Organized in 1901, the Bethesda Telephone
Company (BTC) kept its switchboard in the
August Swanson home. In 1911, the company
voted to publish a directory of its 16 lines,
and to improve the house to include a cistern,
a coalhouse and chickenhouse and a 12-foot
deep cave. A new switch was installed in 1921,
and was later moved to an office in 1929 which
cost under $4,000 to build.
In 1953, BTC wanted to develop
a better system with a higher standard of
phone service, but with less than 100 customers,
it wasn't financially or physically feasible
to establish a dial exchange. Local customers
stepped in, and buying stock that averaged
$300 per customer, footed the bill for a
new modern dial exchange that was in operation
by March 1, 1955. In 1967, BTC merged with
FMTC.
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