Cables and Cobblestones: Portland’s Telephone History

This walking tour explores the evolution of telephone service in Portland from the late 19th century through the modern era. The route highlights the transition from private two-phone systems to the massive public switched networks of today.

Tour Highlights and Themes:

The Birth of Local Telephony: The tour begins at the waterfront, where Portland’s very first telephone system was installed in April 1878 to connect the offices and coal pockets of Randall and McAllister.

The Exchange Era on Exchange Street: Participants visit the original sites of the city’s telephone exchanges. This includes the building at 24 Exchange Street, which housed the first public service starting in 1879, and the subsequent exchange at 19 Exchange Street, which was the site of a high-profile double murder in 1901 involving company employees.

Technological Rivalries: The tour covers the competition between the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company’s operator-assisted system and the Northeastern Telephone Company, which introduced Portland’s first “secret” or direct-dial service in 1903.

Architectural Evolution: The route showcases several notable buildings, including an exchange designed by famed architect John Calvin Stevens on Casco Street and the Art Deco-styled additions to the Forest Avenue facility.

Modern Infrastructure: The tour concludes at 45 Forest Avenue, a site that has been in continuous use since 1912. This location serves as a visual timeline of the industry’s corporate shifts, from the original Bell System to Fidium.

Key Details:
Total Stops: 9 historical locations.
Time Period Covered: 1878 to the present day.
Tour duration: 60 minutes