| History | When telephone service came to Lakewood in 1909, the first battery operated switchboard was located at the rear of the Kummer family's store, which stood in the middle of what is now Carr Street, a few feet north of West Colfax Ave. Miss Eva Williams was one of the earliest operators and took over management of the place when another original operator, Lillian Phillips, left her post one night to get married, creating an emergency situation. As the population grew the telephone service moved to the Kummer residence on the north side of Colfax, west of Carr Street. Mary Bruce More and Elsa Bruce Banning alternated shifts and through the years the sisters and nieces of Eva Williams all went into the telephone office. They included Lettie, Mbel and later Ivey and Ella Williams.
The telephone company moved in 1926 to its West Colfax Avenue-Wadsworth Blvd. Location. A new building since has replaced the 1926 structure. Dial service came to the community at midnight, April 21,1951.
Early Lakewood telephone numbers were unusual; some were simply Lakewood 1, or 2, etc. Later the various exchanges such as Belmont, Westwood, and Walnut were started. When the third prefix number that we have today was added, the exchange names were forgotten. |
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