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Courtesy of the
Tishomingo County Historical & Genealogical Society
Original files are housed in the John Marshall Stone Research
Library
Tishomingo County Archives & History Museum
203 East Quitman Street, Iuka, MS 38852
Phone: 662-423-3500
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Telephone Companies in
Tishomingo County
Iuka had a telephone exchange that Mr. A. M. Gibson started, but he
sold it to the Cumberland Telephone Company on October 24, 1899, for
the sum of $200. On July 1, 1926, Southern Bell bought this
exchange. There were 37 customers at that time. The telephone
exchange in the very early 1900s was located upstairs in the rear of
the red brick building at the northwest corner of Front and Main
Streets, where the Cozy Corner Gift Shop is now located. The office
was reached by climbing up a long, steep stairway from Main Street.
Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company was divided into two
telephone companies in 1969, and this became South Central Bell
Telephone and Telegraph Company.
In 1979, the most modern exchange—an electronic switching system—was
installed in a new building on Eastport Street. A new building to
house the construction and installation departments was finished in
spring 1980.
Belmont had a telephone exchange named The Union Telephone Company;
it operated in the old exchange building. Among the communities that
the company served were Belmont, Dennis, Golden, Moore’s Mill, Old
Bethel, New Bethel, Red Bay, Valley, and Pogo.
On October 8, 1919, the Belmont Telephone Company was assigned a
25-year franchise, and in December 1919, Copeland Telephone Company
was granted a franchise to operate and maintain a telephone system
in Belmont.
In February 1921, Dr. Copeland sold his entire telephone plant known
as the Union—or Copeland—Telephone Company at Belmont to V. L.
Matthews and H. L. Matthews. The information above was submitted to
the Tishomingo County Archives & History Museum by Kathy Everitt of
Iuka, Mississippi. |
