From a single switchboard above a grocery store in Maitland to one of the largest independent telephone companies in the Southeast — the story of the Winter Park Telephone Company is a story of community, innovation, and the Galloway family.
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How one Texan's idea above a family grocery store became Winter Park's connection to the world.
In 1910, Carl H. Galloway installed a used telephone switchboard above his family's grocery store in Maitland, Florida. A former employer in Texas had sent him ten reconditioned telephones, and Carl wired them into the homes of nine of Maitland's wealthier families — and a local livery stable. Service was free at first, simply to introduce the neighborhood to the idea of placing grocery orders from home.
"By 1911, business had doubled. By 1913, sixty subscribers shared a single-sheet directory."
In 1912, a second switchboard followed in Winter Park's Henkel Building at New England and Park Avenues. By 1915 the operation had a proper name — The Winter Park Telephone Company — and a headquarters on New England Avenue. In 1918, Carl Galloway laid the city's first underground cable, choosing to preserve Winter Park's natural beauty rather than line its streets with poles.
Across the decades that followed, the company became a quiet leader in telecommunications: the first in the Southeast to offer Tel-Tone pushbutton calling in 1966, and the tenth-largest non-Bell telephone company in the United States when it joined the United Telephone System in 1979.
From hand-cranked switchboards to direct-dial pushbutton calling — the moments that shaped the company.
Carl H. Galloway installs his first switchboard above the family grocery store in Maitland, Florida.
A second switchboard opens in Winter Park's Henkel Building at New England and Park Avenues.
The first telephone directory is published — a single sheet of paper with 60 subscriber listings.
The Winter Park Telephone Company is formally established with headquarters on New England Avenue.
Winter Park's first underground cable is laid, preserving the city's natural beauty.
Transition from battery service to rotary dial — direct dialing arrives in Winter Park.
The 10,000th telephone is installed; a new Dial Exchange Building opens on New York Avenue.
Joe Galloway, son of founder Carl, becomes president of the company.
First company in the Southeast to offer "Tel-Tone" pushbutton calling service.
Joe Galloway is elected president of the United States Independent Telephone Association.
The company merges with United Telephone System, later becoming part of Sprint Corporation.
The Galloway family's commitment to Winter Park spans more than a century — and continues today.
Founded the company in 1910
A former telephone-company employee from Texas, Carl saw the potential of bringing service to small-town Florida. He combined a used switchboard from a former employer with ten reconditioned phones to spark an entire industry in Central Florida — and made the visionary decision to bury the city's first cable underground.
President 1959 · Chairman 1967
Carl's son, Joe, returned from Navy service in World War II to help run the company. He guided the transition to rotary dial and pushbutton service, served as president of the U.S. Independent Telephone Association in 1973, and shepherded the company into its 1979 merger.
The Galloway legacy continues through the Joe & Sarah Galloway Foundation, which supports disadvantaged children and families across Central Florida — carrying the family's century of community spirit into a new era.
Photographs and artifacts from a century of telephone service in Central Florida.
Apparel featuring the classic WPT mark — a silk-screened heather tee and a Dickies-cut work shirt with the embroidered patch.
A soft heather-grey cotton tee with the full WPT mark silk-screened center-chest in olive, teal, and navy. Vintage colorway, modern fit, built to wear in.
A grey Dickies-cut button-up work shirt with the full WPT patch embroidered on the left chest. Heavy twill, two-pocket front, built like the shirts the line crews actually wore.
A note on availability: these heritage pieces are shown here as concepts. They aren't currently in production — when they are, ordering information will appear here.
Experience the evolution of telecommunications at the Telephone Museum in Maitland, Florida — interactive exhibits, vintage equipment, and the story of the Winter Park Telephone Company.
221 W. Packwood Avenue
Maitland, FL 32751
Tuesday – Sunday
12:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Art & History Museums — Maitland
Trusted archives where you can read more about Winter Park's telephone history.
