Alex Taylor (Edmonton)
Encyclopedia
Alexander Taylor was a Canadian
entrepreneur
, inventor and politician
. He is credited as being one of the founders of the city of Edmonton
. Taylor was born in on May 17, 1853 in Ottawa, Ontario, and came to Edmonton
in 1877. Shortly after his arrival in Edmonton, Taylor established the first telegraph, telephone
, and electricity
systems. Edmonton asked the Bell Telephone Company
to provide services in 1883, but were just offered "a few telephones" and no telephone exchange at a great cost, Taylor, who, at the time was working for the Dominion Telegraph and Signal Service proposed running a telephone line from his office to St. Albert
, which was 14 km away. He then purchased two telephones made of Spanish mahogany
, and asked store owner Henry William McKenney
of St. Albert to keep the device in St. Albert. On January 3, 1885 the two tested the line, the first on Northern Alberta. In 1891, Taylor co-founded Edmonton's first electric company, the Edmonton Electric Light Company. Taylor also co-founded Edmonton's first newspaper, the Edmonton Bulletin
with Frank Oliver in 1880. Taylor also served on the Edmonton Public School Board from 1899 to 1909, and was the chairman of the board in 1907.
In 1904, ill health prompted Taylor to sell his telephone company to the City of Edmonton for $17,000, which later became known as Edmonton Telephones. Taylor died on February 12, 1916. He is buried in the Edmonton Cemetery.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
entrepreneur
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
, inventor and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. He is credited as being one of the founders of the city of Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
. Taylor was born in on May 17, 1853 in Ottawa, Ontario, and came to Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
in 1877. Shortly after his arrival in Edmonton, Taylor established the first telegraph, telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
, and electricity
Electricity
Electricity is a general term encompassing a variety of phenomena resulting from the presence and flow of electric charge. These include many easily recognizable phenomena, such as lightning, static electricity, and the flow of electrical current in an electrical wire...
systems. Edmonton asked the Bell Telephone Company
Bell Telephone Company
The Bell Telephone Company, a common law joint stock company, was organized in Boston, Massachusetts on July 9, 1877 by Alexander Graham Bell's father-in-law Gardiner Greene Hubbard, who also helped organize a sister company — the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company...
to provide services in 1883, but were just offered "a few telephones" and no telephone exchange at a great cost, Taylor, who, at the time was working for the Dominion Telegraph and Signal Service proposed running a telephone line from his office to St. Albert
St. Albert, Alberta
St. Albert is a suburban city in Alberta, located northwest of Edmonton, on the Sturgeon River. It was originally settled as a Métis community, and is now the second largest city in the Edmonton area. St...
, which was 14 km away. He then purchased two telephones made of Spanish mahogany
Mahogany
The name mahogany is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored hardwood. It is a native American word originally used for the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban mahogany....
, and asked store owner Henry William McKenney
Henry William McKenney
Henry William McKenney was a politician from Alberta, Canada.-Political career:McKenney was first elected to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta in the 1905 Alberta general election in the provincial electoral district of St. Alberta...
of St. Albert to keep the device in St. Albert. On January 3, 1885 the two tested the line, the first on Northern Alberta. In 1891, Taylor co-founded Edmonton's first electric company, the Edmonton Electric Light Company. Taylor also co-founded Edmonton's first newspaper, the Edmonton Bulletin
Edmonton Bulletin
The Edmonton Bulletin was a newspaper in Edmonton, Alberta published from 1880 until January 20, 1951. It was founded by Frank Oliver, a politician and future minister in the Canadian Government....
with Frank Oliver in 1880. Taylor also served on the Edmonton Public School Board from 1899 to 1909, and was the chairman of the board in 1907.
In 1904, ill health prompted Taylor to sell his telephone company to the City of Edmonton for $17,000, which later became known as Edmonton Telephones. Taylor died on February 12, 1916. He is buried in the Edmonton Cemetery.