Modern life without mobile phones is almost unimaginable. These devices allow us to call loved ones worldwide, watch videos, and much more. However, for Toronto’s early residents, the telephone was a novel and even frightening invention.
As telephony made its way to Toronto, people began to recognize the telephone’s usefulness. Learn more about where Torontonians were calling and the city’s first telephone company at toronto-future.com.
Getting Acquainted with Telephones
A groundbreaking event for the world occurred on March 10, 1876, when Alexander Graham Bell made the first successful telephone call to his assistant, Thomas Watson. From that moment, telephony began to flourish.
On April 1, 1879, Toronto’s first telephone directory was published. It listed people who could be contacted via telephone and was printed by the city’s first telephone company, Telephone Despatch Company Limited. The directory contained only four pages of subscribers.
Founding the Company
Toronto’s first telephone company, Telephone Despatch Company, was established in 1878 by two brothers, Abner Mulholland and Melville Rosebrugh. Melville became the company’s first manager. Later, Hugh Neilson and Charles Potter joined the brothers in their venture.
The company’s headquarters and a 24-hour telephone station were located at 10 King Street. According to historian John Robertson, the building previously housed Thomas Haworth and Co., a hardware trading business. After Haworth’s death in 1878, the premises were sold to Telephone Despatch Company Limited.
By spring 1879, the company had installed 40 miles of wire across Toronto and set up telephones throughout much of the city. This was a significant achievement considering Bell’s telephone was patented just three years earlier.
Interestingly, Alexander Graham Bell owned the Canadian patent for the telephone, which he partially transferred to his father, Alexander Melville Bell. The elder Bell, along with his business partner Thomas Henderson, leased this patent to the city’s first telephone company.
The First Calls in Toronto
Making calls beyond local lines was complicated and amusing by today’s standards. Direct dialing was not an option. Users had to call the company’s central office and inform the operator of the person they wanted to reach. Then, they waited while the operator connected the wires.
The recipient’s phone would ring, signaling an incoming call. To answer, the user needed to press a switch. The operator then informed them when to start the conversation.
During calls, a red light on the device indicated the line was in use. Operators could listen to all conversations conducted through the system.
A poster with instructions for using the telephone was displayed at the telephone station, outlining the following rules:
- Speak clearly and loudly.
- The telephone should rest firmly against the lower lip.
- While listening, hold the receiver tightly against the ear.
- Allow the other person ample time to bring the receiver to their ear.
- Keep calls under three minutes out of courtesy to other users.
The first commercial business to purchase telephone service was the Queen Hotel on Front Street, the predecessor to the Royal York Hotel.
The first private telephone line installed by Telephone Despatch Company was set up in the office of Oliver Mowat, the third Premier of Ontario.
Telephone Despatch Company operated for only two years before being acquired by Bell Telephone Company of Canada, the precursor to modern Bell Canada. This marked the beginning of a new telephone “era” in the city.