Before smartphones, landline telephones were the way most people kept in touch. And until direct dialing became common, a switchboard operator's assistance was often needed to help with long-distance ...

HINES, Minn. — The earliest telephone systems connected people, eased some of the loneliness and isolation of homesteaders who lived far from other family members, provided alarms in times of ...

The retired telephone workers’ picnic at Lawrence Park. (Aaric Bryan/Daily Inter Lake) Patti Dorlarque at the retired telephone workers picnic at Lawrence Park on Wednesday, Aug. 9. (Aaric Bryan ...

You are able to gift 5 more articles this month. Anyone can access the link you share with no account required. Learn more. The essence of a telephone operator’s job was to efficiently connect a ...

While attending Los Angeles City College in the 1960s, Lilith needed to find a part-time job. So, she applied for a position at Pacific Telephone Telegraph to work as an information operator. In the ...

It’s an iconic image from the middle of the 20th century: a telephone operator sitting at a crazily lit-up switchboard, wearing headphones and directing phone calls wherever they need to go.

In the 1950s people relied on newspapers, mail, radio, television, and land-line telephones for communication. There were no cell phones, electronic mail, or social media. The telephone was the only ...

The operator is going off the hook for millions of customers. Starting in January, AT&T customers with digital landlines won’t be able to dial 411 or 0 to reach an operator or get directory assistance ...