Palermo Telephone System
Description
- Media Type
- Image
- Text
- Item Type
- Clippings
- Description
- Newspaper photo illustrating the old-fashioned telephones used in Palermo.
Further Information:
An October 1960 "Trafalgar Day Special" insert in the local newspaper, Trafalgar Journal - The Home Newspaper of Oakville and Trafalgar" has a major item on the installation, mechanics and area history of the telephone coming into the Palermo, Merton, Bronte and Oakville areas. The Trafalgar Township Historical Association has the print newspaper in their archives.
The article includes a photograph of "Early Bronte Staff...Plus Pot-Bellied Stove" and one of the "Pioneer Line Crew...Hooking Up Palermo Talkboxes". The article is entitled, "Bell's "Fool Notion" Arrived Here in 1881 - Palermo Enjoyed First Township Telephones".
Information from this article: The Bell Telephone Company of Canada was formed in 1880, the telephone had been invented in 1874. 1881 saw the line starting in Toronto, along the Dundas Highway through Palermo, Waterdown, Springfield to Hamilton. In Palermo, H.W. Switzer was the Bell agent. Around 1900, L. Hager became the agent, then in 1909 James Dobson was the Bell agent in Palermo. In 1909, the Palermo Telephone Association started, and extended the lines from Bronte village throughout Nelson and Trafalgar Townships servicing 50 subscribers. It was in 1909 that Merton and Trafalgar received their first telephones, and another one besides the Bell long distance office at Palermo was installed. The newspaper article lists the locations: at F.R., H.C. and J.W. Breckon's, at Paul Campbell's, John Hope's, George Peacock's, A. Speers' and L.E. Wrinch's in Merton, at Charles Hall's in Trafalgar, and at the office of Drs. Buck and Mowbray in Palermo.
In 1887, William Busby became agent in Oakville with 8 subscribers. He was also a watchmaker and jeweller on Colborne Street. In 1913, A.A. Busby took it on. The 1887 subscribers were Charles A. Bradbury & Barber business office, Colborne Street ; W.B. Chisholm, Basket Factory, Dundas Street ; Grand Trunk Railway Station, Dundas St. ; Marlatt & Armstrong, Tanners, Colborne St. ; Thos. Reynolds, Wood & Coal Dealer, Colborne St. ; Wm. Reynolds, Pump Works, Colborne St. ; Star Printing & Publishing Office, Colborne St. ; and of course, W. Busby, watchmaker, Colborne. St.
In 1911, Bell purchased the plant of the Palermo Association and took over subscribers. F.W. Mowbray was then President and J.S. Flumerfelt, Secretary, of the company.
W.S. Wood was placed in charge of the Bell's public telephone at Palermo. This phone with the one at Merton became a sub-office of Bronte. Trafalgar's became a sub-office of Oakville.
The Bronte loop had been constructed in 1903 with James Dobson manager of this new long distance office. J. Jay Johnson succeeded Mr. Dobson, then in 1907, Mr. Flumerfelt was appointed local manager. The first private subscribers on the Bronte line were E.M. Curtis and E.F. Osler.
L.M. Bray, also game warden of Halton County,became manager of the long-distance office in Bronte in 1910. Apparently, the switchboard was in a room across from the Bray bedroom with Mrs. Bray at work during the day and Mr. Bray on night duty. Mrs. Bray became manager in 1931 and retired in 51 with more than 40 years of service.
In 1911, the Bell Company of Canada took over the Palermo Telephone Association. - Notes
- Mrs. G.S. Wood was wife of Stanley Wood who had owned and run the Palermo general store. (After Stanley's death, Mac and Myrtle McGill took it over.)
- Inscriptions
- THE CRANK'S STILL USED- When you want to use the telephone in Palermo, there is no twirling of the dial. Rather, there is a dinky little crank at the bottom to turn in order to get the operator. Most telephones are on rural lines with more than one ring. Pictured is Mrs. G.S. Wood talking a customer in the Palermo General Store and post office where she is a part time assistant.
- Date of Original
- ca 1950s
- Subject(s)
- Personal Name(s)
- Mrs. G.S. Wood's own name was Fannie Ethel Wood, called Ethel, nee Popplewell.
- Local identifier
- OIKW0174
- Geographic Coverage
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Ontario, Canada
Latitude: 43.43341 Longitude: -79.78293
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- Copyright Statement
- Copyright status unknown. Responsibility for determining the copyright status and any use rests exclusively with the user.
- Recommended Citation
- Palermo Telephone System
- Contact
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Trafalgar Township Historical Society Sponsor: Jeff Knoll, Local & Regional Councillor for Oakville Ward 5 – Town of Oakville/Regional Municipality of Halton
