492 THL

SCOPE AND CONTENT: The collection contains various pieces of information relating to the history of the C & P Telephone Company, generally known as Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Company, in Winchester, VA. A piece written about the historical background of the company, as well as newspapers and telephone directories provide glimpses of a collective history. The collection also contains miscellaneous items including photographs, a phone book cover and a notice of a change in telephone numbers dating to 1956.

(1 box) Last Updated 11/15 

BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL: The Winchester Telephone Company began just nine years after the development of the first operating telephone. The year was 1885 and the company’s general manager was W.C.R. Stump whose office was located on the corner of Loudon and Piccadilly Streets. Within months of establishing the company, Stump set eyes on the expansion of telephone lines to Stephens City, Middletown and Berryville. By the year 1896, the company was incorporated under laws of the General Assembly of Virginia and continued to provide telephone services until 1904. The franchise was then put up for a bid provided financial troubles and was awarded to the Bell Telephone Company. The company stabilized and continued to expand, providing long distance lines to their customers. By 1905, another telephone company, Jordan Springs, was founded and was placed in direct competition with the Bell Telephone Company. This all ended in January 1913, when the C&P Telephone Company superseded the Bell Telephone Co. and acquired the Winchester Jordan Springs Telephone Co. The company continued to grow and by 1940 they were providing for about 4,000 telephones in Winchester. The C&P Telephone Co. continued to grow and expand through 1953. 

BIBLIOGRAPHY: Akers, Conrad H., “Historical Background of the Telephone in Winchester, Virginia”, pages 1-9. Taken from the collection. 

CITE AS: Chesapeake & Potomac Telephone Co. Collection, 492 THL, Stewart Bell Jr. Archives, Handley Regional Library, Winchester, VA, USA. 

ORGANIZATION: 

BOX 1

“Historical Background of the Telephone Company in Winchester, VA”,

Talk by Conrad H. Akers, Manager, Winchester, to the Winchester Rotary Club, January 28, 1954, 9 leaves, typescript, 2 copies,

C&P Miscellaneous:

            List of subscribers, 1904, 1 leaf, typescript, photocopy,

            Notice for change in telephone numbers, 1956

            Phone book cover

            Phone book cover sleeve           

News Articles

            Printed (photocopies), unnumbered leaves 

Telephone Directories, 1931-1932, 23 pages, printed

                                      1939, 29 pages, printed

Note: Telephone Directories filed in Archives Reading Room,