From The Connecticut River Valley in Southern Vermont and New Hampshire: Historical Sketches by Lyman S. Hayes, Tuttle Co., Marble City Press, Rutland, VT., 1929, page 324:
TELEPHONES FIRST USED IN BELLOWS FALLS IN 1881
The first magnetic telephones used in Bellows Falls were put in during the month of March, 1881, for the American Bell Telephone Company by F. W. Childs & Co., of Brattleboro. The first instruments installed (they being on private lines and with no thought of a general exchange by a switch board) were those upon lines between the National Bank of Bellows Falls and the residence of its president, James H. Williams; the office of the Fall Mountain Paper Company, connecting with the machine shop of Osgood & Barker and the freight office of the Cheshire Railroad; and a little later a line was built connecting the office of Walker, Dewey, Blake & Co.'s brewery, near Cold river, with the office of E. E. Dewey, located where the plumbing store of the George B. Allbee Company is now on Bridge Street.
During the month of April of the same year, a stock company was formed and a line constructed between Bellows Falls and Saxtons River under the name of the Saxtons River Telephone Company. The Saxtons River instrument was at first in the shoe store of M. J. Amsden on Main Street, and the Bellows Falls one was placed in the dry goods store of George O. Guild.
The device was then in its experimental stage and a great wonder to residents. Many amusing incidents are told of the surprise and awe with which the farmers and others first heard voices at a distance. The distance between these two villages was then supposed to be about the limit of the power of the instruments. Few, if any, other instruments were installed until April, 1882.
[325]
On the 6th of that month the Boston & Northern Telephone Company of Salem, Mass., which was the predecessor of the present New England Telephone & Telegraph Company acting under the Bell Telephone Company, made a contract with L. S. Hayes of Bellows Falls to develop the business in a large surrounding territory and build exchanges at various points. This contract was in force until June 1,1883, when the Boston & Northern Company purchased it of Mr. Hayes, the purchase including the Saxtons River Company. During these fourteen months, while this contract was in force, one hundred and fifteen miles of outside lines were erected, connecting Bellows Falls with thirty other villages. The first switchboard was in the small officeerOom in the rear part of the drug and book store of Hayes & Holden, now the Corner Drug Store at the south side of the Square, and was tended by the drug clerk. When the change of ownership occurred, June 1, 1883, there were eighty-three subscribers to the Bellows Falls exxchange with no employees who did not have other duties to perform.