Where was the last hand crank telephone service in the U.S.?

The last hand crank telephone system in Woodstock, Maine was replaced by modern phones in 1983. The "Bryant Pond Telephone Co." was a family owned business that operated out of their home from 1951 to 1981.

After the company sold to Oxford Networks Co it was rumored that the system would be modernized to an automated dial system. A petition was posted at the local store and 72% of the people polled wanted to keep the antiquated system. A campaign to stop the transition called "Don't Yank The Crank" was echoed around the Pine Tree State. But progress won out and the last "crank" call was made in October of 1983 and the 431 customers went from operator assisted crank phones to rotary direct dial overnight.

More Info: www.csmonitor.com

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15 Comments

Harry Morton

My wife and I lived there for about 6 months in 1979 , our ring was 4 short

Shelley Welch Dunivan

Have a friend who has family in New Hampshire. And I remember her going up there in the late sixties early '70s and talking about how they had a crank phone in their home.

Carl Belken

My uncle had a hand crank phone that was connected to a neighboring farm. When the phone company abandoned the line he and his friend maintained the line. When he died in 1979 the auctioneer sold the phone right off the wall.

dmarkc

Do we even have operators anymore?

Howard Groopman

I guessed Maine because back in 1960, I spent part of the summer at relatives' house in a small New Hampshire town. Their phone number was only 3 digits.

Char

earlepg, I've never seen one other than on TV

Char

Wow I missed that figured it was KY by the time a height of fashion was over we got it.. Lol

earlepg

I can barely remember the hand crank phone in my grandmothers house in Alameda, CA in the 1940s. Of course its only memory since I was much too young to have even reached it.

Florence McKenna Hiscock

We were on a 10 party line in the late 50's with a crank phone. Everyone had a different ring ie: 2 long, 5 short which was ours. You had to wait and everyone's phone rang into the house. Ours was the longest (we were the newcomers). What a relief when the crank phone went out and your phone only rang for you. Didn't get private lines until the late 70's.