A.C. Schriner and D.H. Comparette, Sr., started the Kerrville telephone exchange in 1896 with a handshake and $1,000. The first connection was between two Schreiner wool warehouses, and other businesses soon applied for service. In 1898, lines were extended from Kerrville to Rocksprings, Harper, Junction, and Medina. Many local ranches served as toll stations, a practice that continued until the 1950s. Incorporated in 1907, the Kerrville Telephone Company functioned for over a century as one of the few family owned and operated telephone companies in Texas. (1996)