Rotary dial telephone. In 1900, a telephone line from Meeker, CO brought service to Steamboat Springs, a distance of approximately 90 miles. For some time, only one phone existed in town and was located at the Hugus Mercantile store on Lincoln Avenue. Those wishing to make a call had to wait in line. The Yampa Valley Electric Association formed in 1940 and electrification of the rural areas occurred in 1941. Rotary telephones replaced the need for a manual operator. Users could now enter a phone number and call independently from phone to phone. Although invented much earlier, rotary telephones were most popular from the 1930s through the 1980s.
Special thanks to Resort Lodging Company for their support of the museum!