Alan Drew's book : Honoring the Evolution and Importance of One of the Nation's Toughest, Most Admired Professions" has over 500 photos and illustrations.
Songwriter Jimmy Webb noticed a solitary lineman atop a pole while driving through southwestern Oklahoma. He once called the image "the picture of loneliness." Although Webb's lineman no doubt worked on a telephone pole, the sentiment still works.
They traveled from city to city, making a good living and returning home between jobs.
Between the 1890 and the 1930, line work was considered extremely hazardous. Labor organizations eventually formed to represent the workers and advocate for their safety.
The introduction of telegraph lines on trees and poles for long-distance communication created the need for linemen.
