Editing McClure, Ohio (section)

==History==
McClure was laid out in the late 1870s, and named after John McClure, an original owner of the town site.<ref>{{cite book|last=Overman|first=William Daniel|title=Ohio Town Names|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015015361465;view=1up;seq=95|year=1958|publisher=Atlantic Press|location=Akron, OH|page=79}}</ref>

In the 1960s and the first half of the 1970s, McClure had the distinction of being the last place in Ohio with a [[telephone switchboard|manual telephone system]]. Since the installation of the first telephone system in the 1890s, by [[Ohio Bell|The Ohio Bell Telephone Co.]], residents used the same method to signal their town's operator; they turned a crank on their phone.  The operator in most cases knew their voice or knew the person being called.

When [[Ohio Bell]] refused to run lines to McClure's rural residents, they formed a separate company, with volunteer labor used to build lines connecting the residents. The new company in 1908 bought the Bell equipment, and in 1909 changed its name to the Citizens Mutual Telephone Co.<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.mccluretelephone.com/about-us/ |title=About Us - McClure |publisher=McClure Telephone |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref>  Long Distance calls were routed via Bell System equipment in [[Napoleon, Ohio|Napoleon]] to the toll center in [[Maumee, Ohio|Maumee]], and onward.

In the 1940s, the company opened a five-circuit toll line to [[Bowling Green, Ohio|Bowling Green]], replacing the two-line circuit to Napoleon for long distance traffic.<ref name=autogenerated1 /> In the 1960s, realizing the need to modernize, the Citizens board began to consider selling the company.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=_SlPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=9AEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5717,1651565&dq=mcclure+telephone&hl=en |title=Final Bell to Ring for Good, Old Phones |newspaper=Toledo Blade |date=December 15, 1969 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref> In February 1968, members of the Citizens Mutual Co. circulated a ballot asking members if they wished to modernize their system.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=5cROAAAAIBAJ&sjid=mAEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5332%2C3766850 |title=Magneto Phone Firm in McClure Slates Vote on Whether to Sell |newspaper=Toledo Blade |date=February 9, 1968 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref> In late 1969, the Citizen's Mutual board voted to be acquired by Otto Miller of Liberty Center.<ref name=autogenerated1 /><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=LClPAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tgEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6661,746558&dq=mcclure+telephone&hl=en |title=Phone Company in McClure is Sold; Magnet Switchboard Use to End |newspaper=Toledo Blade |date=January 3, 1970 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref> Otto Miller renamed the company to its present name:  McClure Telephone Company.

The Ohio Public Utilities Commission approved the $100,000 sale in August 1971.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19710827&id=N_JOAAAAIBAJ&sjid=2QEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=3636,4390906 |title=PUCO OK's Sale of McClure Phone System, Last Magneto-Run in Ohio |newspaper=Toledo Blade|date=August 27, 1971 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref> The company spent the next several years building a new central office and running new lines to its nearly 500 subscribers.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1350&dat=19741226&id=z8gwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=LQIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5135,4811256 |title= McClure Still Using Magneto Phones, But Awaiting Day System Goes Dial|newspaper=Toledo Blade |date=December 26, 1974 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=BHEUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=-AEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=6272,103986&dq=mcclure+telephone&hl=en |title=McClure Still Waiting for Goodbye to Central |newspaper=Toledo Blade |date=February 5, 1973 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref> In November 1975, McClure residents at last gave up their hand-cranked magneto telephones.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Ag9PAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QgIEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4956,3263270&dq=mcclure+telephone&hl=en |title=McClure Gets Rid Of All the Cranks Sunday |newspaper=Toledo Blade |date=November 14, 1975 |access-date=June 11, 2013}}</ref>