1890s: Long-distance phone service arrives in Lincoln

75 years ago Population 2,410 (U.S. Census 1940 and 1950) Telephone: A recent issue of The News Messenger carried an item stating the residents of the Thermalands District would soon have the use of a new telephone line. The poles being erected are a joint project of the PG&E and the telephone company. It was over 50 years ago, in the 1890s, when long-distance telephone service was first made available to the residents of Lincoln and rural communities. The first office was located in the True Blue Stores, conducted by John Landis and Sons. The True Blue Stores was then located in the Ahart Building, which is now the Emmada Building. Miss Laura Landis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Landis, was the first "Telephone Girl." In the late 1890s, the office was moved to the W.D. Ingram Building and he was appointed agent. There were then 14 subscribers. The post office and telephone office were in the south portion of the building and Mr. Ingram conducted his drug store in the north half of the building. He, his wife Ada and one girl operated the telephone, the post office and drug store. Just after graduation from the ninth grade of elementary school before going to Benicia to high school, I was the "girl" who was telephone operator, post office clerk, and when not busy at this, filling capsules with quinine. For this, I received the sum of $18.00 per month, and I worked every day and part time Sunday. The Sunset Telephone Company with Major M.J. Dillman was operating from Sacramento to Rocklin, Loomis, Penryn and Auburn and was reaching out to the Lincoln foothill district. W.D. Ingram organized the farmers into five different lines with a president and secretary-treasurer for each line. The barbed-wire fences were the telephone lines. One wire was used and the other side grounded. Williamson and Crosby, owners of the local lumber yard, donated "car stakes" for "jumping" the farmers gates and where available, trees were used to "jump" cross roads. Scantlings 2'x4' were purchased where trees were not nearby. Permission from the county supervisors to cross roads was obtained and conduits were used to place the wires under the railroad tracks. A favorite sport of pranksters was to use a hair-fine wire and "short" the lines by connecting the live wire to one of the others down the side of a rough fence post or on down into the ground. Then a "hunting party" was organized and some angry farmers tried to locate the trouble. Finally, an instrument was procured form the company in Marysville and the offending short was located. Despite the efforts of the embattled farmers, not a single culprit was ever found or arrested. The farmer not only owned the line but the telephones and he paid $3.00 per year for service. If he paid in advance 10% was deducted from the annual fee. Later, the barbed-wire line was abandoned and scantling 2x4'x8' were nailed to the fence posts and two wires were strung. Some of these lines are still being used. Not only was this farmers' line strung along the barbed-wire fences used for visiting and emergencies, but for entertainment. In the early 1900s, musical concerts and various news items came over the line from Sacramento during the morning hours when the line was least busy. This made the line very popular with the distaff side of the farm family and subscribers soon numbered over a hundred. As Lincoln grew and the telephone office required more time and attention, Mr. Ingram gave up the agency and the office was moved to Joseph Leveques' confectionery and ice cream parlor, which was located near the present Lincoln Theatre (currently Emmaus Church). Here, the office remained until it moved to its present location on F Street between 5th and 6th streets (this building remains AT&T property). Day and night service is now available with nine or 10 employees under the able direction of Mrs. Gertrude Dixon. Some 675 subscribers are served by the Pacific Telephone and Telegraph Company, who succeeded the Sunset Telephone Co. On Dec. 31, 1950, there were 742 telephones in operation in Lincoln. On Jan. 31, 1940, there were 357 subscribers in Lincoln. Note: This article was written by Mrs. Mabel Ahart. 100 years ago Population 1,324 (U.S. Census 1900, 1910, and 1920) Ad: The American Legion ran the following: "Annual Ball. James E. Fowler Post, No. 264 American Legion. Saturday evening, February 20 at the Civic Auditorium. Admission $1.10. The above is a facsimile of a ticket which YOU are obligated by the duty you owe to your right to be an American, to obtain and have in your possession not later than Saturday, February 20, 1926, at which time you may present same at the entrance at the Civic Auditorium, Lincoln, for admittance to one of the biggest nights of entertainment ever held in our midst. The boys giving this entertainment served us well, not only with labor, but some with real red blood. Why not us show our appreciation by purchasing one of the above tickets. DON'T WAIT to be begged to BUY – look for the boys. All of them have tickets for you. Note – Soldier's Tax Exemption Blanks may be obtained at the office of Edward A. Grey." More Lincoln history: California's showplace winery in the Lincoln area? The ruins of an imposing granite structure stood on the north side of Doty Ravine until at least a few years ago. They are probably still there, although we haven't checked. The spot was several hundred yards west of the present Crosby-Herold Road. Who built the structure here? Deeds at the Placer County Recorder's Office showed the property was owned by pioneer James R. Nickerson. One of the early reports about Nickerson appeared in The Placer Herald in 1859. Word about this fabulous ranch and gardens was spreading in Placer County and beyond, and the editor had gone to see for himself: "… 3,000 peach trees of 200 kinds; 225 different varies of apples; 125 different pears; 40 different plums; 3,000 bearing grapevines; 40,000 grape cuttings for sale." This was just 10 years after the start of the 49er gold rush, and just before Lincoln was founded. Did Nickerson get his start mining gold? No. He wisely suspected he could do better by producing food for the miners rather than be a miner himself. He had come alone to California from Missouri in 1849. He went back to Missouri for his family in 1851, returning with them in 1852. He intended to start a farm in Tulare. After crossing the Sierra, the family camped one night on the site of the future town of Lincoln. The next morning, he discovered his cattle had strayed off. He followed their trail to a glade of then-untouched beauty along Doty Ravine creek and decided to forget Tulare and settle on this spot, between what are now McCourtney and Crosby Herold Roads. His new winery, however, was the feature that garnered the most admiration and praise. The bottom floor of this three-storied building was of solid granite, and it is this part of the structure that remains today as a reminder of the edifice that was considered a "state-of-the-art" winery in the 1860s. "This elegant structure is 100 feet long, 50 feet wide and three stories high. The walls of the first story are of granite, 12 feet high and three feet thick. This granite rock was quarried from an excavation made in a gently sloping hill where the building now stands." A very detailed description of every facet of the structure can be found in "Thompson and West's 1882 history of Placer County", pages 243-246. Source: "Fortuitous Findings in the Lincoln Area Archives" by Jerry Logan. This book and many others may be purchased at the Lincoln Area Archives Museum in Beermann Plaza, 640 5th Street. Hours are Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Space permitting, I will complete the story of Mr. Nickerson's winery in an upcoming issue. Thank you for reading! MBO