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Above: 1629 Market Street in Redding, the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company building. This photograph taken by Jeremy Tuggle on August 3, 2019.
The building at 1629 Market Street in Redding was the
official headquarters of the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, which is still in use to this day, according to Redding Electric Utility. This building is located in between Yuba and Placer Streets
on the east side of Market Street. This building often attracts the attention of the public regarding its history and use. I’ve received quite a number of inquiries
about it over the years and have retold its history each time.
The building itself is a commercial building and has an
intriguing architectural design, called Tudor Gothic. The architect of this
building was J.P. Brennan who erected the building at a cost of $60,000. The
first process towards the erection of this building occurred on March 13, 1926
when a topographical and delineative survey was conducted on the
one-hundred-foot lot for the purpose of furnishing information to the architect
to design the plans for the building.
Then on April 30, 1926 it was announced by George Wahl, manager,
of the Redding Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, that the plans were
completed. Wahl also mentioned to the local media that the actual start of
construction would begin in May of that year. It was also reported that their
new building was going to be a first-class semi-fireproof one-story structure
with a basement.
During May of 1926 the initial construction took place and
continued for the next eight months. Then on, January 12, 1927 the building was
dedicated, and it opened for business the same day. The Pacific Telephone and
Telegraph Company was the second telephonic service company in Redding which
dates to 1898 when their original location was inside the Swasey building on
Yuba Street between Market and California Streets. In 1907, the company
relocated into a building at 504 California Street. After spending twenty years
in their California Street location their new building on Market Street was
ready for them to move in, and on January 12, 1927 it also marked forty-seven
years of telephone progress in the City of Redding.
In 1978, the Western Electric Company began operating their business in the basement of this building, according to the City of Redding Directory, this company's time was cut short in this building. During the 1970s the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company featured a traffic department and a toll department. Both companies utilized this building until 1980. By 1981 the building became vacant after the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company spent fifty-four years in this building. In 1982, they moved to a new location at 1514 Market Street and their name appeared to be shortened to the Pacific Telephone Company at that time. During the early 1990s AT&T Communications moved into this building, and continued telecommunications in the Redding area.
Above: the Bell System logo on the front entrance to the building of 1629 Market Street in Redding. This photograph was taken by Jeremy Tuggle on August 3, 2019.
Above: the full length front of the building at 1629 Market Street in Redding. A view of the business office in the north-east corner of the building. Customers were able to place local and long distance calls here. This photograph taken by Jeremy Tuggle on August 3, 2019.
THE HISTORY OF THE TELEPHONE IN REDDING:
A man named Charles E. Berry, a local tinner, installed the
first telephone at Redding in 1880. According the 1880 U.S. Census he resided
at 216 East Street with his wife Aarilla and their three children. A crude telephonic instrument was invented by Berry who strung a
copper telephone line from his house on East Street to his tinnery shop on Yuba
Street.
Now Berry was able to communicate with his family from work each
day. By June of 1881, several of these crude telephones were modeled after
Berry’s design, which was never patented, but his design was used around
Redding. Among the people and businesses who had them were the following: Doctor
O.J. Lawry, a physician and surgeon, who installed a telephone line at his
residence to connect with the Gleaves and Averill drug store owned by Redding
druggist James M. Gleaves, and Redding dentist, George W. Averill.
Harry Parker who was employed as an operator for the Postal
Telegraph Company, also installed a telephone line from the Redding railroad
depot to the Gleaves and Averill drug store. Telephonic communications in
Redding were booming, and everyone wanted to ride the wave.
By 1884, Berry’s design was improved by Redding resident E.
Newton Eaton, a brother to Redding druggist James P. Eaton, who according to
the local media “constructed a single wire
line using iron wire between the store of Gilbert, Miller and Eaton and the
residences of S.J.R Gilbert, Dr. Miller and James P. Eaton. The instruments
were made of tin, with an opening in front which was the transmitter and receiver
across back of the box, which had been left open. A piece of rawhide was
stretched to form the diaphragm and the end of the wire was run thru the
diaphragm in the center and fastened inside the box. Later, the rawhide was
replaced by a piece of drumhead which Eaton secured for the purpose and which
improved the instrument. No batteries were used. The sound being carried purely
by the vibrations from the diaphragm. A code of taps for signals was arranged
and this served the purpose of the phone bell.” (SIC) E.
Newton Eaton had stated that the transmission of the voice was fine, it was
clear, and it carried down the line.
However, sometimes an electric shock was generated between the
users of this crude device. Five years later, E.W. “Pike” Roney constructed a
grounded telephone circuit for the Enright Lumber Company at Bella Vista which
was installed between that town and their yard in Redding. This was a line used
by company officials only. The installation process that Roney used to create
this telephonic line was: “black
iron balling wire, salamoniac batteries and Bell company instruments secured
from the Bell Telephone Company. Another instrument was connected to this line
and located in the apartment of Vuave, assistant superintendent for Enright”. (SIC)
Preceding the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company in Redding
was the Sunset Telephone and Telegraph Company which had their initial start in
1894. This company began using what’s known as the village or automatic system
which proved inefficient. Telephone customers who used this system had to
handle the switching by themselves in Redding. There were no official
switchboard operators then. Later, a switchboard was installed in Eaton’s Drug
store which was then located in the Bergh building on California Street and
owned by James P. Eaton. The first official switchboard operator who handled
the above switchboard was Redding resident Arvilla (Thompson) Paulsen, a
daughter of Philip C. Thompson and Ida (Kelley) Thompson.
In 1897, there was 87 telephones in operation and connected to
this switchboard. As the “hello” boom flourished in Redding the Sunset
Telephone Company promoted their telephone services even more and brought the
tally to 100 telephones in operation by the end of that year. In May of 1898,
telephonic communications were enhanced when the San Francisco to Redding line
was connected by long distance. Later, the Redding to Portland line began
serving the public. A year later the City of Redding had 135 telephones in
operation. Rapid growth of telephonic systems in Redding has changed
drastically over the years far exceeding the initial design by Alexander Graham
Bell in 1876, when he received a patent for it that year.
Resources:
1880 U.S. Census (Note: Charles E. Berry is also found as
Charles E. Bong but has been corrected on Ancestry.com as Charles E. Berry.)
1881, History and Business Directory of Shasta County,
California
Early Installations and Telephone Development in Redding and Shasta County, written by Tessie Coughlin, December 12, 1924. On file at the Shasta Historical Society in VF 621.0 Utilities. (621.382 Call Number)
Early Installations and Telephone Development in Redding and Shasta County, written by Tessie Coughlin, December 12, 1924. On file at the Shasta Historical Society in VF 621.0 Utilities. (621.382 Call Number)
Telephone Co. Can Now Build On Hoff Lots - The Courier-Free
newspaper of Redding, January 8, 1926
First Work Is Done Towards Erection Of Telephone Building - The
Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, March 13, 1926
$60,000 Pacific Telephone, Telegraph Building To Be Erected In
Redding - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, April 30, 1926
Contract For Construction Of Telephone Building Let - The
Courier-Free newspaper of Redding, May 24, 1926
New Building Marks 47 Years Of Telephone Progress Here - The
Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 11, 1927
The Telephone Company Occupies Its New Building Wednesday,
January 12th - The Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 11, 1927
New Telephone Building, Costing $60,000, Opened - The
Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 12, 1927
First Telephone Operator Sends Congratulations – The
Courier-Free Press newspaper of Redding, January 13, 1927
History of Telephones in Shasta County by Peggy Kesterson. On file at the Shasta Historical Society in VF 621.0 Utilities, 1973-1974.
1938 City of Redding Directory
1948 City of Redding Directory
1958 City of Redding Directory
1968 City of Redding Directory
1970 City of Redding Directory
1973 City of Redding Directory
1974 City of Redding Directory
1977 City of Redding Directory
1978 City of Redding Directory
1981 City of Redding Directory
1982 City of Redding Directory
1984 City of Redding Directory
1985 City of Redding Directory
1986 City of Redding Directory
1988 City of Redding Directory
1990 City of Redding Directory
1991 City of Redding Directory
History of Telephones in Shasta County by Peggy Kesterson. On file at the Shasta Historical Society in VF 621.0 Utilities, 1973-1974.
1938 City of Redding Directory
1948 City of Redding Directory
1958 City of Redding Directory
1968 City of Redding Directory
1970 City of Redding Directory
1973 City of Redding Directory
1974 City of Redding Directory
1977 City of Redding Directory
1978 City of Redding Directory
1981 City of Redding Directory
1982 City of Redding Directory
1984 City of Redding Directory
1985 City of Redding Directory
1986 City of Redding Directory
1988 City of Redding Directory
1990 City of Redding Directory
1991 City of Redding Directory
