The Franklin Telephone & Telegraph Company was the second telephone service in Saranac Lake, after the small system established by F. M. Bull.
In April of 1915, E. A. Stonaker [sic], Superintendent of Traffic of the Mountain Home Telephone Company, published an article in The Telephone Review titled "The Winter Carnival and the Telephone at Saranac Lake" which included the following history:
...In 1897 the business men of the town got together and formed the Franklin Telephone & Telegraph Co., of which Mr. F. E. Kendall was the first president. Mr. Alfred Donaldson was the next president, and during his term of office he was greatly aided by suggestions from Mr. J. C. Lynch, now General Superintendent of Traffic of the Bell Telephone Company, of Pennsylvania, and at that time Traffic Engineer of the New York Telephone Company.
The Electrical World And Electrical Engineer, Volume XXXIII (January 7 to June 24, 1899), page 160.
THE FRANKLIN TELEPHONE & TELEGRAPH COMPANY has been incorporated at Albany, N. Y., with a capital stock of $12,000 for the purpose of operating a telephone system from Saranac Lake to Keene, Bloomingdale, Tupper Lake, Saratoga Inn [sic: Saranac Inn?] and intermediate points. The directors are Frank E. Kendall, M. B. Miller, C. F. Wicker, Joseph Merkel, F.M. Jackson, Tuffield Latour and H. P. Coats, all of Saranac Lake.
Adirondack News, February 4, 1899
The Franklin Telephone and Telegraph Co., is the name of the new organisation for the establishment of wire communication between Adirondack resorts and connecting them with Saranac Lake. The new company is capitalised at $12,000, has purchased the property of the present Adirondack Telephone Co., will string new wires in the village and connect with Paul Smith's, Rainbow, Loon Lake, Lake Placid, Saranac Inn and West Harrietstown. Saranac Lake residents have themselves taken nearly all the stock.
