Iola Grassel sits at the Eatonville switchboard. This piece of machinery was high tech for its day.
The first telephones came to Eatonville in 1912. For decades, when you talked about Mashell Telephone Co., you were talking about the Chritstensen family.
The switchboard operator was your lifeline back then. You called and she put you through the party you wanted to reach. Switchboards were used from the late 1800s up through the 1960s.
Photo courtesy of the Haynes family and Pat Van Eaton.
Click on image to enlarge.
Eatonville To Rainier 