From Hookswitch to Grave: The Life and Death of Telephones in the Bell System

This article traces the rise and fall of Western Electric, the manufacturing arm of AT&T, which built and refurbished nearly every telephone in the Bell System. From its origins as a competitor founded by Elisha Gray, to its acquisition by AT&T in 1881, Western Electric became the sole supplier of telephones and equipment, with a massive refurbishment program that gave phones a second life. The story ends at the Nassau Smelting and Refining Company on Staten Island, where old phones and cables were recycled, highlighting the full lifecycle of telephone equipment.