service began between New York and Boston but it wasn't until 1915 that transcontinental service by overhead wire was created. Backtracking a bit, the first swiIn this next part in our series on the history of the telephone, we're going to pick up with the construction of the first regular telephone line.

After Bell's completion of the telephone in 1876 the next step was making it so that this invention could be used by everybody. So in 1877, construction of the first regular telephone line, which ran from Boston to Somerville, Massachusetts, was finished. By the end of 1880 there were over 47,900 telephones in the United States and in 1881 a telephone service from Boston to Providence was set up. Then in 1892, they started a service between New York and Chicago. Two years later, in 1894, a service began between New York and Boston but it wasn't until 1915 that transcontinental service by overhead wire was created. Backtracking a bit, the first swit

l's completion of the telephone in 1876 the next step was making it so that this invention could be used by everybody. So in 1877, construction of the first regular telephone line, which ran from Boston to Somerville, Massachusetts, was finished. By the end of 1880 there were over 47,900 telephones in the United States and in 1881 a telephone service from Boston to Providence was set up. Then in 1892, they started a service between New York and Chicago. Two years later, in 1894, a service began between New York and Boston but it wasn't until 1915 that transcontinental service by overhead wire was created. Backtracking a bit, the first swiar telephone line, which ran from Boston to Somerville, Massachusetts, was finished. By the end of 1880 there were over 47,900 telephones in the United States and in 1881 a telephone service from Boston to Providence was set up. Then in 1892, they started a service between New York and Chicago. Two years later, in 1894, a service began between New York and Boston but it wasn't until 1915 that transcontinental service by overhead wire was created. Backtracking a bit, the first swi in 1881 a telephone service from Boston to Providence was set up. Then in 1892, they started a service between New York and Chicago. Two years later, in 1894, a service began between New York and Boston but it wasn't until 1915 that transcontinental service by overhead wire was created. Backtracking a bit, the first swi service began between New York and Boston but it wasn't until 1915 that transcontinental service by overhead wire was created. Backtracking a bit, the first switchboard, what we now call 411 service, was set up in Boston in 1877. Then on January 17, 1882, Leroy Firman got his first patent for a telephone switchboard.

The first telephone exchange was set up in New Haven in 1878. The first telephones were leased to people in pairs. Each person was required to put up his own line in order to connect with another. Finally, in 1889, a Kansas City undertaker by the name of Almon B. Strowger invented a switch that could connect one line to any one of 100 lines using a series of relays and sliders. This switch came to be known as the Strowger Switch and it was still being used by telephone offices