Images of the Past

JLW Zietlow - South Dakota Telephone Pioneer

Clip | 10m 25s

JLW Zietlow was a leader in the early days of telephone communication. He came to Dakota Territory in the 1880s, established a phone company in Aberdeen, and by the 1900s, led one of the nation's largest regional telephone companies. Zietlow's innovations in hardware and system engineering made him a worthy rival and competetive threat to the massive Bell system of the day.

Aired: 01/26/18 | Rating: TV-G

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