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Mannville Historical Telephone Exchange Museum: Ringtone of the Past and Line to the Future
Michelle Pinon -News Advertiser
The Mannville Telephone Exchange Museum is not only a marvel of the past, but a line to the present and hopefully, a link to the future.
Zeta Hickey, Secretary of the Mannville Historical Society, welcomed visitors to the registered historic site on Aug. 19 before the start of the annual Fair. After a formal introduction, Zeta explained that, “All of the members of the historical committee resigned last year. The original committee did an amazing job and they were great, but all were seniors and stepped down.
I’ve only been the secretary for two weeks, so I don’t know anything. We only have a handful of members on the executive board, and we’re trying to get it up and running.” That may be, but Zeta is a natural fit, acting as gracious tour guide and avid historian. She admits, “I like to read a lot.”
One interesting fact Zeta revealed during the tour was that she and Alice Rutherford, who became a telephone operator in 1915, have in common is that Alice used to attend the Anglican Church in town, and it’s the same church Zeta now owns and operates as an Airbnb with Church Stay Alberta.
The former Alberta Government Exchange building is a one-story, brick clad building with hipped roof, wide eaves and exposed rafters. According to information on the Alberta Register of Historic Places website, “The main part of the building was constructed in 1917. The hip roof and rear kitchen extension were added in the 1920’s and modern bathroom facilities were added in 1954.
In 1965, a modern telephone exchange building was constructed behind the 1917 structure. This new building is not included in the Province of Alberta’s historic designation. The Alberta Government Telephones Exchange building occupies the western portion of a subdivided lot on the corner of 50 Street and 51 Avenue in the Village of Mannville’s main commercial district.”
The telephone exchange, opened in 1917 and Alice Rutherford came a couple of years later. Alice became an agent in 1920. Zeta said, “Alice taught most the telephone operators in Alberta. This was the first telephone office. So, she was a very important person.
She came from Ontario. She came with her husband, then he went off to war, (World War 1). When he returned, they broke up, probably PTSD. Her brother died of gas poisoning.
Across the street at the bank her sister Gwendoline worked. So, when her husband left her, her sister came from Ontario to help her because she had a child by then. She was a single parent running this whole business and that’s pretty tough.
Her sister died quite young in childbirth. But they are buried side by side in Mannville cemetery. This front room is the telephone office, and at one point it was the post office as well.”
The telephone exchange closed in 1965. At that time, Alice was honoured for her 48 years of service.
Alice passed away in 1975.
The Mannville Historical Society also owns and operates the Crossroads Museum in the Village of Mannville. “We’re hoping to do a bit of a relaunch of both the telephone exchange and museum next year.” Zeta has had experience in applying for grants and is hoping to do that in order for the historical society to be able to do more projects in the future with the intent of involving youth in the community.
While the telephone exchange and outstanding work of Alice Rutherford played an integral part in Alberta’s history, Zeta is hoping to keep that history alive in fresh new ways so the present generation as well as future generations will come to appreciate all that it has to offer.
