Munith One Man (and Woman) Phone Company

By Diane Rockall

In 1939, citizens in the communities of Munith, Waterloo Township, and Jackson County were demanding a telephone company. Larger companies were unable or unwilling to provide service, as the cost of extending existent lines would not be met by the number of citizens to be covered. So Lynn Gorton, proprietor of the community general store, decided to help out by connecting those in and near to the village of Munith. His company was called Weneeda Phone.

Somehow the Detroit News learned of this accomplishment and sent out photographer Kendrick Kimball to do a feature piece on the growing company. Kimball’s photographic results appeared in the October 22, 1939, Detroit News pictorial section.

Several years ago, Ruth Wellman, one-time editor of the Stockbridge Town Crier, obtained a copy of that article. She turned it over to Sue Lindemer, who shared it with this author. To recap: Bell Telephone ran its first line to Stockbridge during the 1890s. The telephone operator for that system also operated out of a general store. In 1931, Rural Telephone Co. of Stockbridge was incorporated. Revenues were inadequate to keep lines in good condition, so service was less than the best. By 1952, the Fitchburg line was added to the Stockbridge line, and then Munith, Gregory, and Webberville were added. Gorton was part of the Stockbridge Rural Telephone Company. (This material is available in A Corner of  Ingham County – Stockbridge, used frequently by this author for the early history of our community.)

Lindemer recalls having an eight-party line when they first moved to Munith, way fewer than fifty years ago. With today’s convenient service to everywhere in the world, even those of us who can remember earlier times find it hard to believe how quickly the service has changed, but I will try to remember the next time I complain about my telephone service.

Photos by Kendrick Kimball, Detroit News photographer