George Willard Coy (born November 13, 1836, in
Freedom
Freedom is understood as either having the ability to act or change without constraint or to possess the power and resources to fulfill one's purposes unhindered. Freedom is often associated with liberty and autonomy in the sense of "giving on ...
,
Maine
Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and north ...
, died January 15 or 23, 1915 in
Revere,
) was an American mechanic, inventor and entrepreneur. He ran the first commercial telephone exchange in 1878 and was involved in the production of the first telephone directory.
He was a
first sergeant in Company D,
56th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry of the
Union Army
During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
during the
American Civil War
The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
.
Telephone Exchange
On January 28, 1878, the first telephone switchboard went into operation in New Haven, Connecticut . It was set up by Coy, Herrick P. Frost, and Walter Lewis and with an investment of $600; the switching equipment was developed and built by Coy. The company was named District Telephone Company of
New Haven
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
. Coy took over the switching operation and thus became the world's first operator, Frost the first salaried operator.
Eight telephone lines were available to the company's initial 21 customers.
After Lewis left, Coy and Frost sold a blocking minority to the investor as capital requirements increased. The Southern New England Telephone Company was formed from the company in 1882.
Telephone Directory
Coy was involved in the publication of the world's first telephone directory on February 21, 1878. It consisted of a single sheet of paper and contained 50 names. It was produced by Coy and the District Telephone Company financiers.
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Coy, George Willard
1836 births
1915 deaths
19th-century American inventors
Union Army non-commissioned officers