America’s Last Crank Call Made in Maine
New England Legends Podcast
Jeff Belanger
4.8 • 1K Ratings
🗓️ 28 September 2023
⏱️ 20 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In Episode 318 Jeff Belanger and Ray Auger head to Woodstock, Maine, to see the world’s largest telephone on display in Remembrance Park. Back in 1981, Woodstock had the distinction of being home to the last crank phone call made in the United States. This roadside oddity story may just leaving you wonder if your refrigerator is running…
See more here: https://ournewenglandlegends.com/podcast-318-americas-last-crank-call-made-in-maine/
Listen ad-free plus get early access and bonus episodes at: https://www.patreon.com/NewEnglandLegends
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Hey. |
| 0:06.6 | Yeah, we're in a little town called Woodstock, Maine this week. |
| 0:10.5 | Right. |
| 0:11.9 | No, I'll do that for sure when I get home. |
| 0:14.4 | Okay, great. |
| 0:15.8 | Yep, I'll see you tomorrow. |
| 0:17.7 | Love you, too. |
| 0:18.2 | Bye. |
| 0:19.6 | So, wrong number, Ray? |
| 0:38.1 | Yeah, right. Just checking in with a wife. Cell phones, they're so convenient, right? I mean, aren't they? I don't think I can remember life before them, Jeff. It's my camera, my email, my social media, the weather forecast, my podcaster player, and it even makes phone calls. It even makes phone calls. I know. Our phones are everything. |
| 0:43.3 | So anyway, we're in the small town of Woodstock, Maine, searching for a telephone today. |
| 0:45.6 | And I'd say we just found one. |
| 0:47.3 | Pretty much impossible to miss. |
| 0:48.2 | No, you're right. |
| 0:54.5 | That would be the world's largest telephone located right here off of Route 26 in Woodstock. |
| 0:59.9 | So this roadside oddity is about 14 feet tall. It's black. It's one of those old-fashioned phones with a trumpet-like mouthpiece and the listening speaker hangs off to the left. |
| 1:04.6 | There's a handle for turning in front of the base. This monument is why we're here. |
| 1:09.4 | Not just to see this colossal phone, but to come to ground zero for America's, not just New England, but America's very last crank call. |
| 1:24.1 | Hi, I'm Jeff Belanger, and welcome to episode 318 of the New England Legends podcast. |
| 1:29.1 | And I'm Ray Osier. Thank you for joining us on our mission to chronicle every legend in New England one story at a time. |
| 1:34.5 | We're always on the hunt for ghosts, monsters, UFOs, roadside oddities, true crime, and odd history. |
| 1:40.3 | Most of our story leads come from you. |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Jeff Belanger, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of Jeff Belanger and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.