In February of 1951, more than 400 farmers from Ramsey, Towner, Cavalier, Nelson, and Benson counties met in Devils Lake, ND to discuss forming a rural telephone cooperative. An 11-man organizing committee was elected. The organizing committee met again April 6, 1951, at the county agent's office in Devils Lake and decided on the name United Telephone Cooperative. The committee also made plans to submit a loan request for $3,750,000 to the Rural Electrification Administration. Representatives of the proposed cooperative met in Jamestown, ND July 11th and 12th, 1951 with representatives of similar organizations to discuss service territories.
