Garrards present vintage 1940 phone book to historical society

Lamar and Ruth Garrard of the Double Branches Community recently presented the Lincoln County Historical Society with a Georgia Continental Telephone Company Directory for Lincolnton and Washington from the summer of 1940.

The society in turn gave a copy of the telephone book to the Lincoln County Library, where it is now a valuable addition to the library's everexpanding genealogy department.

"This telephone directory from 1940 is a wonderful asset to our genealogy department," stated Dianne Poteat, the library's genealogy assistant. "I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Garrard for their willingness to part with this treasure."

In his comments, Nelson Brooks, historical society president, said, "A gift like this offers a unique experience to anyone who takes the time to page through the directory. It gives us a glimpse into how people lived half a century ago when life was much simpler. It reflects a time of innocence, before Pearl Harbor.

"On behalf of the historical society, I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Garrard for their thoughtful gift. I would also like to thank our library for archiving a copy of the telephone directory in the genealogy annex so the public can look up family names and learn about or remember how life used to be."

In 1940, there were two telephone systems in operation in the county - Georgia Continental and the Loco Telephone Company, which was run by Essie Ross Cartledge. Cartledge and her husband, Roy, had two daughters, Evelyn C. Drinkard of Lincolnton and the late Margarette C. Johnson of Thomson.

As for the Georgia Continental system, its switchboard was located in the front room of a house which stood close to the spot where the Wilkes Telephone & Electric Company office now stands on S. Peachtree Street. Rosalee McKinney served as the operator in 1940.

According to the vintage telephone directory, there were only 79 phones in Lincolnton at that time. In fact, there were no listings at all under the "N"s - no Newmans, no Neals, no Nelsons, and no Normans. Today, there are over 100 Normans found in the telephone book.

A sampling of the local residents appearing in the 1940 telephone book, along with their home telephone numbers, is as follows: W.N. Albea, 27; J.R. Ashmore, 2411; H.A. Bunch, 25; Mrs. T.C. Burton, 89; Mrs. L. M. Brown, 30; Sheriff W.L. Dallis, 39; J.E. Deason, 99; Miss Clara Dunaway, 1603.

W.T. Dunaway, 1611; Roy Edmonds, 2403; Mrs. Gussie L. Elam, 38; R.H. Green, 45; R.F. Guillebeau, 49; W.J. Hammond, 118; T.B. Hogan, 1511; Mrs. W.T. Ivey, 1812; George B. Kinney, 2112; Mrs. P.C. Langston, 74; Homer Legg, 107; Mrs. T.A. Matthews, 97; P.W. Mims, 2311; W.A. McKinney, 2111; C.M. Perryman, 14.

H.B. Pitt, 8; J.M. Price, 2422; Mrs. George Sims, 1612; Mrs. A.B. Sims, 84; J.R. Smalley, 88; Mrs. Mamie Spires, 76; J.W. Spratlin, 112; J.G. Strozier, 36; Rev. W.F. Walden, 27; H.L. Ware, 2302; J.M. Wells, 52; Miss Virginia Wilkes, 80; Tommie Williams, 58; Mrs. B.O. Wright, 1702; and G.H. Wright, 75.

Among the professionals and businesses listed in the 1940 directory were: the AAA Office, Dr. A.W. Burch, the I. Berger Store, the W.L. Candler Store, Crawford-Breazeale