During the 1950s and 60s, AT&T erected tons of microwave relay towers throughout the United States. They were part of the Long Lines network, a transcontinental telecommunications system. Today, the towers’ imposing presence persists: its antennas have been removed, but one looks over a neighborhood just outside Frankfort.
The tower in Frankfort appears to have been built in 19601. It stands 303 feet tall2. Unlike many, it served as a hub of sorts and relayed signals to three other towers: one nineteen miles south in Lebanon, another twenty-two miles northwest in Lafayette, and a third thirteen miles northeast near Burlington3. Unfortunately, the tower has been stripped of its horn antennae.
After the Long Lines program ended, the Frankfort tower was sold in 20024. Today, it’s operated by TWN Communications5.
Sources Cited
1 Parcel 12-06-35-329-001.000-018 (2024). Office of the Assessor. Clinton County [Frankfort]. Web. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
2 Transmitter Characteristics (n.d.). Antennasearch. Web. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
3 Long Lines Map and Information (n.d.). Web. Map. Retrieved November 14, 2023.
4 (See footnote 1).
5 (See footnote 2).
