1957 ARTICLE FROM THE TELEGRAM
The 515 customers of the Sand Creek Telephone Co. will throw switches next week, climaxing a modernization project. The 49 year-old company plans to convert to dial operation next Saturday.
The center of the system will move from a company-owned house at Sand Creek to a new one-story building a mile and a half south on Sand Creek Highway. The $80,000 conversion has been under way for the last year. Harris McBurney Co. of Jackson telephone engineers, have been in charge of the conversion.
The five-man board of directors received the go-ahead, signal from the Michigan public utilities commission about a year and a half ago. The company reissued its stock, at a capitalization of $50,000 and borrowed the remainder from Stromberg-Carlson, telephone equipment manufacturers. It will be the first time since 1908 that customers on the exchange haven’t heard the voice of a local operator. Information, trouble calls and long distance service will be handled through special arrangement with the General Telephone Co. operator’s in Adrian. The company will continue its policy of free exchange with the Clayton, Ogden and Lyons Telephone Companies. Through it, customers of any of the three exchanges can call any of the others without paying toll charges.
The new 200-line board already is filled. President Ray Clapper of Jasper said another 20 lines probably will be filled by July. The new board has a potential which the directors feel is more than adequate for the foreseeable future.
As soon as the equipment is in operation and the toll dialing system is installed in Adrian, Sand Creek customers will be able to dial direct to long distance point on the system. An Adrian operator, however, will record their call for billing.
Sand Creek customers will find a slight advance in rates after the conversion takes place. Residential telephone service will increase 25 cents a month, from $3.75 to $4. For the first time the company will offer business telephone service, at a charge of $6 per month. The new system will have selective ringing so that on party lines, only the family called hears the ring.
The company was formed in 1908 and had fewer than 100 customers. Many of them cut their own trees for poles on which to string the line. The service area has grown through the years and now includes three and a half-mile radius from the new equipment building. The company plans to retain the converted residence, which is owns in Sand Creek.
Robert Hinsdale is vice president of the board. George Kunze is secretary and Albert Sparhawk is treasurer. Mr. Sparhawk, 91 of Sand Creek, has served as an officer previously since 1917. The other member of the board is L. C. Keenan of Sand Creek.
