Grayson County TXGenWeb

The Denison Press
Friday, June 25, 1943
pg. 4

ACHESON HAD FIRST TELEPHONE IN DENISON
The late Dr. A.W. Acheson, several times mayor of Denison, for many more the city physician, and the first man to envision what navigating the Red River would mean to the section bounded by its waters, was the first man to have a telephone placed in his home in Denison.
That was exactly 7 years after Alexander Graham Bell spoke the first works transmitted by wire from his laboratory in Boston. Forty-nine other subscribers were secured after the phone was placed in the Acheson home which then stood where now stands the homes of W.L. Peterson, Judge Tom Suggs, Mrs. B.J. Lindsay and W.J. Smith in west Denison, the home being in the center of a full block in that section on a high hill.
The first telephone exchange was located at 218 Mian street, and after a total of 500 subscribers had been secured, the new location was at 420 W. Main street. The present brick home of the telephone company was erected in 1927 when W.S. Hibbard was mayor of the city, and the list of subscribers is now numbered at near the 2,500 mark. The building is at 500 W. Chestnut street.

The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, June 24, 1883
pg. 4

Manager Watson of the Telephone Exchange added six new suscribers to his list last week, instruments having been placed in Dr. Acheson's office, W.J. Scott's residence, T.V. Munson's residence, George Walter's saloon, Dr. G.W. William's residence and Mrs. Callie Redwood's residence. This makes a total of 76 phones in operation, and orders are in for 8 others, which will be put up as soon as they arrive from the manufactory. Mr. Watson is an enterprising young man and certainly deserves the success he is receiving.

The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, March 8, 1885
pg. 1

THE TELEPHONE MONOPOLY
Several months ago a petition signed by nearly every patron of the Telephone System in this city, asking for the re-appointment of Mr. Cory Hill as manager of the Exchange, a gentleman who had proven himself competetent to fill the position to the public's satisfaction. No attention was paid to this request by the company. A few days ago a cust was made on the wages of the employes of the company, and Miss Delia Landreth, who had been the head operator here since the opening of the office, refused to accept the the cut and quit work. We are informed the company had been paying her $25 a month, which they proposed to cut to $20 a month from the date of notification. Mr. Tower, the persent manager, says she has been getting $30, as he paid $5 out of his own pocket to retain her, owing the annoyance that would result result by subscribers by losing her services; but this has nothing to do with the company, who saw fit to place a value on her ability of only $20. The company claims the business in some towns is falling off and they are compelled to reduce expenses. This, however, has nothing to do with Denison, where their business is not only not falling off, but steadily improving. There are about 100 boxes in use in this city, enough to warrant the employment of skilled worker operators, and from what we can gather in conversation with patrons of the telephone, if they cannot have it, they are prepared to dispense with the luxury altogether. Miss Delia's qualifications have been tested for nearly two years and we do not believe her place can be filled. It requires a long time to become familiar with the work of a telephone system in any town - acquaintance with the people and business matters which cannot be supplemented by skill.
A telephone is more of a luxury than a business necessity in towns of the size of Denison at best, and would not be missed if done away with entirely, especially now that telegraphic communication with neighboring towns is so liberal, owing to competition between the Western Union and the B. & O. Companies, hence, if the Telephone company paused a moment to study their own interests they will probably discover that the best thing they can do is to pay skillful operators decent salaries, and thereby give their patrons that prompt and efficient service for which they pay liberally, and to which they are justly entitled under their contract.

Personals
Miss Lula Beaumond, of San Antonio, takes Miss Delia Landreth's position at the Denison Telephone Exchange. Miss Beaumond has had over three years experience in the business and the manager wishes the Gazetteer to inform the subscribers of the Exchange that calls and answers will be promptly attended to as heretofore.

The Sunday Gazetteer
Sunday, March 29, 1885
pg. 5

Postmaster Daugherty informs the Gazetteer that the department has notified him that hereafter he will be allowed an advance of $500 for clerk hire. Mr. Daugherty has engaged Miss Delia Landreth, recently operator in the telephone office, as an assistant in his office. The Gazetteer is certainly pleased to hear this, for Miss Delia has demonstrated to the people of this city that she is an industrious and intelligent young lady, every way worthy of the responsible position to which she has been appointed.