FORWARD
     Upon his resignation as President of the Southeast Telephone
Company of Wisconsin in January 1996, having served in that
capacity for 50 years, Melvin J. Johnson provides herein his
memories and reflections of that period of time. His account of
the early history of the Wind Lake and subsequent Southeast
Telephone Company of Wisconsin is a rich personal series of
recollections of significant milestones in the growth of the
company. Copies of the actual telephone company minutes from
1902 to 1929 are interspersed throughout the booklet and provide
the reader with a factual record of company business activity.
     The narration in this booklet is an unedited transcript as
dictated by Melvin J. Johnson into his tape recorder in January
1996. It was transcribed essentially verbatim so as to keep
intact the conversational tone characteristic of his speech.
Those who read this material who have known and/or worked with
Melvin J. Johnson as a community servant and leader for all his
adult life, will undoubtedly immediately recognize the prose as
his. For those readers who have not had the opportunity to know
Melvin J. Johnson, we hope you can read between the lines as well
as the spoken words to know the depth of his commitment to public
service and the contributions he made to his community.
                                        February 12, 1996
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