what was cost o f  telephone call or service in state of Iowa before
1910? I am interested  in cost from year service was available to say
1910.

Greetings Benbudge:

I have located two references to rates in Iowa before 1910.  It would
seem that the area may have dictated the rates.  I have also included
other links that you may find of interest concerning early Iowa
telephone service.

IOWA - 1905
"In 1905, financial statements showed receipts of $7,024 and expenses
of $6,710. Early records indicate yearly rates were $18/business,
$15/rural, and $12/town."
From "Farmers Mutual Telephone Company" history at
http://www.fmctc.com/fmctcnews/feb99.htm

IOWA - 1909
"Businesses could have their own service for $1.50 per month by 1909.
At this time, there were over 700 telephone exchanges in Iowa. Clear
Lake bustled with activity as the electric interurban carried
passengers from Mason City and the train stations down Main Street to
the lake."
From http://www.cltel.net/HTML/History.html


OTHER LINKS THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST:

IOWA
1908-1910
"In 1908, the telephone office boasted sixty local phones and nine
party lines. The office was located in the bank building, with George
W. Madson in charge and Ada and Edna Huyck as operators. By 1910, the
rates in Hancock County for telephone service were $12.00 per year (if
paid quarterly in advance). Nels Thorson was contacted at Chicago Bell
Telephone in Illinois, arriving in mid-July 1901, when the Norway
Rural Telephone Company was established"
From http://comm1net.net/history.htm
History provided by 
Communications 1 Network, Inc.
P.O. Box 20 105 South Main
Kanawha, IA 50447

IOWA
"Jerry and Alice Bieker were married in 1946, and took residence in
the apartment behind the telephone office, providing night operator
duty. Hired operators were on duty from 8 AM until 10 PM. After hours
only emergency calls were handled. Nearly 200 customers were served
that year at a rate of $1.25 per month. ($1 per month for prompt
payment) Service to Irwin was free, Earling was 25 cents per month. By
1948 the rates were $3 per month. Toll calls were made via a line to
Harlan, where operators would establish connections to the rest of the
country. (this could require minutes to hours before the call was
completed) A typical busy day involved 60 local calls and 10 to 20
long distance calls."
From http://showcase.netins.net/web/defiancetel/history.htm
History of the Defiance Telephone Company, Defiance, Iowa

IOWA
"Roy Alden Atwood explained that rural lines in Iowa were most often
constructed by the farmers themselves, whether they were independent
systems or connected to a switch in a nearby town...He noted that
groups of farmers desiring telephone service would construct and
maintain their own lines and contract with the town exchange for the
necessary exchange or switching services. Such initiatives were
facilitated by the availability of telephone equipment not only from
independent manufacturers, but also through mail order catalogs
distributed by such firms as Sears and Roebuck and Montgomery Ward.
Atwood went on to report that this arrangement benefited both sides
for two reasons: 11  First, the farmer often had the materials and
tools necessary to construct his own line and so could establish his
service with a minimum of time and expense. Second, farmers closer to
the lines could maintain and repair them more quickly than linemen
from town....Iowa was, in turn, a national leader in rural and
independent telephony during the early years of the century. According
to Atwood, "Iowa had more phones on farms and in rural residences than
any other state in the nation by 1917." 12"
From http://www.annenberg.nwu.edu/pubs/speed/speed2.htm
"The Role of Farmer Lines in the Early History of the Telephone
Industry in the United States "

IOWA
The History of Brooklyn Mutual Telephone Company, Brooklyn, Iowa
http://showcase.netins.net/web/brooktelco/history.html

*********

Thank you for the opportunity to answer this very interesting
question.  Should you require any clarification of the links or
information I have provided, please request it before closing and
rating this question and I will be happy to respond.

Best regards,
journalist-ga


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Iowa "telephone service" rates 1905
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Iowa history of telephone service -mobile

very good answer and is helpful