An Archive of Over 100 significant Letters and Documents in the Period 1907-1919 of One of the Earliest Telephone Companies In Ohio

Quarto. The collection contains 125 pieces of original correspondence including both TLS (Typed Letters Signed) and ((LS) Letters Signed. What began as a small electrical shop for the repair and manufacture of telephone equipment in 1884 as the north Electric Works grew to become the North Electric Company in 1889. By the early 20th Century the company became one of the most prominent manufacturing business in Ohio employing over 300 workers. After being in business for over a century, the business first was taken over by Ericsson and the by IYTY. These letters pertain to the problems stemming from a patent for the automatic ringing mechanism, switch boards and operators as well as dealing with their manufacture under Canadian Parents which became know as the Telechronometer Co. The big change ended the flat-rate system and introduced meters which could measure the length of calls and, of course, increase the cost to the consumer. For the next sixty years, the telephone company became a monopoly enforced by patent, licenses, bonds, under the Bell and AT&T trademarks.