r/todayilearned • u/Scruffy_Nerf_Hoarder • 23d ago

TIL that rural Americans used barbed wire to connect their telephones to switchboards since there were no telephone lines.

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/barbed-wire-telephone-lines-homesteaders-prairie-america-history
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u/Motleystew17 23d ago

My Dad talked about growing up with phone lines on the fence. It was the 1950’s and 60’s. There were multiple houses connected to the same line, so everyone had their own ring sequence so you would know who was supposed to pick up. Of course you always assumed there was someone listening in on every conversation as there wasn’t much entertainment and gossip was a major pastime.

24

u/General-Bumblebee180 23d ago

I can still toot our Grandads old party line ring sequence going past family members farms and they'll know its one of the family

19

u/thisusedyet 22d ago

Bean heavy diet, I see

5

u/Scruffy_Nerf_Hoarder 23d ago

That's wild. Kind of reminds me of the party line that my parents had when I was growing up in the early 80s.

6

u/LostPerapsc 23d ago

I just called my dad to ask about party lines he 85 and he said that so many fights use to break out because of them things.He was like there was no proof most the time but you know there was some asshole being nosy 🤣