Bashaw Telephone Exchange - Bashaw, Alberta
Posted by: 
wildwoodke
N 52° 35.088 W 112° 58.149
12U E 366592 N 5827905
There are a number of historical signs placed throughout the community including this sign with respect to the Bashaw Telephone Exchange, now the Fire Department in Bashaw, Alberta.
Waymark Code: WMEG5H
Location: Alberta, Canada
Date Posted: 05/25/2012
Views: 2
Text from the sign in front of the fire hall:
"Bashaw Telephone Exchange
Only three years after the province was formed in 1905 there was the beginning of a telephone service. The Alberta government took over the lines from Bell Telephone company in 1908. The Alberta government mentions having an exchange in the Bashaw drugstore then and in 1917 a new telephone office was built. At the beginning there was only daytime service but on June 1st, 1922 twenty-four hour service was established. Mrs. Jeanie Miller was the first agent and operated the exchange with her daughter Peggy and Betty Pearson until 1921. In 1921, twenty-five miles of phone line was put up in the western district. In the years between 1921-1924 Mr. & Mrs. Ross Robertson were agents with operator Herbert Fiske. Mr. Roger Stubbs took over in 1924 and carried on his services until 1944. Some of the other operators in that twenty year span were: Bonnie Read, Hilma Berge, Lena Read and Edna Way."