Telephone service came to Lafayette in July 1903, with M.F. Madison as owner and manager of the private company. Three years later, 112 Lafayette residents had phone service and a corps of operators, or Hello Girls, provided a critical link to the world outside. By 1910, most everyone could call the local operator for the correct time, weather predictions or to find out who was downtown. In 1921, the operators proved their muster when an afternoon cloudburst sent six feet of water rushing through town. Marooned tourists and worried out-of-town relatives kept the Lafayette Telephone Exchange hot for hours after the deluge.