(Honus Wagner) CIGAR BOX

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Posted By: Hal Lewis

Rob:

Already tried that.

There are no "phone books" from that time period because there were not too many phones...

but there DEFINITELY were 4-digit phone numbers in Louisville by 1900.

After all, Louisville had phones for a LONG time before 1900, as is evidence by the United States Supreme Court case:

U.S. Supreme Court
CITY OF LOUISVILLE v. CUMBERLAND TELEPHONE & TELEGRAPH CO., 224 U.S. 649 (1912)

On August 17, 1886, the city council passed an ordinance which, after reciting this section of the charter, ordained that the act of the legislature above mentioned, so far as it refers to the use of the streets of Louisville, 'is hereby ratified and confirmed, and the right is hereby granted and confirmed to the said Ohio Valley Telephone Company, its successors and assigns, to maintain a telephone system, and to erect poles and string wires thereon; . . . and to operate its telephone lines over, along, or under any street, avenue, alley, or sidewalk in the city of Louisville.'

The ordinance was accepted, the $50,000 bond was given, and the Ohio Valley Telephone Company erected poles, strung wires, and maintained a telephone exchange in the city of Louisville until January 27, 1900, when it consolidated with the Cumberland Telephone & Telegraph Company.

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So Louisville had telephones as early as 1886.

By 1900, there are advertisements in the City Directory with 4-digit phone numbers.