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The telephone was completely unknown when the first settlers came to Beaver Valley. The first known company which brought phone communications to the valley was "The Central District and Printing Telegraph Company". This Company was founded in the spring of 1874 in Pittsburgh by Captain Thomas B.A. David, and was founded for the purpose of providing Pittsburgh with a local system. Captain David used what was known as the Printing Telegraph. The device enabled a businessman to type a message on a keyboard and a reproduction would appear at a distant machine on a paper tape. This was quite an improvement over the Morse Code. The company which first brought the phone to Beaver Valley continued to use its original name until 1913, when it changed to the Central District Telephone Company. It became a part of the Bell Telephone Company of Pennsylvania. The earliest record concerning the telephone in Southwestern Pennsylvania was at Washington, Pa., on May 13, 1877. The first telephone exchange in Southwest Pennsylvania was opened in Pittsburgh in the fall of 1878. It is said that the Cutlery Works in Beaver Falls had the first telephone in 1879 and that Romulus Reeves operated the company's private telephone system. There is no substantiation of this claim. On August 22,1879, records disclose that telephones were installed at Beaver Falls and New Brighton for the Pittsburgh Hinge Company. In March 1880, John Wilson and Frank Anderson went to the Beaver Valley to install a telephone line for J.J. Shellenberger from New Brighton to Beaver Falls. This was a private line. Reference to the cost of constructing this line lends an interesting light on the times. These men were paid 75 cents for 1/2 day's labor and they were able to secure eight meals and two lodgings for a total cost of $3.30. The first telephone exchange or central office established in Beaver Valley was at Beaver Falls. The pole line from Pittsburgh which had been placed in 1881 was found inadequate for the growing telephone needs of the Valley and in 1883, it was replaced. Rumors were circulated at the time for fear that each of the towns in the Valley was to be directly connected to Pittsburgh and not inter-connected as they are today. On October 25, 1883, the "Beaver Valley News" said, "there is a rumor current that the direct telephone connections between Rochester, Beaver Falls, New Brighton, Beaver, New Castle, etc., is to be destroyed and separate wires given to them. This seems to be a foolish move on the part of the telephone company, in the face of the fact that our businessmen want direct communication with all the towns in the valley, no matter how Pittsburgh is reached. We hope for the sake of the businessmen that the intended change will be abandoned." Their fears were soon put to rest, and by calling Beaver Falls, which acted as a central office, connections could be made with any of the points before mentioned. This new arrangement met with general approval. On January 1, 1884, Henry Metzger, general manager of the Central District and Printing Telegraph Company at Pittsburgh, put to work Miss Jennie Ramsey, the first telephone operator in Beaver Valley. Miss Ramsey retired from the telephone service in 1915, after a very eventful career. Her first day on the job was the first time she had ever used a telephone. Her task also involved collection of bills and an occasional repair job on a subscriber's telephone. One year from opening day there was a total of 10 subscribers. By 1907, the C.D. and P.T. Company built its own building to house new equipment called "Common Battery" service. The new building was erected on the site of the Ramsey home at 614 4th St., Beaver FalIs, Pa. From 1885 to the year 1950, telephone service grew from 10 to 13,954. The second office in the Beaver Valley was opened in New Brighton, May 24, 1888, and was located above A.D. Gilliland's Dry Goods Store in the Opera House Building at 106 Broadway. The first operator in the New Brighton office was Miss Flora Townsend. The first telephone installed in Rochester was a public telephone in Hartford P. Brown's Wholesale and Retail Tobacco Store at New York Avenue and Railroad Street in the early 80's, and Miss Jean F. Boyd was the first operator. The central office in Rochester was opened on January 30,1890, in the N.F. Hurst building, 221 Brighton Avenue. Martin Metzger was attempting to secure new subscribers for the exchange. S.A. Reno and Son furnished the table and chairs; R.D. Fleming installed the coal stove and John Wallace made the plumbing and gas light arrangements. The Rochester office made one other move before it was located at the new building at 411 Delaware Avenue.
The Aliquippa exchange was established October 20,1903. By 1905, there were ten stations, and by 1910, the number had grown to 100 stations. The Ambridge exchange was founded in May 1905. Another office in the Valley was at Midland. This office was opened November 12,1912, when the Crucible Steel Company began its growth. The exchange was on Beaver Avenue between 6th and 8th Streets. In 1939, the magneto office was abandoned and a new dial central office in a company owned building was placed in service. At Baden on December 27, 1930, a new dial central office was put into service. This was Baden's first exchange. The Ohioview dial office was established on June 1, 1940 with 82 subscribers who were formerly served from Midland. Many updated additions continued, and in 1962, the new method of dialing was announced such as 843 - 846 - 774, etc. By 1962, there were 80,000,000 phones in use in the United States and Canada. Direct distance dialing began in 1951. Since the end of W.W. II, many more advances have been made in the art of telephony. Mobile Service, which makes it possible for passengers in moving vehicles and trains to call any Bell phone in the country. Main offices were centralized in Rochester and later in Pittsburgh. In February 1989, a retirement dinner was held for a few workers at the Fez in Hopewell Township. For the retirees attending this affair it was like being in a TIME CAPSULE since this was the telephone company's garage until 1983, when it housed the installation/repair trucks. The message was one of GREAT HOPE that night when it was said, "retirement can be the start of a NEW CAREER". May we see a new career by BELL OF PENNSYLVANIA AND THE MANY OTHER NEW PHONE COMPANIES, in the future time bomb.