When you walked up to a phone both, and the cash box was broken open, or the cord to the handset was ripped loose from the instrument, or the glass was broken - good sign that it was no longer economically feasible to maintain the service at that location.
Fiscal prudence dictated its demise, along with the ubiquitous portable phone, no longer the size or weight of a cinder block. The cell network made that innovation even more desirable in the eyes of many, and virtually destroyed the entire landline network.
virtually destroyed the entire landline network.
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I recently cut down four telephone poles for landline wires that used to come off the state road down into my farmhouse. Took the wire to a metal recycling operation and made fence posts out the poles.
I still have my land line phone and no cell. When I am out of touch I wish to be out of touch. I do not want to hear, “Why didn’t you answer your phone?”