Collection Information

1920 Gridley Telephone Office Lobby — Located here are the original area dividers with windows, the bench for sitting while waiting for long distance calls to go through, and the 1910 Kellogg double-walled oak telephone booth

Alexander Graham Bell’s First Telephone Models — You can see two models of Bell’s first telephone, circa 1875, through which sounds and speech were first transmitted. One is the 1876 model demonstrated by Bell at the Philadelphia Expostion that same year.

Fourteen 1890’s Wall Two Box Telephones

1900-1910 Model Candlestick Desk Telephones — 43 different insulators, various arresters, and chain drive generator

Rare “Roman Column” Stronberg Carlson Candlestick Desk Telephone

1920-1930 Desk Sets and Operator Sets

Gridley Telephones from 1910-2000 — A display of numerous phones used in the Gridley Exchange over a century of progress.

Business Telephones – 1970-2000 — Two-line, key system and Centrex phones

The Complete Series of Jim Beam Decanter Telephones — These commemorate one hundred years of telephone history and were produced from 1977-1983. The Telephone Pioneers of America provided the models.

Switchboard Installer’s Tools from 1949-1975

1946 Gridley Telephone Switchboard — This exhibit includes a working 2 position Kellogg Universal switchboard, installed in Gridley in 1946, with working magneto and common battery telephones. This is a “hands-on” working interactive visitor’s display.