXCHANGE ACTIVATED
1963-TALLULAH FALLS EXCHANGE ACTIVATED
1973-ELECTRONIC OFFICE INSTALLED (CORNELIA)
1975-DIGITAL TOLL MICROWAVE SYSTEM ACTIVATED
1977-BIG CANOE EXCHANGE ACTIVATED
1979-DIGITAL CENTRAL OFFICE ACTIVATED
(CLARKESVILLE)
The entire independent telephone industry has a
LEGACY OF INNOVATION AND ADVANCEMENT. STANDARD
Telephone Company can report the following con-
tributions TO THE industrys DEVELOPMENT.
first toll free (EAS) area linking two exchanges in Georgia.
first telephone line built in Georgia outside a city was in
Dahlonega.
first classified section (yellow pages) included in a directory
north of Atlanta (at that time Atlanta had the only book
with yellow pages north of Macon). This was our 1946
directory.
first telephone directory in Georgia to combine listings of
several exchanges in an alphabetized directory.
first formal operating tariff to be filed by a small
independent telephone company. At that time only Bell
and General had tariffs filed with the Georgia Public
Service Gommission. Our format was recommended to all
independent companies by the GPSG.
first company in Georgia and second in U.S. (first in Ft.
Myers, Florida) to provide time/temperature recordings.
first Independent Telephone Pioneer Glub formed in
Georgia. Our club then started other clubs in the state.
tation Growth
YEAR NO. OF TELEPHONES
Quarter Century Club
The Quarter Century Club honors Standard Telephone
Company employees with twenty-five or more years of service.
These men and women, along with hundreds of other Stan-
dard EMPLOYEES, ARE LARGELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT,
GROWTH AND ADVANCEMENT OF TELEPHONY IN NORTHEAST
Georgia.
1939 ___
1944 ___
1949 ___
1954 ___
1959 ___
1964 ___
1969 ___
____ 425
____ 627
---- 1,478
. . . . 2,874
---- 5,749
____10,786
____17,836
1939
H. M. Stewart, Sr.*
Mrs. H. M. Stewart, Sr.
(Honorary Member)
1946
Lucille Wheeler*
1947
Ruby Burrell*
1950
Doris Stephens*
1952
Bill Hall*
J. C. Moss*
*Charter Members
1954
H. M. Stewart, Jr.*
1955
Roy Palmer*
1956
G. B. Ricketson*
David Power*
1957
Wymer Sampson*
Johnny Brown*
Walter Holcomb*
1959
Charles Williams
Henry Cameron
1974
1979
1984
26,030
35,483
42,169
The H. M. STEWART, SR. PIONEER CLUB (founded
1974) AND the BRUCE WILLIAMS JUNIOR PIONEER CLUB
ARE SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS COMPRISED OF COMPANY EMPLOYEES AND
MANAGEMENT WITH A MINIMUM OF FIFTEEN YEARS (PlONEERS) OR FIVE
YEARS OUNIOR PlONEERS) OF EXPERIENCE IN THE TELEPHONE IN-
DUSTRY. Actively committed to many community service pro-
jects, THE Pioneers have made countless contributions to the
QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL NORTHEAST GeORGIA RESIDENTS.
acquired the Dahk
job of night operator. Two years la
f Standard to opeZe r
Wr- bedroom to wake L
Dahlonega when Pearl Harh
boy at North r
school and enlist
earb
Mountain Phone Head Tellt Board-.
'You Couldn't Give Me Bate Hika^
Early central office switchboards were often in homes or
central office, photographed in July, 1945.
the original Hiawassee
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^'J'O.Vf; j
1-t,TB
VOT To
Mf i 4
"najitu#-
Cornelia's Commercial Hote
fr. B.mi, R. Brock, Mrs. W h
tZZZ
^oy, C. Lord, M. Thurmond, Mrs
B. I. Barron, D
feeler, B. Sexton.
site of First National
' R- W. Sexton, C. B<
O". Mrs. G. White h
isoart, Miss Turner, ^
on, j. B. Barfield
Standards first hydraulic truck was put into service in the mid I960
When Mr. Stewart bought the
Company in 1939, Heni^y Davis was
the only plant man the Company had.
"He carried a detailed map of the en-
tire system in his head, Mr. Stewart
said. "He knew the name, telephone
number and location of the home or
business of every subscriber to the
system. He knew the cross arm pin
B. Barfield installs a desk set in Crunkletons Store (circa 1950).
Company
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