Rheta Locke McGilvray
In 1956 when the Telephone Company moved to a dial system there was no operator to answer personally as had been the case. Rheta McGilvray who had been a night operator became the Dispatcher 24 hours a day for all emergency operations: fire, police, etc. When a call came in, she contacted the appropriate service people (many at that time volunteers). Mrs. McGilvray, mother of 7 children, born in 1904 did this from her home at 5 Broad Street. According to H. Hildreth, Rheta was a clever, hard worker, the Valedictorian in her class and a good friend and fellow worker in Girl Scouts with Irene West who was a classmate. This photo hangs at the Always Ready Engine House as a tribute to Rheta who saved the day in calling the firemen to many fires.