Local Lore

On a blocky concrete AT&T building on State Street here, there's a historical marker plaque saying something along the lines of "Several hundred yards from this spot, the world's first commercial telephone exchange was founded in 1878." This is true. According to the National Historic Landmarks program, the actual building where the exchange was housed was designated as a national historical landmark in 1965, but then it was demolished eight years later to make room for a parking garage.

But in any case, the District Telephone Company of New Haven did indeed commence operations in 1878, connecting 21 subscribers with a cobbled-together $40 switchboard that could only handle two simultaneous calls.

I also learned this week about native Connecticutter Anthony Comstock (born in New Canaan), who devoted his life (1844–1915) to harrassing and prosecuting peddlers of smut such as girlie magazines, anatomy textbooks, George Bernard Shaw plays, and birth control devices. I don't know if Shaw's word "comstockery" is still in widespread use, but it sounds useful. Comstock also had fabulous burnsides.