Glenn Boyd the Telephone Lineman

Recently, a large donation came into SCHS chock-full of Reedsburg area history. The collection contains many photos and memorabilia from the area, as well as pieces of early telephone company history. Included in the photographs are a series of black and white images of Reedsburg resident Glenn Boyd, taken during his 30-year career with the Commonwealth Telephone Company.

Commonwealth Telephone Company was a larger organization (like Verizon) that operated through smaller local companies. In Reedsburg, the company was sometimes referred to as the Reedsburg Telephone Company.  Glenn Boyd started with Commonwealth in 1913, and worked as a lineman/installer until his retirement in 1947.

The collection includes a pair of telephone pole climbing spikes, also known as gaffs, used by Glenn Boyd.. These gaffs are made of steel and leather and would have been strapped to the worker’s legs. When used alongside a leather strap that wrapped around the pole, the spikes allowed workers to easily scale telephone poles and provide needed utility maintenance.  

SCHS would love to learn more about these early telephone companies in Sauk County. If you have any information you would like to share with us, please stop by our History Center during open hours (W-F from 12-4) or email curator@saukcountyhistory.org.