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| Grand Lake, Colorado ca 1911 © Mile High Photo Company |
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| Mern (Hopkins) Warwick, Telephone Office, Grand Lake, Colorado, 1950s
© Chet Warwick
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The young women who worked the switch boards were rarely at a loss for companionship. In the 1950s the Colorado-Big Thompson Project brought scores of young men to area to complete the project. Among them was Mern's future husband, Chet Warwick. For more on the happy couple, see The Honeymoon Hitch.
For more posts inspired by the photograph below, connect with Sepia Saturday 151 (no switch board required). For those interested in learning more about what Mern's job as an operator was like, see Wendy's excellent description at Sepia Saturday Smooth Operator.
Sources:
"Colorado-Big Thompson Project." U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. http://www.usbr.gov/projects/Project.jsp?proj_Name=Colorado-Big+Thompson+Project : accessed 9 November 2012.
Mile High Photo Company. "Town of Grand Lake, Colo." Digital Image. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Online Catalog, Panoramic Photographs. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2007661972/ : accessed 9 November 2012.
Telecommunications History Group. Telecommunications Virtual Museum. http://www.telcomhistory.org/vm/index.shtml : accessed 9 November 2012.
Warwick, Chet. "Mern Warwick, Telephone Office, Grand Lake, Colorado." Digital Image. Privately held by Liz Stratton [ADDRESS FOR PRIVATE USE,] Cincinnati, Ohio, 2012.
And if I remember correctly, when Mern married Chet, she was probably required to give up her job.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to check on that one! They both moved shortly after their marriage and started a family.
DeleteSuch an interesting post. Looks like being a telephone operator at that ski resort was a great place to meet a man.
ReplyDeleteNancy
There were definitely a lot of men working on the project. The photo albums are full of photos of young people all having a great time.
DeleteIt wasn't very thoughtful of the callers not to identify themselves if the operator needed to know who they were.
ReplyDeleteThere are only about 500 people in Grand Lake today. Even fewer in 1950 and they all knew one another. I think the operators enjoyed the challenge. ;)
DeleteI enjoyed your story so much! What a wonderful job that would have been...I agree totally with Barbara and Nancy!
ReplyDeleteSo Mern was that character in all the old movies and TV shows where someone picks up a phone, the old two piece kind, and says "Mern, connect me to so-and-so".
ReplyDeleteAnd just how many "grand" places and things are there in Colorado? And are they really grand?
Mike, Pretty much exactly as you say. It was a much more personal time and there were only a handful of operators. I'm certain that the callers learned the operators voices as well.
DeleteI'm biased as I grew up in Colorado and loved every minute of it. Everything is GRAND in Colorado. :)
It's an almost perfect Sepia Saturday post, it ticks all the boxes and some more. Two great old images, and some words that give a great insight into life in an age gone by.
ReplyDeleteI always find it most difficult to write about those I knew the best. SS prompts me to give it my best. Thanks for hosting!
DeleteThese switchboard ladies must have been very knowledgeable about everything that happened in their region. They probably had to promise in advance not to divulge any info to outsiders.
ReplyDeleteDiscretion was definitely an important part of their job! Can you imagine .... An operator could even listen in on a call.
DeleteOh goodness -- having to recognize a voice and remember all names certainly added to the challenge of making the right connections. (Thanks for the very kind mention!)
ReplyDeleteThinking back the last time I remember an operator controlled call was at the end of the 1950s when I was at St Andrews University, There was no chance there of operators knowing who you were although one also knew the number I wanted when I told her the town.
ReplyDeleteGrand post, Liz.
Reminds me of Sarah, the telephone operator on the Andy Griffith show - she knew everyone in town and they knew her! Enjoyed it!
ReplyDeleteI am definitely going to have to check out the reruns! Thanks!
DeleteThat is exactly how I imagined an operator in a small town who knew everything and everyone. The cast and the piles of snow says everything, what a photo.
ReplyDeleteLiz - you are once again...totally AWESOME! I'm so lucky to be your distant cousin! ~ Alene
ReplyDeleteThanks Alene for stopping by. I'd love to find an old photograph or painting of the Morehouse shop in Cincinnati. Stay tuned ....
DeleteThat must have been such a fun place to work! And I love how people could just call, without identifying themselves, and ask to be connected to someone by their first name. I can just hear that conversation now, "Hi, can you connect me to Patty?" "Of course, Sally, one moment please." Classic!
ReplyDeleteI am amazed at how many this week have relatives who worked as operators, but no photos of them at work, wouldn't have been thought of I'm sure. But there are many interesting stories recalling those working women. And that is a nice huge snow pile, a reminder that it will be back all too soon if not already in some parts.
ReplyDeletePat, You will certainly be seeing snow soon. I'm actually hoping for a few piles here this year. It was a bit too mild last year. ;)
DeleteI LOVE the idea that operators were THAT familiar with their clientele.
ReplyDeleteAnd that office looks cozy, given the size of the house.
I hate telephones, especially when I have to call a customer services number, and I get connected to a center halfway around the world. Between his/her accent and mine, there is NO understanding each other!!
:D~
HUGZ
Worse yet, the automated reply systems! I've spent as long as 10 minutes working through the options before being connected to a live person.
DeleteSo I guess a lot of ladies got "hitched" through the switch!
ReplyDeleteKat
I now know who I should contact when searching for the perfect blog name. :)
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