As telephones became commonplace in early Idaho, their arrival still always made news
By the late 1880s the telephone was no longer a novelty in Idaho. Places that didn’t yet have one were working to get a line, all of which made the news in the Idaho Statesman.
On Dec. 2, 1888: “The telephone communication between this city and Idaho City and the basin is now complete. Mr. Purdum put up the last wires yesterday. For the past week or so the wires of the barracks were used to convey messages.“ (Boise Barracks was the military post that dated to the founding of Boise City in 1863.)
On Dec. 6, 1888, the Statesman wrote: “The Telephone. Mr. R.W. Purdum, an old telegraph and telephone operator, who has had charge of the construction of the telephone line to Silver City and also construction of the line to Idaho City, Quartzburg, Centerville, and Pioneer has moved over from Nampa to Boise City and taken charge of the telephone business here. He has moved the telephone office into the rooms upstairs opposite Brumback & Lamb’s law office, formerly occupied by the Idaho Central railroad, and is fitting up an office in good shape. One of the telephones is so arranged that private messages can be received and sent without the knowledge or hearing by outside parties. Even Mr. Purdum cannot know the nature of the messages if the sender or receiver is not disposed to disclose his messages.
“Mr. Purdum has put in four new telephones within the last two days, and if his company will make reasonable charges for telephones he will work up a good business. Telephoning is a luxury which can be dispensed with and the high charges has not made the business very profitable, and probably will not be until be until the telephone company lowers the rates. Fifty telephones at $3 a month can be run as cheaply as twenty-five, and are worth a little more to the company than 25 telephones at $5 rental. The telephone business is a monopoly, which we all understand, but it is a luxury which can be dispensed with, which the company does not seem to catch on to.”
Telephone instruments replaced Morse telegraph on the Mountain Home-to-Rocky Bar line at the end of July 1889, and on April 23, 1890: “The telephone wire to connect Judge Kelly’s Hot Springs with the city, was commenced being put up yesterday. It will be completed and ready for use today.”
“Another large switchboard has been received at the telephone office from Idaho City,” was the word in September. “It will soon be placed in position, as the requirements of the large and constantly increasing number of customers demand this further extension of the facilities of this office.”
In November 1893: “D.S. Murray, superintendent of the Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone Company, has offered to place a telephone in the city hall and to maintain it free of charge, and Mayor Sonna, on behalf of the city, has accepted the kind proposal.”
A telephone line was completed between Caldwell and Emmett, and another was planned from Lewiston to Mt. Idaho via Grangeville in June 1894. In September that year the Caldwell Telephone Co. incorporated, with a line to Emmett.