What’s Going On Here?

1. Telephones boomed in popularity in the early 1900s. Calls were connected through lines of wire, mostly strung between tall poles.

2. During World War I (1914-1918), the U.S. Army set up a program to train college students as soldiers, mechanics, electricians, and more.

3. These Michigan students (above) learned a trade that was critical for the Army’s communication networks—and for phone-loving Americans.

These soldiers-in-training may look like they were auditioning for a circus act, but they were actually learning how to be linemen, or telephone pole climbers, at the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The Students’ Army Training Corps trained men to be linemen to help support military communication during World War I (1914-1918). At the beginning of the 20th century, the use of telephones was booming. Back then, people received calls through physical lines of wire, most of which were strung between by wooden telephone poles.

Linemen installed, maintained, and repaired telephone lines to support rapidly expanding communication networks across the United States and the world. To reach the raised lines, they had to climb the poles using ropes and ladders. They also wore metal climbing spikes on their lower legs, which allowed them to cling to the wood as they worked.

Starting in the 1950s, telephone technicians began using trucks with lifts to reach telephone lines. This greatly improved on-the-job safety and efficiency. Today many telephone lines and other utility lines are buried underground. No climbing needed! 

—Brooke Ross