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Lester Wire

Lester Farnsworth Wire (September 3, 1887 – April 14, 1958) was an American officer and inventor best known for creating the world's first electric traffic signal in 1912 while employed by the Department. Born in , , to Franklin Charles Wire and Lida Farnsworth, he was the eldest of four children and briefly studied law at the before joining the police force in 1910 due to financial constraints. As head of the traffic squad, Wire addressed growing automobile congestion by designing a manually operated containing red and green electric lights, which could be switched remotely to direct . Despite the innovation's impact on urban safety, Wire neither patented the device nor sought compensation, remaining a lifelong bachelor dedicated to public service as a until his death from heart disease.

Early Life and Education

Family and Childhood

Lester Farnsworth Wire was born on September 3, 1887, in Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah Territory, to Franklin Charles Wire (1856–1939) and Eliza Ann "Lida" Farnsworth Wire (1862–1936). The Wire family resided in the growing urban center of Salt Lake City, where Franklin worked in various capacities, including as a carpenter and later in municipal roles, reflecting the modest, working-class environment typical of late-19th-century Mormon pioneer descendants in the region. As the eldest child, Wire had three younger sisters: Zelta Belle (born 1889, died 1897), Ora Grace, and . Zelta's early death at age eight from unspecified causes marked a significant during Wire's childhood. Limited records detail daily life, but the household's proximity to the city's developing likely exposed young Wire to and electrical innovations emerging in , fostering interests that later influenced his inventive pursuits. The maintained ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, common among residents of the era, though no specific religious influences on Wire's formative years are documented in primary accounts.

Schooling and Early Accomplishments

Lester Wire attended Salt Lake High School in his hometown, where he distinguished himself in athletics and marksmanship. He participated on the school's football team in 1904 and 1907, earning recognition as a star player. Wire also organized the first high school boys' team and the first high school girls' team in , contributing to the early development of organized at the secondary level locally. As an expert marksman during his high school years, he demonstrated proficiency in , which later influenced his professional pursuits. Wire graduated from Salt Lake High School with honors in 1909. Following this, Utah Senator appointed him to the at West Point, though Wire did not enroll and instead pursued other paths. He enrolled at the to study law but completed only one term before departing to join the Police Department in 1910. These early achievements in sports organization and personal skill set the foundation for his later role in law enforcement and innovation.

Law Enforcement Career

Initial Police Role and Traffic Management

Lester Wire joined the Department as a patrolman on February 21, 1910. At the time, the department lacked formal ranks or classifications for officers, and operations were conducted from the city council hall. By 1912, the proliferation of automobiles alongside horse-drawn carriages and pedestrians had exacerbated in , prompting the need for structured oversight. That year, 24-year-old Wire was appointed by Chief B.F. Grant to lead the city's inaugural traffic squad, marking the department's first dedicated effort to manage vehicular and pedestrian flow systematically. In this capacity, Wire drafted Salt Lake City's initial traffic regulations, establishing basic rules for vehicle operation and right-of-way. He also assigned patrolmen to high-traffic intersections, notably and Second South, where officers manually directed movement by standing on elevated platforms and using hand signals or whistles to alternate directions and prevent collisions. To enhance visibility and professionalism, Wire outfitted his squad with specialized uniforms, including attire for summer and peaked hats replacing traditional derbies.

Invention and Implementation of the Electric Traffic Signal

In 1912, Lester Wire, then a 24-year-old heading Salt Lake City's traffic squad, invented the first electric traffic signal to address growing congestion at busy intersections, where manual direction by officers proved insufficient amid rising automobile and volumes. The device consisted of a handmade wooden box resembling a birdhouse with a pitched roof, featuring red and green electric lights visible on all four sides for omnidirectional control, powered by wiring connected to overhead trolley lines and manually switched via a mechanism. This design drew from semaphore systems but introduced electric illumination, enabling visibility in low-light conditions without reliance on gas or manual flags. Wire implemented the signal that same year by mounting it atop a five-foot pole at the of and 200 , one of the city's most crossroads, where he had previously drafted Salt Lake's inaugural ordinances and stationed officers. The installation marked the earliest known deployment of an electric signal, predating similar devices elsewhere, though initial public reception included criticism from drivers unaccustomed to automated cues, prompting Wire to refine operations through direct oversight. Salt Lake City Police Chief Grant later advocated for expanding the system citywide, but funding denials from the commission limited proliferation, with Wire funding prototypes from personal resources. Subsequent enhancements by Wire included automation attempts by 1924, integrating timers for sequential switching to reduce manual intervention and officer fatigue, though the original manual variant remained in use at key sites. These innovations demonstrated causal efficacy in reducing intersection collisions by standardizing signals over ad-hoc human direction, as evidenced by lowered accident reports in monitored areas post-installation, despite the technology's rudimentary scale. Wire's work laid foundational principles for scalable electric control, influencing later national adoptions without pursuit, prioritizing practical over commercialization.

Later Professional and Personal Life

Transition to Detective Work

Following his innovations in traffic management, Wire enlisted in the United States Army during , serving overseas before returning to civilian life. Upon rejoining the Police Department in 1919, he shifted from traffic duties to the detective bureau, leveraging his investigative skills in homicide cases. In this role, Wire contributed to solving 43 murders over his tenure, demonstrating proficiency in evidence gathering and case resolution amid the era's limited forensic resources. He continued refining his traffic signal designs concurrently, indicating the transition did not fully sever his interest in mechanical improvements for public safety. Wire remained a until his retirement from the force in 1946, after which he pursued personal interests without further formal involvement.

Marksmanship and Other Pursuits

Wire demonstrated exceptional skill in marksmanship throughout his life, earning the Western States championship title from 1907 to 1909 and the State Championship in both 1910 and . For his state wins, he received a in 1910 and a in , along with additional honors in rapid fire and events. He was awarded a medal by the for his proficiency. As a member of the Police Department's revolver team after joining in 1910, Wire continued competing in departmental marksmanship events. Beyond shooting, Wire pursued a range of personal interests that complemented his active lifestyle. He enjoyed , , , and , activities that provided amid his professional duties. Wire also maintained a collection of guns and various memorabilia, reflecting his ongoing fascination with firearms and related artifacts. These hobbies underscored his outdoors-oriented pursuits and technical inclinations, extending from his early athletic achievements into adulthood.

Death and Posthumous Recognition

Final Years and Passing

After retiring from the Police Department in 1946 following a long career in and work, Lester Wire resided quietly in his hometown as a lifelong bachelor. In his later years, Wire contended with declining health, particularly a heart ailment. He passed away at his home in on April 14, 1958, at the age of 70. Wire was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

Legacy in Traffic Safety Innovation

Lester Wire's 1912 invention of the first electric traffic signal in Salt Lake City marked a pivotal advancement in managing vehicular congestion at intersections, replacing hazardous manual direction by officers standing in traffic with a remotely controlled system using red and green lights powered by a battery and operated from the sidewalk. Installed at the busy corner of 200 South and Main Street, the device addressed the escalating risks to both pedestrians and drivers amid rising automobile use, enabling safer alternation of traffic flow without exposing personnel to direct hazards. Although dismantled shortly after installation in favor of subsequent designs, Wire's prototype demonstrated the feasibility of electric automation, reducing reliance on human intervention and laying groundwork for scalable traffic regulation. The innovation's enduring influence extended to the evolution of synchronized signal networks, which coordinate timings across cities to minimize stops, cut idling emissions by up to 10-20% in optimized systems, and lower collision rates through predictable flow. Wire's electric approach predated and inspired later patents, such as Garrett Morgan's 1923 three-lens signal incorporating a cautionary phase, by proving electrical controls could outperform mechanical semaphores in reliability and visibility under varying weather. Modern adaptive signals, which use sensors for real-time adjustments, trace their conceptual origins to Wire's manual electric precursor, contributing to global reductions in intersection fatalities—estimated at 20-30% attributable to signalized controls since widespread adoption in the mid-20th century. Despite forgoing a patent, Wire's unheralded contribution underscores a pattern in early 20th-century inventions where practical prototypes by non-commercial inventors enabled commercial refinements, fostering traffic safety standards that prioritize empirical hazard mitigation over manual enforcement. Posthumous acknowledgments, including Utah Department of Transportation tributes and historical analyses, affirm its role as the genesis of electric traffic management, influencing standards bodies like the Institute of Transportation Engineers in codifying signal protocols. This legacy persists in urban planning, where electric signals underpin intelligent transportation systems reducing congestion-related economic losses exceeding $160 billion annually in the U.S. alone.

References

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