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Wlaf1450By CHARLIE HUTSON
LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF)- More than 65 years ago, during the Saturday night and early Sunday morning shift on February 18 and 19, 1961 , marked the end of the local telephone operators.
Lafollette was moving into modern times with rotary dial telephones. This signaled the end of an era for the local telephone service, because since the beginning of telephone service in the area, there had been operators.
Lafollette Telephone operators at that time were Joyce Roberts, Pauline Lawson, Betty Jo Huddleston, Donna McCullah, Anna Lou Smith, Katie Vandergrift, Evelyn Bailey, Kathleen Baker, Barbara Vermillion, Jewell Mattie, Faye Golden, Nancy Shelton, Loriene Gregory, Atlene Grant, Betty Jo Cotton, Magdalene Walls, Loretta Branan and Bobby Henegar.
The telephone switchboard center was on the second floor of the building where Seven Loaves Restaurant is today and was once home to Bowman Jewelers. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED-08/27/2026-6AM)