Photos from the Vault

1900’s Pacific Telephone & Telegraph operators

The old San Luis Obispo telephone exchange when it was located on Chorro Street.
Pictured here are Cecelia Dodge (standing) Ruth Johnson, nee Haley, Elena Bellani, nee Heyd, Mael Seely, nee Sutliff and Maymie McMillan.

The exterior photo shows the 1894-95 San Luis Obispo telephone office located in the Knapp building on Higuera Street next to the old city hall.
Tribune librarian, Sharon Morem found two earlier Pacific Telephone and Telegraph exchange photos than the ones we published earlier this month.
These look much older than the mid-1960’s photos we had before. My guess is these are from the early 1900’s or late 1800’s.
Other than the wood burning stove, the technology looks much the same; only the dresses seem to have changed.
The big revolution would come later with transistor technology and touch-tone phones.
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