Incorporation as Western Electric Graybar

graybar electric internal call system preserved @ edison , ford winter estates

after several relocations, in chicago, business incorporated western electric manufacturing company in 1872 meet capital requirements of telegraph supply business. new company closely allied elder western 3 of 5 directors western union executives. moreover, stager named president, although barton secretary/treasurer handled day-to-day affairs.

although young firm thrived in telegraph industry, not until invention of telephone alexander graham bell in 1876, , incandescent lamp thomas alva edison in 1879, western electric began gain stature large company.

part-owner gray held title of company electrician , spent days working on inventions, becoming increasingly less involved in operations of shop, , sold interest in western electric in 1875 , retired pursue independent research , teach @ oberlin college. in 1876, filed caveat u.s. patent office, announcing intention patent invention transmit vocal sounds telegraphically. gray dubbed telephone harmonic telegraph . hours earlier, however, alexander graham bell applied patent same idea, became known telephone. turned out, bell patented have never worked, while gray s idea have. western union acquired both gray s , edison s telephone patents challenge american bell telephony company (renamed at&t in 1899), led patent infringement suit , bell being named inventor of telephone. therefore bell s patent , not gray’s launched telecommunications industry.

as applications of electricity broadened, western electric not sold electric bells , batteries, telegraph keys, fire alarm boxes , hotel annunciators manufactured, many items purchased other manufacturers.

stager served president of western electric until shortly before death in 1885, , barton served president 1886 1908.

western electric company first company join in japanese joint venture foreign capital. invested in nippon electric company in 1899. western electric held 54% of nec @ time. representative in japan walter tenney carleton.

by turn of century, western electric had become main producer of telephone equipment in united states. manufactured arc lamps, lighting equipment , power apparatus, ranging small fans huge motors , generators. alongside manufacturing, distribution business continued grow, handling extensive line of electrical supplies such wire, conduit, wiring devices , pole line material.

by 1910s, company became world’s largest distributor , united states’ leading wholesaler of electrical supplies. these facts attracted investment american bell telephone company, discovered gray , barton purchase supplies , sell them telephone companies more efficiently companies acquire supplies themselves.

a chain of warehouses established across nation, , growth of distributing business continued increase through world war i , post-war period.