The Barry County Telephone Company was incorporated in
October 1917 under the name of Delton Telephone Company
with approximately 170 subscribers. The 1948 Michigan
Public Service Commission report showed that it was
serving 330 subscribers.
Purchase of Cloverdale Telephone Company
The Delton Telephone Company purchased the Cloverdale
Telephone Company in 1952 by transfer of Stock increasing
its subscribers to approximately 475.
Purchase of Prairieville Telephone Company
The Delton Telephone Company in the year of 1954 purchased
the Prairieville Telephone Company, this was accomplished
by the sale to the Delton Telephone Company of properties
in Barry and Allegan Counties, and increasing its total
number of subscribers to approximately 764, all with magneto
service.
Necessary Mergers
These mergers were necessary to increase capital so as a
dial conversion program could be accomplished and the new
system consisting of two exchanges, the Delton Exchange
and the Pine Lake Exchange, was put into service in the
year of 1957. Central Office equipment was installed at
each locality, the Business Office, of the Exchanges, being
in Delton.
Cost of Conversion
The cost to the Company and its stockholders for the new
plant and Dial Conversion was $486,000.00 with the total
of 960 customers at cut-over on April 7, 1957. Subscribers
were increased to 1056 by June 30, 1957.
More Growth Than Expected
The Company kept pushing ahead, its growth kept gaining,
for the past 2 or 3 years the Company had added additions
to its central offices and outside plant.
In the year of 1959 the Manager, Clarence Donovan,
reported to the Board of Directors that due to Company
growth and graded service, we still had a major problem.
The outside plant was filled to its capacity, the Central
Office was overloaded, there were no more lines in the
equipment that could be used, it was full. Many of the
lines were overloaded to the point that in some areas,
subscribers had to be temporarily denied service in both
Delton and Pine Lake Exchanges.
More Plant Need
Manager Clarence Donovan brought this to the attention of
the Board of Directors advising them that more outside
plant and Central Office equipment was an absolute must,
in order to serve new subscribers and to give better
service to its existing subscribers. At this point the
Board of Directors were in the process of negotiations with
the engineering firm to establish the cost of the necessary
additions to accommodate its subscribers for a five to ten
year period. At this stage of the engineering the Board
was approached by the Lacey Telephone Company inquiring if
they would be interested in the purchase of the Lacey
Telephone Company, being that they would he unable to carry
out their plans to convert their Company to dial, they had
already started conversion but did not have the funds to
continue.
Purchase of Lacey Telephone Company
The Engineering firm of J & G Daverman of Grand
Rapids, were employed to assist the Delton Company in
establishing the worth of and the cost to build the Lacey
project and the cost of reinforcing the Delton and Pine
Lake Exchanges; this was accomplished. The Delton
Telephone Company purchased the assets of the Lacey
Company for a sum of $105,000.00.
The Delton Telephone Company now would be serving many
customers outside the Delton area, so it was proposed to
change the name of the Delton Telephone Company, at the
February 27, 1960 annual meeting of Stockholders. Delton
Telephone Company name change, it was voted to change its
name to the Barry County Telephone Company.
The Barry County Telephone Company name was filed and
recorded with the Michigan Corporation and Security
Commission.
The Barry County Telephone Company
In 1959, the Barry County Telephone Company started a
construction program to rebuild the Lacey Exchange, and
finished it in 1960; at a cost of: Purchase $105,000.00.
Construction costs of $85,000.00, Total cost of
$190,000,00. This was to give Automatic Dial service to
300 Lacey customers. The Barry County Telephone Company
is now serving 1600 stations.
Reinforcement of Plant of Delton-Pine Lake Areas
Its additional construction of the Delton Exchange was
started and finished in 1961, at the cost of $136,000.00;
cost of addition to outside plant $80,000.00; cost of
addition to Central Office equipment $56,000.00.
The plant was engineered for a 10 year period based on
the past growth and new developments.
Mobile Radio Units
Due to the expansion and a much larger area to be covered
by our servicemen, two-way radios were installed. This
cuts down many extra miles of driving and gives the
subscribers much faster service on service calls. We feel
that this is something where everyone benefits.
Toll Free Service for Pine Lake Subscribers
At the present time cable and equipment is being installed
in the Pine Lake Exchange to give the subscribers of Pine
Lake area toll free service to and from Plainwell, this is
to be completed in April 1962.
Message From the President
The above report was given to you by our Manager, Clarence
Donovan, so that you may be familiar with what has been
done to give our subscribers the service they so deserve.
We are living in a modern age of rapid growing communities
which require rapid growing communications. The Barry County
Telephone Company is dedicated to providing the best possible
service to its subscribers.
The Company went to all number calling of ANC., this is a
part of a nation-wide movement to make more telephone numbers
available for an ever increasing number of subscribers across
the country.
The reason we spent approximately $326,000.00 in our
expansion program is to provide service to many more
subscribers, to lessen the number of subscribers per line
in all areas; to provide more private lines and graded
services to our customers. The lake areas will also find
its services much improved.
Furthermore, we made this investment because we have faith
in the future economic growth of the community we serve,
our state and our government.
This expansion program will provide our subscribers with
direct dialing to most parts of the country, but this can
only be put into effect when our toll center, the Michigan
Bell Telephone Company, Kalamazoo Exchange, has its
equipment ready for Direct Dialing. We are ready and waiting.
It is also suggested that you have all of your out-of-town
friends make a note of our Area Code, which is 616. This
will expedite more efficient service.
This document was prepared in the early 1960's and signed
by Wm G. Smith.
[Top]
|
(101)