Southeastern MA, c.1920. Electric Distribution Pole with Transformer, Phone Openwire

By Joe Maurath, Jr.; posted October 14, 2020

View Original: Click to zoom, then click to magnify (915 x 593) 217KB

 


This was in the heart of Southern Massachusetts Telephone Company territory and it would not surprise me if there were at least a couple of their insulators on this pole. Many of them remained on their crossarms after New England Telephone bought out their exchanges one-by-one. From there NET&T rebuilt most of these older lines, either by using lead-sheath paired cable or (in keeping the openwire) new crossarms, galvanized wire and insulators. CD 102s were never reused by the company, therefore making them (notably So. Mass. Tel. Co. ones) very hard to find in the vicinities where Southern Mass. Telephone operated.

Location in the photo approximately where there now is a non-stop, 24/7 four-lane interstate highway.

607298709