Walpole Historical Society

Walpole Historical Society A welcoming place to Foster Community Engagement, Share Knowledge and Encourage Historical Connection.

Hope to see you Saturday!
06/12/2026

Hope to see you Saturday!

05/27/2026

Hey, trivia fans! Meet us at the Walpole Public Library tonight at 7 and try your hand at Walpole Trivia and try to win a treat from a longtime Walple business. See you there!

The First Telephones and Electric Lighting in Walpole Massachusetts Please join us on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 7 pm i...
03/27/2026

The First Telephones and Electric Lighting in Walpole Massachusetts

Please join us on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 7 pm in the Common Room of the Walpole Public Library for a lecture by Betsey Dexter Dyer.

This year (2026) is the 150th anniversary of the invention of the telephone. And it is the 146th anniversary of the first telephones in Walpole, Massachusetts.

Who in Walpole, a small town of 2500 people (in 1880), were the first adopters of a new invention...the telephone? And why would they suddenly feel they needed one? Telephones are so ubiquitous and taken for granted now that it is difficult for us to imagine being without them for any length of time. But what did the very early transition look like, at a time when telephones were neither commonplace or essential?

And who was the first in Walpole, in the 1890s, to set up an electric generator to power the newly invented long-lasting light bulbs? And then who wanted to have wires extended from that generator into their house in order to replace the reliable kerosene lamps that served well for generations?

This lecture is based on Betsey Dyer’s book for the Walpole Historical Society 'The First Telephones and Electric Lighting in Walpole, Massachusetts'.

We hope to see you there!

Address

33 West Street
Walpole, MA
02081

Opening Hours

1pm - 4pm

Telephone

+17743151292

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