Memorable Manitobans: John Ross Richardson (1858-1920)

Telephone executive, civil servant.

He came to Winnipeg in 1882 and worked for the Bell Telephone Company for 26 years, rising to the position of local manager. He left the company when its assets were sold to the provincial government to become Manitoba Government Telephones (forerunner of MTS). He then became employed by the Greater Winnipeg Water District, from which he resigned in poor health in the fall of 1919.

He and wife Katherine had three children: Marion Richardson (b 1888, Mrs. Guy Harris), Ross Richardson (b 1891), and Walter B. Richardson (b 1893). He was a member of Holy Trinity Church, the Masons (Ancient Landmark Lodge), the Granite Curling Club, and the 90th Lacrosse Club.

He died at the Winnipeg home of his son Ross on 26 March 1920 and was buried in St. John’s Cemetery.

Sources:

1901 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

“Pioneer telephone manager is dead,” newspaper clipping dated 26 March 1920. [Manitoba Legislative Library, Biographical Scrapbook B7]

Death registration, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

Page revised: 30 June 2013

Memorable Manitobans

Memorable Manitobans

This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations.

Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text:

Custom Search

Browse surnames beginning with:
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z

Browse deaths occurring in:
1976 | 1977 | 1978 | 1979 | 1980 | 1981 | 1982 | 1983 | 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024


Send corrections and additions to this page
to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca

Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements

Help us keep
history alive!