15/40 Rotary phone

On April 19, 1958 a “sneak preview” of Manistee’s dial telephone exchange took place at the Manistee Armory when the first official telephone call was placed.  

​

That first call was placed shortly after 9 p.m. over a special dial telephone hook-up when Norman Synnestvedt, President of the Manistee County Board of Commerce, dialed the historic first call to Mayor Earl Swank, on this exact rotary telephone. The first phone book for that new system is also on display here.

​

Find out more about the first dial telephone system in Manistee by clicking the link.

​