Kansas History and Heritage Project-Brown County

Brown County Biographies
From "The Annals of Brown County", Grant Harrington, 1903


C. H. Munsell.

C. H. Munsell, the General Manager of the Northeast Kansas Telephone Co., was born in West Mansfield, Logan County, Ohio August 9, 1855. When he was twelve years old the family moved to Cameron, Mo., and here he grew to manhood. He was in business in Cameron from 1886 to 1889 when he moved to Belleville, Kansas where he was in business until 1893. Becoming interested in the telephone business he procured franchises for a number of Missouri towns Cameron being among them and began to devote his time to this line of work. In the fall of 1895 he came to Hiawatha and being favorably impressed with its surroundings, educational features and other advantages decided to move here. He applied for and secured a telephone franchise and at once commenced work upon an exchange.

The demand for telephone connection had not been felt yet. Mr. Munsell was a pioneer in the field and he found many discouragements in his way, but he pushed resolutely ahead and soon had things in good working order.

The exchange opened for business Jan. 1, 1896 with about sixty subscrlbers. Its growth was rapid. Connection was secured with all the neighboring towns and new subscribers were constantly added. Mr. Munsell built the first toll line in this part of the country operated Independent of the Bell company. There were many obstacles in the way, but by the energy and hustle that characterized him he overcame them and put the business onto a profitable basis. Hiawatha offered splendid advantages as the central office for an extended telephone system and so the business was merged into the Northeast Kansas Telephone Company Feb. 14, 1900, a corporation with a capital stock of $60,000 with Mr. Munsell as General Manager.

The business of this corporation now covers Brown and Doniphan Counties completely and reaches into Atchison County and over into Richardson County, Nebraska. It has nine exchanges and offices in twenty-eight towns and connections with all of the surrounding Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska towns. The business is all handled from Hiawatha and the exchange at this place is one that in completeness, up to date equipments and other facilities would reflect credit on any city in the country. Mr. Munsell was married at Cameron, Mo. Nov. 7, 1877 to Miss Ida B. Cllne. They have eight children: Lula May, wife of Marcy L. Baker, of Horton, Pearl, Clyde E., Frank E , Clyde H. Gladys, Teresa, and Dana. Mr. Munsell is an Odd Fellow, a K. P. and a Woodman.



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