Even though noise, music, and signals had been sent over electrified wires, Alexander Graham Bell tranmitted the first speech electrically and patented his invention in 1876. The following year 254 telephones were installed in the United States. Rapid developinent of the telephone produced the installation of 18,500,000 across the nation with the largest increase noted between 1907 and 1927. Some of the poor counties in the country ranked high in the installation of telephones because of the wide-spread development of cooperative telephone lines. Moreover, the small investment and monthly fees, and the fact that during World War I farm prices increased and allowed the means to support the expansion of telephone service, were other factors in the expansion. During this period; however, no reserve was established to maintain lines, and many were discontinued in the Depression years.
The first telephone was installed in Knoxville in August of 1879, but many years would pass before the service facilitated local communities. The Loyston-Lost Creek area received telephone service in 1913 and was combined under the Big valley exchange. The Big Valley switchboard was installed in the home of Elijah Sharp about two miles from Loyston and facilitated party-lines to 108 subscribers.
See The Big Valley Phone Exchange
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Union County Historical Society
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Maynardville, TN 37807
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