John Albert Forehand (1862-1940) was born and grew up in Indiana. He began his lifelong career in telegraphy as a messenger boy for the Western Union Telegraph Company when he was sixteen. He came to Seattle in 1889 as chief operator for Western Union. In 1890, he began work for the Postal Telegraph Cable Co., for which he became manager. He was married twice, first to Ivah Shoals Gormely, who died three years after their wedding. He then married Grace Nelle Le Cornu.
