"The stability of
Westminster as a good town in which to live is demonstrated by the succeeding generations
of the first subscribers to the telephone service having remained there, and by the
earlier business firms surviving the changes and the chances of the years. The First
National Bank, the Union National Bank, the Farmers and Merchants Bank and the Westminster
Savings Bank were among the first users. They all carry on with the assistance of their
telephones in 1937. A fact that loudly bespeaks the stability of Carroll County. The
newspaper that so stoutly championed the new industry, The Democratic Advocate, was one of
the very first subscribers. Its name appears today in the Carroll County Directory of
1937-the Centennial Number. In accordance with the item appearing in the Advocate in 1884,
a telephone was installed in the County Court House. A picture of that historical building
adorns the cover of the Centennial Number of the telephone directory; the inside pages
show that the County Officials now need 14 telephones to conduct the County's business. In
the days of the first telephone construction in Carroll County, the American Sentinel,
also a weekly publication of that time, kept its readers advised of progress. One item
catches the eye because of the quaint place named: "The people of Double Pipe Creek
are to have telephonic communication with the telegraph office at Bruceville." Miss
Mary Bostwick Shellman, the first manager-operator of the new exchange, supplied some
interesting items concerning the first telephone workers at Westminster. Miss Shellman
remained in the service about six years. Miss Flora McNeil assisted her when she needed
additional help. Harry Crouse, who still lives in Westminster, was at times a faithful
assistant to Miss Shellman when need arose. One of Miss Shellman's cherished memories of
her telephone days is of the visit of Dr. Bell, the inventor of the telephone, to the
Westminster office. On that occasion she served him a luncheon. Several days later she
received from the inventor a miniature wall telephone with a gold plated front and silver
bells, mounted on a piece of jet. The diminutive receiver was also of black jet, and the
cord of twisted gold. Miss Shellman still has this highly prized souvenir. Frank Frazier
was lineman and night operator. When he needed help men were sent from Frederick or
Baltimore. Harry Jingling [sic] succeeded Mr. Frazier as lineman when the latter was
transferred to Waynesboro. Frank Rhodes often came from Frederick on inspection tours. By
August 2, 1884, other points in Carroll County were enjoying telephone service. At
Uniontown the subscribers were Devilbiss and Son, and O. M. Hiteshew. At Union Bridge,
Thomas Jones, at Linwood, Joseph Englar. New subscribers in the County were being added
daily. The telephone in Westminster was early recognized as a speedy medium for obtaining
sports returns. In the latter part of August, 1884, a baseball game between the Frederick
and the Westminster Clubs was played at Frederick. The citizens of Westminster were given
reports of the game by innings, by arrangement of the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone
Company. From a line at the baseball grounds the results of each inning were reported as
soon as played. The score appeared on bulletins posted at the telephone office and at the
Advocate Building. The Manager of the Telephone Company was thanked in the next issue of
The Advocate. Later in the season a similar arrangement was made to report the progress of
a game played in Westminster. Bulletins were posted at several points in town for the
convenience of fans unable to attend the game. Westminster obtained connections to
Baltimore through Frederick until March, 1885, when a direct line was completed. At that
time plans were also made to build lines to Bruceville, Taneytown, and New Windsor. For
more than a half a century Carroll County and the telephone system have traveled
hand-in-hand, cooperating in progress and expansion. Eight central offices are now in
operation throughout the County. In alphabetical order they are: Hampstead, Mt. Airy, New
Windsor, Silver Run, Sykesville, Taneytown, Union Bridge and Westminster. The Sykesville
Offices serves parts of Carroll, Howard and Montgomery Counties. The Silver Run Office is
well served and an unlimited market open for the disposal of produce. The Westminster
Office now serves 1,386 telephones. The fact that daily calls number 4,518 on an average
proves the usefulness of the service to the community. Mr. A. C. Allgire, Manager of the
Westminster Telephone Office, states that when he entered the service there in 1903, only
198 telephones were working on the switchboard. When six of the subscribers ordered their
service discontinued he though it a pretty bad beginning and called on them to try to
persuade them to retain it. Five of them decided that, after all, they really needed their
telephones. Mr. Allgire has seen the greatest development in the history of Carroll
County. The year following his arrival central offices were established in Hampstead,
Taneytown, New Windsor and Union Bridge. All of these offices have enjoyed a steady
growth.
Beginning with one operator, the force at Westminster has increased to 15, including the
Chief Operator, Miss M. P. Oursler." |
