on Washington Street near South Court. Back in the old days, AT&T (Ma Bell) was looked upon as a beguine old grandmother, and its buildings were substantial additions to the fabric of the community. In the 1940s, probably before, this old structure held all the tel exchanges, which meant every call went thru here. This is where all the “operators” worked. When I was a boy, even local calls were routed by an operator. By 1951, when I moved to Montgomery, even small town systems had been automated, and only long distance calls were patched in by humans. In 1955, my office was directly across the street, and late each night when I quit work, I would see dozens of young ladies streaming into and out of this building as the 3:00 to 11:00 PM shift was ending. Being a telephone operator was a respectable and responsible job for young women of that era.

-Charles Humphries