History

of

The Flyger exchange

 

      One question I get asked at least a couple times a month is: "Where is the town of Flyger?"  or "Why is there a phone line named Flyger?"

     Years ago when the crank telephone systems were being used, there was a group of farmers in the Turkey Ridge and Spring Valley areas of Turner County, South Dakota who decided they should have telephone service in the country just like town people had.  These pioneering Scandinavians brought from the old country a great cooperative spirit.

      These farmers formed their own telephone cooperative and the switchboard was set up in the living room of Fred and Lillian Flyger.    Aunt Lillian faithfully manned  the switchboard day and night.   When she couldn't be there a girl was hired to help out.   When she would answer the calls that came into the switchboard she would say, "FLYGER CENTRAL !"    So the name stuck and that line became known as the Flyger Exchange.

      The "FLYGER LINE" was truly a cooperative effort and was actually the beginning of what was to become Dakota Cooperative Telephone Company which for many years faithfully served many communities in southeastern South Dakota.

      Since the "FLYGER EXCHANGE"  served a rural area with no actual municipalities within its service area, the name FLYGER has continued to be used for the South Dakota line with a 327 prefix. This exchange continues to serve the area from a few miles northwest of Irene, SD to a few miles southeast of Freeman, SD. 

       I have done some research and found that the Flyger Exchange continues to be the only telephone exchange in the state of South Dakota that does not have a geographic "town" to go with it.  So if you're looking to buy property in "FLYGER"  you won't find the place on the maps because it never existed.

 

 

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