Telephones come to Rosseau in 1908
Thursday, September 9th, 1976
The turn of the century foresaw many changes in our way of life. In Rosseau, it also introduced a relatively new method of communication— the telephone.
About 1900, the only way of reaching the outside world quickly from Rosseau was by telegraph. It was the initiative of the three Coate brothers that brought the first telephone line to the village.
They built a single private line connecting the telegraph office with each of their residences. In this way, business messages could be relayed by telephone instead of requiring a special trip to deliver the information at the telegraph office.
It was not until 1908 that the Bell Telephone Company of Canada entered this area. On August 18th, 1908, C. V. Shaw was appointed local manager for Rosseau and arrangements were made to open the telephone exchange.
For several years, there were only two listings for Rosseau in the telephone directories—the Bell office and Monteith House. However, by 1911, the number had increased to eight, and the directory for September of that year showed the names of A.J. Clements, C.
B.	Coate, F. S. Coate, P. S. Coate, Dr. S. A. Foote, A. J. Hall and Monteith House. J.
C.	Little had become the local manager the previous year.
Early in 1917 the Rosseau Independent Telephone System was organized under the ownership - and management of J. R. Bell, and began to take care of the telephone needs of the
community. It consisted of a number of party lines running through part of Humphrey and Cardwell townships with some new individual lines in the village.
There were 58 subscribers listed under the Rosseau Independent Telephone System in the April 1917 directory. The majority lived in Rosseau itself, though some were in Turtle Lake, Bent River, Maple Lake and Humphrey.
J. R. Bell continued to operate the Rosseau Independent Telephone System until 1922, when he sold it to a group of subscribers forming the Humphrey Municipal Telephone System.
Early in 1922, a petition was presented to the Council of the Township of Humphrey requesting the formation of the Humphrey Municipal Telephone System. On June 12,1922, a meeting in the town hall was called for subscribers and others interested in the transfer of the Rosseau Independent Telephone System to a group of subscribers.
Then on October 14th, 1922, after several meetings of subscribers, a Board of Commissioners was appointed to control and manage the newly-formed Humphrey Municipal Telephone System.
About this time, a second independent telephone company, known as the Christie Municipal Telephone System, began operating in *<the nearbycommunity of Orrville. In 1923, a telephone line was built between Rosseau and Orrville, and an
arrangement made between the Christie and Humphrey systems providing for a free interchange of calls. Customers in Orrville could also make use of the Bell's long distance lines through their connection with Rosseau's central office.
In turn, a smaller telephone system, the Spence-Monteith Company Limited, was formed at Inholmes in 1923, and connected with the Christie Municipal Telephone
System.
When the Humphrey Municipal Telephone System began operation, the switchboard was located in J. R. Bell's home. However, in 1932, a building was purchased in the village on the west side of the Parry Sound road for the central office. It was also the lineman's residence.
In 1960, Bell Canada purchased the entire Humphrey Telephone System and on May 15th of that year, the manual system in Rosseau
was converted to dial operation.
Telephone subscribers in Rosseau were assigned new telephone numbers when all-number-calling (seven digits) became effective in 1962.
Direct Distance Dialing, introduced in Rosseau in 1966, permitted telephone subscribers to dial their own long distance calls.
Rosseau's 500th telephone was installed in 1967.
As of December 31st, 1975, there were 964 telephones in service in Rosseau.
Elected representatives send congratulations
It is a pleasure to wish one of the oldest settlement areas in the district of Parry Sound congratulations on their 50th anniversary of incorporation.
I have a personal affinity for Rosseau in that my grandmother travelled from the Village of Rosseau by ox-cart up the old Nipissing Road, many years before the incorporation.
I send to the Village of Rosseau my sincere wishes for a future of healthy growth and prosperity built on these 50 plus years, as an active community.
Lorne Maeck, M.P.P.
Parry Sound. \
It is a privilege and a pleasure to extend greetings and congratulations to the Village of Rosseau and its citizens on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Village's incorporation.
Rosseau is known far and wide as a great tourist centre. Many of our summer residents have been coming to Rosseau for three and four generations and consider it their second home.
I trust many of the former residents Will come back home to join in the celebrations on this very happy occasion.
Stan Darling, M.P., Parry Sound-Muskoka.