E. H. Danner Museum of Telephony – San Angelo, Texas
Unless you are interested in the history of the phone you probably have never heard of this museum or know about the history of the things we now carry in our pockets, everyplace we go. Here in San Angelo you have the opportunity to see how it all began.
The museum is housed in one of the first of the five quarters built at Fort Concho so not only will you learn about the telephone you will also have the opportunity to learn about Fort Concho at the same time. The museum is in Officers Quarters #4.
On display are antique instruments and equipment that show how the telephone evolved and the contributions it has made to the people of the world. There are models of telephones from Alexander Graham Bell’s "Gallows Frame Phone" of which there were only 5 ever built. There are also the wood phones (those that used to hang on the wall where you rang the operator to be connected to whomever you were calling.) These were also usually "party" lines which means that you didn’t have the phone line running to your house just for you, your neighbors also used the same line so it could be that when you wanted to use the phone it was already busy with someone else. It also was a great way to find out what everyone on your "party line" was up to and who they were talking to. Privacy wasn’t an issue for most people with this type of phone but it did serve the purpose and was quite an advancement in technology.
There are also the push-button phones of the 1880′s, the rotary dial phones and the present day models. Quite a long journey from the first, really basic phone, to the phones of today.
Hours:
Tuesday-Saturday 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.; Sunday 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Location: 630 S. Oakes St
Officers’ Quarters #4 at Fort Concho
San Angelo, Texas 76903
Got into the site looking for information on E. H. Danner….I am married to a Danner (Rebecca Lynn) and we are looking into the Danner branch of geneology to find more relatives or distant relatives….We have in our possession four volumes of “The Getzendanner Family ( which is really the main name of any Danner or Tanner etc.) I will look into those books to see if that particular Danner is listed on these books that we have….it has listings for many Danners, some who live in Australia…it will be interesting to be able to research E. H. Danners name……….