Telegraph

The telegraph was the main way to communicate before telephones were invented. It used a series of fast and short clicks that were electronically sent. Each letter of the alphabet and its punctuation had a series of long and short clicks. Samuel L. B. Morse invented it in 1832.

The telegraph was used frequently by businesses, but rarely for personal reasons. Before the invention of the telephone, it was the fastest and most reliable from of communication. News of national and international interest was flashed over the wire, probably the most important of which was that Germany had been defeated by the Allies in WWII.

Telephones

The telephone was another important invention to be introduced during the homesteading period. The first phone came to the Missouri Coteau region in 1916. The holes for telephone poles were dug with picks, shovels, bars and augers. Phones were large and hung on the wall. The only phones available in the Missouri Coteau region was "party lines", which meant that six or even ten families used the same telephone line. Each family would have a different ring to alert them that the call was for them, perhaps one long and two short. Since there was no dial or number board, callers used the handle on the side of the telephone box: turning it one complete circle cause a long ring, turning it a quarter circle caused a short ring. It was rare to have a conversation and not have anyone else listen in. One of the minor setbacks was that the homesteaders were only allowed to use the phone until midnight unless there was an emergency. The phone was also used to advertise local dances, box socials and other main events. To dial out you would have to call the operator and he/she would dial the number for you.

Another type of phone used in this area was the barbwire phone. This phone was introduced in 1945. A barbwire phone was installed by using one pasture fence line for each user. The return feed was made with a grounding post drove into the ground. In the early days people would use the same government phone box with switches and an extra bell. They then moved on to use old telephones, which were available and installed separately. When the barbwire telephone first came out, the wires were stapled directly to the fence posts. This didn't work well. When it rained it would weaken the transmission. Later on insulators were put on and reception would be clear. The barbwire was a good way of communicating; it tended to be very reliable and didn't break down like the government telephone would. This telephone was especially handy when a bull got out of pasture and did not completely break the wire, everybody would listen on their end of the phone and they would tell each other where the lost bull was heading. This type of phone lasted until a modern government telephone system was put in with underground wires.

 

Radio

After 1920 the radio was one of the best forms of entertainment of the time, although few people were able to afford one. Listeners could hear music, stories, "soap operas", and of course news. Hockey games were broadcast on the radio were very popular, and families would gather around the radio to listen. During WWI everyone who owned a radio had to pay a two dollar yearly tax to help in the war effort.