Jamestown Municipal Utilities
Lighting:
Lights came to Jamestown streets when the Town Board agreed to purchase eight gas lamps. The Jamestown Press reported that before committing to purchase the lamps, a unit was installed in 1901 on a ten-day trial. The lamps were placed on Main Street, at the east end of town, at the crossing of Main and Lebanon Streets, at Main and Darlington Streets, on Main Street at the Crossing leading to the depot, at thee Christian Church, at High and Main Streets and in the north end of town. The lights were placed into service on “dark nights”. After the Jamestown Gas Company was formed in 1906, the streets were lit by the use of gas.
Bids for an electric light plant and power system were opened on October 7, 1916 and the contract was awarded to Indianapolis based engineers, W. A. Schleslinger and T. R. H. Daniels. Initially electric service was restricted to lighting and bulb type outdoor lighting gradually replaced the acetylene gas lamps and kerosene lamps used in homes. In yet another lighting transition, streetlights in the business block were upgraded to mercury-vapor in 1054. Units located in residential areas were replaced over time with the last unit being replaced in April 1963.
Sanitary Sewer System:
Authorization for Jamestown’s sanitary sewer system construction was passed in April 1967, bids opened on October 27th and contracts tentatively awarded shortly after. Through a combination of a loan and grant totaling $387,000 construction was ready to begin on the sewer system. Residential connection to the new system was slated to begin on November 4, 1969. The local Laundromat had the distinction of being the first to hook up to the new system.
In February 1997, the Town Council held a public meeting where citizens were presented with cost estimates, financial and impact information concerning the sanitary sewer system’s Facilities Plan. The Plan calls for sanitary sewer rehabilitation lift station renovation and wastewater treatment plant expansion. A 1996 attempt to secure grant support for the project was not successful. In October of 1997 the Town received a Department of Commerce Grant for $500,000.00 and obtained a loan. In order to do a $1.4 million dollar Wastewater Treatment Expansion and some collection system Rehab. Project Engineers were M. D. Wessler & Assoc. of Indianapolis; project contractors were M. K. Betts of Anderson. Project was completed in October 1998. This project brings the plant capacity to 200,000 gal. a day.
Telephone Service:
Jamestown’s telephone service evolved from an operator assisted party-line town system to single party direct dial local and long distance service. The Jamestown telephone system was established in 1898 as a stock company. In August 1901, thecompany was sold to Mort Emmert, Jamestown, and E. R. Jacques and Company, Thorntown.
P. M. Lewis was reported by the Jamestown Press as the first person to install a telephone in Jamestown. Reportedly Mr. Lewis ran an extension from his business to his home. The “boxes”, as the early telephones were known, were purchased by residents and lines ran from the residences to the telephone company’s central switchboard.
In July 1899, the local telephone company made plans to extend service by running a toll line north to the town of Advance with plans to meet with the Lebanon line at Max, Indiana. In late 1899, the North Salem and Jamestown telephone companies joined forces to establish a toll line between the two towns. The line became operational within the first few weeks of 1900. By April 1900, the companies made plans to eliminate the toll call charge. Service was also extended to rural areas by March 1901.
By the fall of 1901, the Bell Telephone Company made a request to establish a franchise and erect poles. The Citizens Telephone Company was not interested and the citizens were reportedly satisfied with their local service. Bell modified its proposal to operate a long distance station. In February 1906, a twenty-five year franchise was granted to Citizens Telephone Company for use of streets and alleys for poles, wires and operation of a switchboard to provide local and long distance service. In March 1906, system enhancements were begun and the switchboards relocated.
In 1907, a conflict between rural customers and the local company over rate increases and access limitations resulted in some 75-80 rural subscribers making an offer to purchase Citizens Telephone Company’s old system. The organization, incorporation, and transfer were to be made on April 1, 1908 and the company was later to be known as the Peoples Xo-operative Telephone Company. Controlling interest was sold in 1929 to A. J. Roberts of Kansas City. The system became the United Corporation. In January 1936, the Public Services Commission authorized the sale of United Corporation to United Telephone Companies, Inc. The company grew and in 1957 work began to install a dial system. With the implementation of the dial system on November 19, 1957, the local switchboard operator faded into history. The system was next enhanced to implement digital dialing, known as touch tone service.
In 1972, United Telephone Company announced plans to construct a new building and install electronic switching equipment, carrier systems, new cable and conduit. In February 1974, United Telephone applied for and was granted approval by the Public Service Commission to establish Extended Area Service between Jamestown and Danville, Indiana (Hendricks County) and Lebanon, Indiana. The new switching system went into service on March 4, 1974 and the telephone building was moved to its present location in May 1974. Jamestown’s local billing office operations were phased out in the early 1980s. The local maintenance operations and the switching center still operate in Jamestown. In addition to Jamestown, the communities of Advance and North Salem are serviced out of Jamestown; the old telephone building was sold in late 1979.
In early 1992, Sprint made a total buyout of United Telephone, a long distance service provider. In mid-year of 2006, Sprint was purchased by Embarq.
Jamestown’s local calling area includes Bainbridge, Danville, and Lizton in northwest Hendricks County New Ross and Roachdale in southeast Montgomery County Lebanon and Thorntown in central and northwest Bone County. The Advance (Boone County) and North Salem (Hendricks County) and surrounding rural communities are part of the local 676 calling exchange.
On February 1, 1997, the Jamestown area code along with those of other central Indiana counties was changed from 317 to 765. This change was necessitated by the continued growth in telecommunications and telephone number demand for pagers, multi-lines, computer lines, home offices, cellular phones and fax machines. The phase in of this change must be completed by May 1, 1997.
Water:
The Jamestown Water Works Company was formed in 1908. Thirty-two years after the Company’s formation the Jamestown Municipal Waterworks was completed in 1940. After thirty-two years of disappointing setbacks, work on drilling the wells, laying water lines and erection of a water tower began in 1939 and customers were being added daily.
By 1950 the town began to experience problems with fluctuation in the water supply and efforts were undertaken to resolve the problem. In June 1955 a contract in the amount of $28,400 was let to lay a line along US 136 from the city limits to the farm where the well was located. The new facility went into operation in July 1956 and solved Jamestown’s water problems.