Granite State Communications
Encyclopedia
Granite State Communications is based in Weare, New Hampshire
and serves seven towns across the southern part of the state.
granted a charter to the Chester & Derry Telegraph Company, giving rights to construct a telegraph line between the towns of Chester
and Derry
.
Just a year earlier Alexander Graham Bell
invented a new gadget, the telephone
. While telephones were yet to be widely available, the people of Chester worked to have telegraph service brought to town.
The first aerial telegraph line was constructed from C.A. Wilcomb’s General Store on Chester Street, through offices in East Derry
and Derry Village, terminating at the Boston & Maine Railroad office in Derry Depot. At the Derry Depot office telegraph messages were transferred to the Western Union
telegraph lines. Locally, a line was also constructed to the residence of Nathan Goldsmith, with several other stations along the way.
In 1884 Cyrus F. Marston, a Chester resident, connected a (homemade) telephone to the telegraph circuit to receive the results of the election that elected Grover Cleveland
president of the United States. By 1886 telephones had become more popular and the company had added telephone equipment in each of the established offices along with telegraph equipment and telephone lines had been extended to several outlying areas of Chester.
The first central office was located at Wilcomb’s General Store, and that consisted of a small manual switchboard
. Mr. Wilcomb would answer an incoming telephone call and connect it manually to the party being called between waiting on customers in the store. In 1914 it was relocated to a building at the junction of routes 121
and 121A, adjacent to the old Glidden Tavern, and there it remained for 44 years. A new building was constructed at 7 Derry Road (Route 102
) in 1957 to house new central office switching equipment.
In the years after World War II
customers were demanding modern automatic telephone service. These demands required rural telephone companies to improve service or sell to a company with greater capital to make the improvements. The owners of the Weare Telephone Company, Wilder and Iola Tenney, were frustrated by these demands and offered the company for sale. The Weare Telephone Company had been organized in 1904 and was franchised to operate in the towns of Weare
and Deering
.
In 1958 the Triangle Telephone Company was acquired, a company that operated in Hillsboro Upper Village
, Hillsboro Lower Village, Windsor
and Washington
. This company consisted of a magneto
exchange operated out of the home of the owners, Mr. and Mrs. R.V. Hodgeman, in Hillsboro Upper Village.
In 2009 the company changed its name to Granite State Communications.
Weare, New Hampshire
Weare is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,785 at the 2010 census. It is close to two important New Hampshire cities, Manchester and Concord.-History:...
and serves seven towns across the southern part of the state.
History
The company was founded in 1877 when the New Hampshire LegislatureNew Hampshire General Court
The General Court of New Hampshire is the bicameral state legislature of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The lower house is the New Hampshire House of Representatives with 400 members. The upper house is the New Hampshire Senate with 24 members...
granted a charter to the Chester & Derry Telegraph Company, giving rights to construct a telegraph line between the towns of Chester
Chester, New Hampshire
Chester is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,768 at the 2010 census. It is home to Chester College .-History:Incorporated in 1722, Chester once included Candia, set off in 1763...
and Derry
Derry, New Hampshire
-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 33,109 people, 12,537 households, and 8,767 families residing in the town. The population density was 924.8 people per square mile . There were 13,277 housing units at an average density of 143.2/km²...
.
Just a year earlier Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell
Alexander Graham Bell was an eminent scientist, inventor, engineer and innovator who is credited with inventing the first practical telephone....
invented a new gadget, the telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
. While telephones were yet to be widely available, the people of Chester worked to have telegraph service brought to town.
The first aerial telegraph line was constructed from C.A. Wilcomb’s General Store on Chester Street, through offices in East Derry
East Derry, New Hampshire
East Derry is an unincorporated village in the town of Derry in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. The village center constitutes the East Derry Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places....
and Derry Village, terminating at the Boston & Maine Railroad office in Derry Depot. At the Derry Depot office telegraph messages were transferred to the Western Union
Western Union
The Western Union Company is a financial services and communications company based in the United States. Its North American headquarters is in Englewood, Colorado. Up until 2006, Western Union was the best-known U.S...
telegraph lines. Locally, a line was also constructed to the residence of Nathan Goldsmith, with several other stations along the way.
In 1884 Cyrus F. Marston, a Chester resident, connected a (homemade) telephone to the telegraph circuit to receive the results of the election that elected Grover Cleveland
Grover Cleveland
Stephen Grover Cleveland was the 22nd and 24th president of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents...
president of the United States. By 1886 telephones had become more popular and the company had added telephone equipment in each of the established offices along with telegraph equipment and telephone lines had been extended to several outlying areas of Chester.
The first central office was located at Wilcomb’s General Store, and that consisted of a small manual switchboard
Telephone switchboard
A switchboard was a device used to connect a group of telephones manually to one another or to an outside connection, within and between telephone exchanges or private branch exchanges . The user was typically known as an operator...
. Mr. Wilcomb would answer an incoming telephone call and connect it manually to the party being called between waiting on customers in the store. In 1914 it was relocated to a building at the junction of routes 121
New Hampshire Route 121
New Hampshire Route 121 is a long north–south state highway in Rockingham County in southeastern New Hampshire. The southern terminus of NH 121 is at the Massachusetts state line in Plaistow, where the road, named Atkinson Depot Road, continues into the town of Haverhill as an unnumbered...
and 121A, adjacent to the old Glidden Tavern, and there it remained for 44 years. A new building was constructed at 7 Derry Road (Route 102
New Hampshire Route 102
New Hampshire Route 102 is a state highway in Rockingham and Hillsborough counties in the southern part of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. NH 102 runs southwest to northeast between Hudson and Raymond, but is signed as an east–west route.Some confusion exists over the western terminus...
) in 1957 to house new central office switching equipment.
In the years after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
customers were demanding modern automatic telephone service. These demands required rural telephone companies to improve service or sell to a company with greater capital to make the improvements. The owners of the Weare Telephone Company, Wilder and Iola Tenney, were frustrated by these demands and offered the company for sale. The Weare Telephone Company had been organized in 1904 and was franchised to operate in the towns of Weare
Weare, New Hampshire
Weare is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,785 at the 2010 census. It is close to two important New Hampshire cities, Manchester and Concord.-History:...
and Deering
Deering, New Hampshire
Deering is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,912 at the 2010 census.-History:First settled about 1765, the town was incorporated on January 17, 1774 by John Wentworth, governor of the province of New Hampshire...
.
In 1958 the Triangle Telephone Company was acquired, a company that operated in Hillsboro Upper Village
Hillsborough, New Hampshire
Hillsborough, frequently spelled Hillsboro, is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,011 at the 2010 census...
, Hillsboro Lower Village, Windsor
Windsor, New Hampshire
Windsor is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 224 at the 2010 census. It is the location of the Wediko Children's Services Summer Program and of , a summer adventure and travel camp founded in 1961.- History :...
and Washington
Washington, New Hampshire
Washington is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,123 at the 2010 census. Situated in a hilly, rocky, forested area, and with 26 lakes and ponds, Washington is a picturesque resort area...
. This company consisted of a magneto
Magneto
A magneto is a type of electrical generator.Magneto may also refer to:* Magneto , permanent magnetic alternating current rotary generator* ignition magneto, magnetos on internal combustion engines...
exchange operated out of the home of the owners, Mr. and Mrs. R.V. Hodgeman, in Hillsboro Upper Village.
In 2009 the company changed its name to Granite State Communications.