Diamond State Telephone Company
company · active 1903– at Ocean City
The Bell operating company for Delaware and the lower Eastern Shore. In January 1903 it bought the lines, rights of way, franchises and equipment of the Sinepuxent Telephone Company — principally owned by L. L. Dirickson of Berlin — which connected Berlin, Snow Hill and Ocean City with Ironshire, Newark, Bishopville, Showell's, Selbyville, Grey's Corner and Campbelltown. It already had a Salisbury–Berlin–Ocean City line of its own, and by late May had rebuilt the whole route with new poles and two pairs of wire, iron for local traffic and copper for long distance, new rates effective 1 June. A new line north from Berlin to Georgetown, Del., tapped the trunk and put Ocean City through to Wilmington, Philadelphia and New York without going by way of Salisbury. The purchase gave Diamond State every telephone line on the peninsula except at Princess Anne and Pocomoke City.
In the record (2)
1903 · 1903-01-10
The Diamond State Telephone Company buys out the Sinepuxent Telephone Company in January 1903 and by June has rebuilt the Salisbury–Berlin–Ocean City line in copper, with private long-distance calling.
Democratic Messenger, 10 January 1903: "The Diamond State Telephone Company Tuesday last bought the lines, rights of way, franchises and equipment of [the Sinepuxent] Telephone Company. [The] Company has its main office in [Berlin] and its lines connect with Snow Hill and Ocean City, taking in Ironshire, Newark, Bishopville, Showell's, Selbyville, Grey's Corner, Campbelltown. The Diamond State Company has already a line built from Salisbury to Ocean City, running through Berlin. A new line will be built north from Berlin to Georgetown, Del., where the main trunk line will be tapped. This will carry the long distance business from Snow Hill, Berlin, Ocean City and other points on the line direct through Georgetown, instead of through Salisbury. The Sinepuxent Company was owned principally by L. L. Dirickson of Berlin." By 23 May the rebuild was done: "New poles have been erected throughout and two pair of wires have been put up; one pair of iron wires to handle the local business... and one pair of copper wires for through long-distance calls... This will make the service through this section sure, prompt and efficient, and will do away with the annoyance of cross talk and listening on the line, thus insuring a private conversation with the party at the other end. New rates between Salisbury, Berlin, Ocean City, Snow Hill and intermediate points will go into effect on June 1st."
The first thing Ocean City got out of the Bell system was the ability to stop the neighbours listening.
Source · checked 2026-08-06
1928 · 1928-03-16
Ocean City is on the 1928 list of Maryland long-distance telephone trunks to be built — Ocean City to Salisbury and to Snow Hill.
Midland Journal (Rising Sun, Md.), 16 March 1928, reporting the year's telephone construction programme: the trunks to be laid include "Baltimore and Salisbury, Salisbury and Washington, Baltimore and Onancock, Cecilton and Elkton, Centerville and Chestertown, Easton and Federalsburg, Ocean City and Salisbury and Snow Hill, Annapolis and Washington and Centreville and Easton. In constructing this network of telephone toll lines it is necessary to place 196 poles, 6,800 crossarms, and 1,000 miles of wire."
The resort had had a telephone since the 1890s, through the Sinepuxent Telephone Company and then Diamond State. What 1928 adds is trunk capacity — the difference between being able to telephone Berlin and being able to telephone Baltimore in season. A hotel town that fills and empties by the week needs long distance more than most.
Source · checked 2026-08-06