When I was growing up in Lancaster County, we had a rotary phone setting on the desk. It was a party line which meant several of the neighbors shared our line. The phone had a different ring for each family so we would know if the call was for us. I don't remember exactly what our ring was but it was something like one long ring and two shorts, or one short and one long, etc. We had a simple number of RE3-9098. RE stood for the Republic exchange and it later was changed to 733-9098. There was no area code until perhaps the late 1950s. To make a call outside of the local area we had to dial O to connect with an operator. We had to give our number to make the call and then were charged by the minute. We didn't make long toll calls because it ran up the monthly bill pretty quickly.
The phone Leroy's family had when they moved to Berks County in 1953 was more antiquated. The phone had no dial. The wooden box fastened to the wall had a crank on the side. To make a call, they turned the crank which alerted the operator who sat at a switchboard. They gave her the number they wanted to call and she made the connection. Their number was 103. If someone called them, the operator would make the phone ring twice in short succession. And of course, it was a party line shared with several neighbors. Any of them could pick up and listen in to the conversation.
We got married in 1967 and rented a house for a year while we built a new one. When we moved in, we had a rotary phone mounted on the wall above the desk in the living room. It was a party line shared with the neighbors. Who could afford the luxury of an expensive private line? Talking on the phone meant sitting at the desk for the duration of the call. At one point we had a longer cord attached so I could reach further and catch unruly children while on the phone. Only local calls were included in the plan so "pay calls" were only made when necessary and kept short. Direct dialing arrived so we no longer had to speak to an operator to make a call. It was necessary to dial 1 before the number when making long distance calls (out of the local area). Our first phone now hangs on the basement wall with the other antiques on display.
We moved up a step when we replaced the rotary phone with a push button phone that sat on the desk. We hung onto our party line as long as we could. At the end, there was only one other person on our line and they were not close neighbors. Party lines were discontinued and private lines were no more expensive luxuries.
Our next upgrade in a phone was one with an answering machine that sat on the desk. Two cordless phones were included which were kept in the bedroom and on the sink. Now we could walk around while on the phone and pick up messages from people who called when we were not home.
When cell phones came into common use, the company where Leroy worked provided him with a cell phone. They previously had a phone in his truck that worked similar to a two-way. Only one person could talk at a time. When he called, I would have to wait until he stopped talking to reply and vice versa. The cell phone was a great improvement because he could carry it with him and not have to be in the truck to use it. Also, we could carry on a normal conversation.
Our youngest sons and Leroy all had cell phones but I did not. I thought I had lived fifty years without one and I didn't need it. But then Leroy said, "You are the only person I can't get ahold of when you're not home. You need to get a cell phone." So I did. My first cell phone had a monthly charge and it was too expensive for not more than I used it. I switched to a cheap, no-frills TracPhone. It is prepaid and serves the purpose very well. At one point I got an upgrade which allowed me to do text messages as well as phone calls. Sending a text message is a slow process. If I want an i, I need to push 4 three times, etc. Texting sends the message using only 30 seconds of the time on the phone and uses less time than making a call.
Leroy is planning to retire in a couple weeks and will have to turn in his company cell phone. We are so used to having cell phones it seems like a necessity for us to each have one. There are times when we both need one. For example, we are separated in the store and he can't find me. After using the company smartphone so long, that seemed like a necessity too. It includes all kind of features we never even dreamed of---internet and GPS, plus all kinds of apps, a camera, video chat and more. We had our same phone number since 1968 and didn't want to change it. We bought the new phone on Saturday and this morning our number was switched from the landline to the cell phone.
We are now up-to-date with an iPhone. Years ago we used to joke about someday being able to carry a phone in our pocket and/or see people while we talk to them. It's not a joke anymore. It is here. I can only wonder how many more changes we will live to see.
In case you're wondering, yes, all the phones pictured here are still in our house but only the cell phones are in working order.
