Telephone service came to Laredo in 1884, just eight years after Alexander Graham Bell obtained the first telephone patent. Housed here in the home of Lázaro and Maria del Refugio de la Garza (later the home of the Bruni family), the exchange housed equipment that provided telephone service to both Laredo and Nuevo Laredo. Wires were strung from the roofs of buildings and on trees to connect residences and businesses to the new communication device. By 1924, fifteen switchboard operators provided assistance to more than 2,000 customers. As the business grew and more modern equipment was put into use, the exchange moved to a number of other locations in the downtown area.