Springfield Then & Now: Phoneton, the center of communications

Phoneton, located at the junction of Route 40 and 202, was so named because it was central to telegraph and telephone communications at the turn of the twentieth century. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CLARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Credit: HANDOUT

Credit: HANDOUT

Phoneton, located at the junction of Route 40 and 202, was so named because it was central to telegraph and telephone communications at the turn of the twentieth century. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CLARK COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY
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By Staff report
Updated June 30, 2018
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Phoneton, located at the junction of Route 40 and 202, was so named because it was central to telegraph and telephone communications at the turn of the twentieth century.

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The three-story station for the American Telephone and Telegraph Company hummed with activity ever hour of the day, with more than 40 employees dealing with 11,800 miles of wire and 120 phone circuits, enabling the tiny village to connect people across any part of the country.

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Founded as Tadmor in 1894, the name was changed to Phoneton in 1899. Today, the same building still stands, but has been trimmed down to a single story.

Today, the building looks a lot different. The top two floors of the building have been removed and it houses a general contractor business.

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Staff report