Early telephones were leased in pairs and communication was only possible between the two instruments of the same pair (think of two tin cans connected with string).
The first telephone exchange was installed in Cambridge in 1900. It was located over Frisbee’s store and Mabel Frisbee was the operator. The exchange allowed its 150 subscribers to talk to any other subscriber in the village through the switchboard.
In 1903 the Hudson River Telephone Company established an exchange in the village. In 1905 the Granville Telephone Company purchased the exchange. Manager Grant Danyew moved the growing business to the Hotel Cambridge.
In 1906 a movement to put the electric and telephone lines underground was defeated. Even then they knew those wires were ruining the beauty of our village.
In 1916 the exchange was moved to its “new” office in the house across from the post office,
New York Telephone Company purchased the operation in 1932.
In summer 1948 new dial-telephone wires were installed in Cambridge.
In 1949, with the advent of “dial telephones”, the switchboard went out of business, and the first Cambridge phone directory was published. Besides phone numbers for all the residents, the phonebook contained HOW-TO instructions
