Gatesville, TX police say 911 system is working [telecom]

Historical Note:

Actress Sissy Spacek grew up in Quitman, TX, which was served by a manual exchange in her childhood. The town's friendly local operator served as her inspiration in her film, Raggedy Man.

Here are some articles describing Quitman's conversion to dial service:

One of my earliest memories is of the moment when I answer the phone in my parents' home in Dedham, Massachusetts, and a woman told me "This phone is now dial." I didn't know what she meant, but I and my siblings spent the rest of the day dialing calls to all our friends.

Bill Horne Moderator

In some cases, telephone company personnel called subscribers to check on the new dial line hookup, or to provide training.

The article below, from Prescott, AZ, describes the training program. The trainers could send a dial tone, then monitor the dial pulses with a special unit to verify the subscriber is dialing correctly.

Scroll up to page one of the same issue to see more information.

Also, see the special second section, beginning on page nine, for multiple additional articles and ads. (right side)

Note all the merchants offering congratulations to the phone company for the dial conversion, as well as touting their contributions to constructing the new building