Albuquerque’s First…

Telephones

Although the first phones in New Mexico were in Las Vegas, NM in 1879; it was in 1882 the first telephones were brought to Albuquerque by Miguel Otero Sr. Otero grew his business the next year to 34 subscribers, but by 1884, he closed up shop, The Colorado Telephone Company bought Otero’s holdings and successfully grew the operation. The entire district had one lineman, two installers, 2 troubleshooters, a night switchboard man and one clerk that worked from 1894 to 1910 to get phones to the big city. Transportation was one horse and a spring wagon, rented from the Springer Transfer Co. There were few cars to be used.

Beginning in 1906, the Colorado Telephone Company constructed a building, which took two year to complete, in downtown Albuquerque at 4^th Street and Copper. The telephones used in the city were switched for customers by operators consolidated in this building in 1908. Operators were located in the basement and later, in the 1950s, on all the other floors. All calls local and long distance were connected by operators within the building which is now a very unique museum! The Telephone Museum of New Mexico in Albuquerque is this “out-of-the-ordinary” museum!

Did you know this museum tells how telephone operators saved towns and when the San Ildefonso Indians got telephones? The museum consists of four floors of audio exhibits in the original telephone company owned building of 1908 located in downtown Albuquerque. The charming large red-brick building on the 4^th Street Walking Mall south of Copper, displays over 100 telephone switchboards, telephones, photos and historical scenes–from teletypes to fiber optics. It even has a “Learning Center” where one can experience how it was to be a 911 Operator, or a switchboard operator, or use a military phone! The mission of the museum is to educate young and old to the history of the telephone in New Mexico and to preserve the legacy of the telephone people who built that industry in New Mexico. Opened in 1997, the Museum continues today as a totally volunteer and self-supporting organization through an endowment fund established to continue the future of the Museum. Guided tours (if scheduled) tell New Mexico history, science, geography and inventions evolved in the communications industry. Highlights of the Museum include exhibits telling the stories of the heroes of New Mexico along Route 66, telephone directories from early 1900s, a great chronological display of telephones and teletype machines from this century, as well as photos from all around New Mexico, and a gift shop stocked with a unique collection of telephone memorabilia.

Tours can be developed in each topic for ages from 8 to 80+ years. All group tours must be scheduled through the Chair of the Board, Gigi. Hours are M-W-F 10 am to 2 pm with a donation of $1 for under 12 years old, $2 for 12 years and older, and $4/person for tours after normal hours. 

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By Susie Turner, Publicist

Telephone Museum of New Mexico
110 4^th Street NW, Albuquerque
Mailing address: P O Box 1892, Albuquerque, NM 87103
www.museumsUSA.org or email telmuseum@hotmail.com

For Other Albuquerque’s Firsts:

• First Municipal Election
• First City Council