The long wait for Arbon's telephone line, 1913–1915

In early December 1915, a long-distance telephone line from American Falls reached Arbon Valley, then often called Bannock Valley, and was joined to the valley's own line. The American Falls Press said the matter had been "hanging fire for several years," and its pages follow the whole wait.

Arbon had been in Oneida County until 1913, when the new Power County took it in, with its seat at American Falls. A line from American Falls to the valley would run about thirty miles, across the Fort Hall Reservation.

A company of their own, 1913

In February 1913 the American Falls Board of Trade named a committee to talk with the Arbon people about a line. In March they reported no answer from the Bell company, and a local exchange said to be nearly ready at Arbon was "yet in the air."

The valley was already at work. On March 10 W. E. Dawson wrote for the Arbon Commercial Club, "We are building a telephone line," and added that "a goodly number of poles have been secured and also a fair number of phones subscribed for, so that we feel that the move is on in earnest."

In August the regional Bell company, the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph Company, priced a standard line at about $3,000 and asked a guarantee of $900 of business a year for two years. "The trade naturally belongs here," the Press wrote, adding that the people of the valley preferred more direct communication with American Falls than with Pocatello.

By early September the company's Denver office would require no guarantee if forty telephones were placed in the valley. On Saturday night, September 6, 1913, a meeting at the Central school organized the valley's own company, and Mr. Chapman of Mountain States promised the toll line within sixty days of the start of work. The head of each of the seventeen households present took a share of stock. The meeting elected J. Bowen president, D. B. Ripley vice-president, William Allard secretary, and J. E. Keeler and T. B. Evans directors. The president was probably D. J. Bowen, known as John, whom the Electrical Review listed that November among the incorporators of the Falls Bannock Telephone Company.

Only a few of the expected American Falls businessmen made the trip. They spent the night in the homes of John Payne, T. B. Evans, J. E. Keeler, William Allard and G. S. Butler. "Some of the party were loth to leave a place where spring chicken and fresh eggs seem so plentiful," the Press reported.

Talking over the barbed wire, 1914

Early in 1914 someone named Affleck (the first name is lost in the scan), probably T. B. Evans's son-in-law Add Affleck, was installing phone boxes in subscribers' homes. The Arbon section of the Press reported on April 2:

Several parties who were interested in the telephone are busy putting up their share of the pole line. Several have their phone boxes in their homes, and are talking over the barb wire to their friends and neighbors until the main line is connected up with them.

The big company moved more slowly. Its specifications were approved in April, and in May its district manager said work would begin within a few days. In June the survey was under way, and building could start soon, the Press said, "should no obstacles arise in connection with the right-of-way."

The right of way, 1915

No report of construction has been found for more than a year. On August 5, 1915, the Press explained that after "many months of delay" the company had secured permission "from the department to set poles on the reservation." The approval was dated July 21. The paper went on:

This will be good news for the people of Arbon, who have worked hard and waited patiently for telephone connection. The money for the construction work was appropriated months ago and is said to be lying in a Denver bank ready for use.

In September material for the line began arriving at American Falls. A valley correspondent wrote, "We hope it means us, as we would like to be connected up with the outside." Work began that fall; N. K. Miller, later the American Falls exchange manager, was "with the crew which built the line to Bannock valley."

"In direct touch with the world"

A Pocatello report of December 2 said, "The first connection was made today," and added: "The Arbon system is an independent company, but is now hooked up with the big company, thus giving it access to the outside world." The Press of December 9 said the connection "places the most remote section within Power County in direct touch with the world." It reprinted a Pocatello Chronicle story: to mark the first use of the line, a resident called Salt Lake, and some old-timers "could hardly believe that they were really listening to voices." The Arbon column in the same issue wrote:

The Arbonites are rejoicing these days. We are up with the times a little now, we were connected up by telephone with American Falls a week ago. This has been looked and longed for, for a long time. Several parties have called up long distance to the Falls and Pocatello already to chat with friends and relatives.

The switchboard had just been moved into T. B. Evans's new house west of the Central school, and the Press soon reported many calls for phones.

The Chronicle also reported that a tree had fallen on M. D. Van Horn while he was felling timber for his brother Hugh in a canyon. The telephone "was immediately put into service," and Dr. Noth came from American Falls "in quick time" and took him to Ogden for an operation. He died there on December 5; his story is told on this site.

The dates do not quite agree. The Press of December 2 says Dr. Noth went to the valley on Tuesday, November 30, to a man reported to have a broken back, probably Van Horn; the Ogden Daily Standard puts the accident on Wednesday. Both days fall before the reported first connection. In 1917 the Press recalled that the first call of all, within thirty minutes of the connection, was for a doctor for "Merritt Van Horn," hurt, it said, by a rolling log. The records do not settle which call came first.

By November 1917 Mrs. T. B. Evans was running the Arbon central of the Falls-Bannock Telephone company, with about 36 miles of wire and 35 local subscribers.

The article as printed

American Falls Press, December 9, 1915, page 1. Transcribed from the page scan.

[illegible]
The establishment of telephone communication with Arbon Valley last [illegible] of both American Falls and Arbon has been hanging fire for several years, and places the most remote section within Power County in direct touch with the world.
The first serious effort to have the line built was started more than two and a half years ago, when a number of the most prominent citizens of the Arbon section and the American Falls Board of Trade brought the question before the Mountain States people, and from that time until a couple of months ago, when the work of construction was actually commenced, there has been no abatement in the determination to get the line established. There were many delays and a few obstacles to be overcome, but all these have been forgoten now that success has been achieved, and all are rejoicing.
The Pocatello Chronicle prints the following story which gives an idea of how welcome was the advent of the telephone into Bannock Valley:
Residents of the Arbon valley who [illegible] over [illegible] of the line built by the Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph company [illegible] American Falls, a distance of 31 miles.
The line is completed with the independent line in Bannock valley. If an Arbon farmer wishes to telephone New York City or San Francisco from his home, he has only to take down [illegible]
As part of the celebration on the occasion of the first use of the line, one of the residents called Salt Lake [illegible] and the [illegible] affair. Some of the old timers who have spent so many years away from telephone convenience, could hardly believe that they were really listening to voices which came over [illegible] territory, but when their words were understood they were compelled to accept the fact, whether or not they could realize how it was done.
In illustration of the value which the service already has been to the community, might be cited an incident which occurred recently when a tree fell upon M. D. Van Horn, seriously injuring him. Mr. Van Horn was felling timber for his brother, Hugh, in a canyon. The telephone was immediately put into service and Dr. Noth was called at American Falls. The trip to Arbon was made in quick time, and Dr. Noth took the injured man to Ogden where an operation was found to be a necessity if his life was to be saved.
The Arbon valley is one of the richest wheat producing centers of Idaho. It promises to become the standby of Southern Idaho when grains are in question. The advent of the telephone is but a logical step in further development of the country. First, it is necessary for the sagebrush to be removed from the ground, then the [illegible] must farm wisely and well. When they are getting good crops, and not until then, will the railroad, the telephone, the good road and the auto [illegible] is blossoming for the farmers of Arbon valley. When they talked to Salt Lake they were experiencing the first step in real development [illegible]

On this site: the first telephone line, the first long-distance call and the Evans family.