The Bell Telephone Company, a common law joint stock company, is organized in Boston, Massachusetts on July 9, 1877 by Alexander Graham Bell's father-in-law Gardiner Greene Hubbard, who also helps organize a sister company — the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company.

The Bell Telephone Company is started on the basis of holding "potentially valuable patents", principally Bell's master telephone patent #174465.

The two companies merge on February 17, 1879 to form two new entities, the National Bell Telephone Company of Boston, and the International Bell Telephone Company, soon-after established by Hubbard and which is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

Theodore Vail then takes over its operations at that point, becoming a central figure in its rapid growth and commercial success.The National Bell Telephone Company subsequently merges with others on March 20, 1880 to form the American Bell Telephone Company, also of Boston, Massachusetts.

Upon its inception, the Bell Telephone Company is organized with Hubbard as "trustee", although he is additionally its de facto president, since he also controls his daughter's shares by power of attorney, and with Thomas Sanders, its principal financial backer, as treasurer.

The American Bell Telephone Company will later evolve into the American Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T), at times the world's largest telephone company.