|7o6i pspunc^ 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 'r^ ^'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 rir^i TT^ 1 . n'r