Pay telephone serviceIn 1880, the first pay telephone service in the United States, for public use went into service. The toll was given to an attendant. It was installed by the Connecticut Telephone Co. in their office at Yale Bank Building at State and Chapel Streets in New Haven, CT. After its founding on 28 Jan1878, the New Haven exchange grew quickly. Within a few years, the company pursued expansion and interconnection of distant towns. By 1880 they had the right to build exchanges in any part of Connecticut and western Massachusetts and, more important, they had the right to interconnect their exchanges. Early toll lines from Bridgeport to New Haven to Hartford brought a good return, and toll lines were built and promoted everywhere.* |
