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Our
History |
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Celebrating
More than 100 years of service
The Hancock telephone Company was incorporated
more than 100 years ago when local visionaries
joined ranks and built an independent link to
the telephone empire. Today, as one of the few
remaining independently owned telecommunications
companies in the region, Hancock Telephone provides
the latest in digital technology to more than
2,000 customers located in New York and Pennsylvania.
Owners Bob and Don Wrighter, as well as all of
the employees, take great pride in celebrating
the promise of our future by reflecting on our
past.
1901: On May
4th, original owner Chester B. May holds a meeting
for the purpose of organizing a stock company;
officers and directors were elected as follows:
| Chairman |
: |
Samuel
N. Wheeler |
| Secretary |
: |
Herbert
W. Wagner |
| Officers |
: |
Chester
B. May, President; Bernard J. Bussman, Vice-President;
Herbert W. Wagner, Secretary; Samuel N.
Wheeler, Treasurer; Edmund J. Cotter, Manager |
| Directors |
: |
Samuel
N. Wheeler, Chester B. May, Bernard J. Bussman,
Austin D. Johnston, Clayton L. Wheeler,
Edmund J. Cotter, Herbert W. Wagner |
On May 31st that same year, the Hancock Telephone
Company incorporates in New York State.
1902: William
Busfield joins the company
1904: The
"Central" (switchboard) moves from the S.N. Wheeler
store to the upstairs of the Hancock Herald building.
1914: Robert
W. Busfield becomes President and General Manager.
1931: The
Telephone Company purchases Shehawken Hose Company
and locates the central office upstairs.
1942 - 1955:
Mae Busfield holds the office of President
1942 - 1974:
Grace Barbara Busfield Wrighter holds the office
of Secretary.
1955 - 1974:
Gail W. Wrighter, Sr. holds the office of President
and General Manager.
1955: The
Company upgrades the equipment from magneto (telephone
crank dialing) to rotary dialing with the installation
of a Strowager Step-By-Step switch, introducing
direct long-distance dialing; the operators "retire".
1971: Hancock
becomes the first independent telephone company
in the United States to install an electro-mechanical
computerized switch.
1974 - 1984:
Grace B. Wrighter becomes President upon the death
of her husband Gail W. Wrighter, Sr. Her son,
Robert C. Wrighter, Sr. becomes Vice-President
and General Manager.
1984 - 1999:
Grace B. Wrighter holds the position as Chairman
of the Board.
1984 - present:
Robert C. Wrighter, Sr. succeeds his mother, Grace
Barbara as President.
1984 - present:
Donald C. Wrighter, Sr. becomes Vice-President
and Treasurer.
1987: The
Company leaves its decades-old location in a renovated
fire hall and moves next door to new headquarters.
They install a state-of-the-art digital switch
manufactured by Northern Telecom, providing custom
calling features and voicemail to the customer
base.
1991: Hancock
offers equal access, allowing customers to choose
their long-distance carriers.
1995: The
Hancock Telephone Company acquires Hancock Video
and Lakewood Cable companies from the Schoonmaker
family on June 26. www.hancockvideo.com
1996: Diversifying
once again, Hancock establishes its subsidiary,
Pronet, providing internet service in Hancock,
Walton, Delhi, Downsville, Owego, and the Binghamton
area. www.pronetisp.net
1998: The
Company installs SS7 (Signaling System 7) technology
in its digital switch and is able to provide CLASS
features: Call ID + Name, Call Return, Busy Redial
and Call Trace.
1999: Pronet
acquires a competitive internet provider, SpectraNet,
and increases its customer base by 2,500.
2000 - present:
Robert C. Wrighter, Sr. becomes Chairman of the
Board and retains his title President; Donald
C. Wrighter, Sr., remains Vice-President and Treasurer.
100 Years and Beyond:
Having remained in the same family since its inception, with two generations working within the company, Hancock Telephone has fourteen full-time employees operating the three entities: telephone, cable and internet. In anticipation of meeting customer demands, we are already planning for the future. With the completion of an extensive construction project for the telephone and cable companies, new fiber optic cable has been deployed, providing us with more bandwidth and the opportunity to introduce faster telephone/data services and expanded cable channel line-ups. And, in an effort to maintain its competitive edge, Pronet continues to upgrade its technology, providing faster connections (DSL) and new services as they become available.
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