08/26/2026
Before smartphones, before car phones, and before the breakup of Ma Bell - there were small Independent Telephone Companies bringing telephone service to communities across America—including Centerton.
Exactly when telephone service first arrived in Centerton isn't clear. But - whenever it started, the history of Centerton's telephone service became closely connected with the Steepro family.
In 2000, the Benton County Historical Society was fortunate to receive this story from Esther Steepro, a woman who had spent much of her life in the telephone business. And, it seems fitting to begin this retelling with some details about this remarkable lady.
Esther Minick Steepro was born in Kansas in 1913. She met Glenn Steepro when she was just 15 years old, and the two married in December 1932, during the middle of the Great Depression.
Like many young couples of the time, they took whatever work they could find. Then, in 1935, Glenn (who was known for his mechanical ability) heard about an opportunity at the Buckeye telephone exchange near Abilene, Kansas. And soon, Glenn and Esther were operating an exchange serving 150 customers and earning $80 a month (a good income in 1935).
Until sometime in the spring of 1938, when a telephone supply salesman told the couple that the telephone exchange in Centerton, Arkansas, might be available. The Steepros came to visit that August—and liked what they found.
By October 1938, Glenn and Esther had purchased the Centerton telephone exchange and the house that came with it. The front room of their new home served as the telephone office. (The photograph shown here captures the Steepro family exploring Centerton in August 1939.)
At the time, the Centerton exchange served about 100 customers, including subscribers near Vaughn and in the Miller community near Hiwasse.
The system operated on a 40-drop switchboard, capable of handling up to 40 customers at one time. The exchange was open from early morning until about 10:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
But emergencies don't always happen during business hours. If an emergency call came in during the night, Esther would get up and operate the switchboard.
Many of the exchange's customers were farmers connected by single-strand telephone lines stretching back to the Centerton exchange. Glenn stayed busy installing new connections, repairing and maintaining lines, and even delivering the monthly bills by hand.
But not every customer paid with cash. According to Esther, some subscribers paid their telephone bills with apples or chickens, and the family was thankful for the food.
As the Steepro daughters grew older, they learned the telephone numbers simply by watching their mother work the switchboard. One of the photographs shows Wava Steepro operating the Centerton switchboard in 1961. Another shows the stone building constructed by the Steepro family in 1948 specifically to house the growing telephone exchange. Originally, the building was connected directly to the family's living room.
It's difficult to imagine today, but for decades, the telephone system serving Centerton was not hidden behind a screen, automated network, or wireless signal. It was maintained by hand, and operated by people who knew their customers (who sometimes paid their bills in chickens).
Sources:
-"An Early Telecommunications Pioneer: The Centerton Telephone Company," The Benton County Pioneer, Volume 45, Number 4, Fourth Quarter 2000
-"Images of the Centerton Telephone Company and the Steepro Family," courtesy of Esther Steepro, The Benton County Pioneer, Volume 45, Number 4, Fourth Quarter 2000
-Wikipedia, "Independent Telephone Company"
-Arkansas Gravestones website entries for Esther and Glenn Steepro
