Clear Lake Telephone Books
The 20 initial telephone subscribers are listed below and the adjacent map illustrates the location of the subscribers. The 1903 list of the 150 subscribers shows that many of the initial subscribers still had the same phone number. The first number was assigned to the Milwaulkee Train Station.
1895 CL Tel Phone List
1895 Telephone Location
The 1903 list of telephone subscribers had increased to 150. As subscriptions increased and Clear Lake Telephone Company was incorporated in 1908, telephone books were published.
The 1909 and 1911 Clear Lake Phone Books at the History Room list subscribers, phone number and street name only, no addresses for the City subscribers. For subscribers outside the city, they were grouped into party lines with up to 8 subscribers with long/short ring codes for each party. After you answered your ring code, the operator would connect you with the caller. However, everyone else on your party line could listen in; you had to be careful what you said.
The Clear Lake Telephone company archives contain most of the phone books published from 1909 onward.
The Mason City phone books were published by Northwestern Bell and included Clear Lake and some surrounding communities. The Mason City Library History Room has phone books that include Clear Lake from 1917 onward.
Telephone directories from 1903 to 1938 have been digitized. The Polk Directories, at the History Room, beginning in 1938 include phone directory information.
1903 Phone Listing
1909 Phone Book
1911 Phone Book
1917 Phone Book
1918 Phone Book
1918 Phone Book
1919 Phone Book
1920 Phone Book
1921 Phone Book
1922 phone Book