Community Chat

[On It]

I remember the first telephone being installed in my childhood home. It was on a shelf in the hallway leading to our bedrooms. We had a party line that was shared by several households. You quietly picked up the phone and listened before dialing to be sure the line was open. One lady listened to everybody's calls. On occasion an operator would interrupt and ask for the line for an emergency call.

The first local broadcast TV station was built and ready to begin broadcasting. We all went to a neighbor's house and stared at this box in the corner of the darkened room. The telecast began, and I remember wondering what was so exciting about that!

[deepwaterdotter]

Some days I feel so old that it might have been 2 tin cans and a length of string.

[candyagain]

My Dad was a gadget-man. We were one of the first around to have a TV. I know one of them was a tiny-screened Philco.

One of my early memories is watching Cecil and Beanie in the living room at a little table eating a sandwich and drinking milk out of a plastic cowboy mug.

Later on I remember Howdy Doody's scary (to me at the time) storyline with Phineas T. Bluster and Princes Summer-Winter-Spring & Fall. I had a marionette of the princess. I also remember the Little Miss Sunshine Sunshine bread commercials. (My edit: Sunbeam bread -- maybe she was Little Miss Sunbeam?) I wanted to be her at the time.

[tansy]

I have vague memories of drinking milk to commands of green light/red light.  Maybe Sheriff Bill?

[Sooner]

This question varies wildely due to where you lived.  

[SilleeMee]

We were the first on our block to have a microwave oven...the original Radar Range by Amana. Boy was that ever a learning experience...LOL!!

[QVCkitty1]

I remember when I was a kid my aunt worked in the local phone company, it was early days when the ladies could listen in on conversations. They knew all of the local gossip, it's kind of horrifying when you think about it.

[1Snickers]

 We had a party line with my grandmother who lived next door. my mother would time my calls so it wouldn't hold the phone line up. 
  Long distance calls cost extra and we only did that in an emergency. 
  The first T V I saw was in an appliance store down the street. Neighbors and kids went after dinner to see Truth or Consequences. And the chilling horror program Lights out. 
I liked Howdy Doody. We took toss pillows and sat on the floor. 
   Soon all the husbands grew tired of their families leaving and bought them a T V!

    📞 ⏳ 📺 

[FastDogWalker2]

I remember when my Mom got a dishwasher-it was such a cool thing back in the day!  It was on wheels and "lived" in a corner of the kitchen. When it was time to run it, you had to roll it over to the kitchen sink and attach a hose to the faucet. My Mom was thrilled 😊

[threecees]

I was thrilled when we got our first v.c.r. in the early 80's. I loved

coming home from school and watching my soaps.