This story began in late 1987. I was in Pipestone, Minnesota, trying to learn the trade of a meat cutter. One day, just for something to do, I went to their fine museum. What I saw there made my jaw drop!

On display was one of the most beautiful white porcelain insulators I had seen in my life! Immediately I summoned the curator and asked who had donated the insulator and if the person was still alive --- a reasonable question since the date on the insulator was 1916!

"Yes, there is a God!" The person who donated this pieces was alive and lived not far away. The very next day I summoned my courage and paid the old gent and his wife a visit. There were a true "Norman Rockwell couple." They lived on a pretty little farm which was spotless and complete with a freshly painted red barn.

The gentleman had been a lineman for the Ruthton Telephone company until 1950 when the open wire lines came down and went to cable. The Ruthton Company still exists as part of Minnesota Bell Telephone Company. We visited for an hour or two. Finally, the fateful moment would arrive when I would ask him if he would sell me the Folstad. He said, "Yes. How much is it worth?"

"I really don't know," I said. He got a thoughtful look on his face and I was sure he was going to "soak" me for all I was worth! 

"Is a $1.50 too much??" Needless to say, I shelled that out right away. Almost in tears I left that farm. I couldn't believe my luck! I had just pulled off the impossible. From our conversation, I learned the following:

There are only 5 of these insulators left anywhere. I have one, the inventor's son has one, the Pipestone Museum has one and two other collectors somewhere have one each.

The Farmer's Co-op Telephone Company was started by the Currant Lake Store in 1906. The exchange was sold to the Folstad Brothers and the Farmer's Co-op went broke and became the Currant Lake Telephone Company. Alfred Folstad purchased the Currant Lake Telephone Company from A.L. Folstad and M. Hjermstad and moved the exchange to Ruthton. Almer Folstad and a young man by the name of Woodgate were the first linemen. Almer Folstad rose to the presidency of the Ruthton Telephone Company, retiring in 1950. His son lives somewhere in Minnesota.

I would dearly like to talk to him or converse by letter to learn more about his father. I still have the following questions:

Was this insulator ever produced in glass as the patent suggests?

Why so much trouble with line breaks?

Is this the "perfect" insulator? I know that Almer Folstad was in search of such an insulator.

Does Almer J. Folstad have any other patents which he filed? 

These insulators were used only on the Ruthton line.

Somewhere in the genera! vicinity there is a large stash of Folstads buried. 

The reason for this insulator was to eliminate tie-wire breakage. Apparently Minnesota winters are hard on telephone lines.

If any collector out there owns the other two Folstad insulators or knows of Almer Folstad's son, please contact me. I need more facts about the family and the insulator. Maybe you have a photograph of Almer? Folstad may just rank among the great insulator designers -- Cauvet, Hemingray and Brookfield. His design was simple and very effective, functional and beautiful. In short, a "work of art." 

Elton Gish supplied me with the patent information which follows: