Downsville Telephone Company

Downsville Telephone Company Operators: Betty Vernold, Alta Van Tyle, Gertrude Hoy, Blanch Scudder and Dorothy Butler.

The Telephone Company was located on the second floor of the Opera House.  Several of the operators lived in the Opera House apartments and worked the night shift (9:30 PM to 7 A.M).   The operators’ apartments were equipped with bells in their bedrooms, so when someone called in the evening they could wake and respond to the calls.

When the Opera House first opened electricity was supplied by the Holmes Milling company hydro-electric plant.  The mill pond falls provided the power which supplied the Main Street of Downsville with electricity.