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On January 28, 2006, Union Telephone Company celebrated their 93rd
anniversary. Union Telephone Company was incorporated under Wyoming law
on January 28, 1914, only 38 years after Alexander Graham Bell spoke
those famous words "Mr. Watson, come here. I want you!" on the first
telephone. Union Telephone Company's name came from the merging of the
Smith's Fork Mutual Line, the Black's Fork Telephone Line and the
Lonetree-Linwood Telephone Company. The company began operations serving
grounded rural lines on a homemade switch that used 30/40 and 30/30
Winchester rifle cartridges as plugs and jacks. In 1946, the Fort
Bridger Telephone Company merged with Union Telephone Company. In 1956,
John D. Woody, the founder of Union Telephone, had grown well past
retirement age and found the company was not producing enough income to
support him and his family. The Board of Directors of Union Telephone
Company agreed to offer the whole company to AT&T for the sum of $1.00.
AT&T refused the offer. As part of the REA loan paperwork, Union sought
and received certificates of Public Convenience and Necessity in both
Wyoming and Utah.
In 1979, Union installed one of the first two
digital switches in the state of Wyoming. This switch presently resides
in the Central Office in Mountain View, Wyoming.
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In July of 1990, Union Telephone began it's cellular division under
the name of Union Cellular with eight cell sites. Today, Union Cellular
covers over 123,611 square miles with 122+ cell sites throughout
Wyoming, Northwestern Colorado, and parts of Utah. Union Telephone has
expanded their services, offering Internet, Digital Subscriber Line(DSL),
and cable TV in some markets.
In April 1994, a sales agreement was made between Union and US West
for Union to purchase some of the US West exchanges. This agreement was
finalized on October 26, 1994 when Union took possession of the
exchanges serving Hanna, Saratoga, LaBarge, Encampment, Rock River,
McFadden, and Shirley Basin, Wyoming. These exchanges added to the
already served areas of Mountain View, Fort Bridger, Lyman, Urie, and
McKinnon, Wyoming; Christmas Meadows, Manila, Dutch John, and Greendale,
Utah; and Ladore, Colorado.
Union Telephone bases its successful history on its dedication to
being family owned and operated, and prides itself on family values.
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