“Have you got your ear to the air? Thousands have. Enthusiasm over the wireless telephone is spreading tremendously. From a fad and a toy, the radio receiving set has become a household convenience. Out of the air come daily news bulletins, lectures, sermons, vocal and instrumental concerts, operas, market reports, government time signals, shipping news, weather forecasts, fashion tips, agricultural reports, church services and children’s bedtime stories.” – Glenwood Springs Avalanche-Echo April 6, 1922 

After decades of experimentation in electronic sound transmission, first leading to the invention in 1838 of the telegraph and the telephone in 1876 (both of which required extensive systems of wires), German physicist Heinrich Hertz discovered electromagnetic radiation, or “radio” waves, in 1887 — which he pronounced of no use whatsoever. Italian electrical engineer Guglielmo Marconi disagreed, and by 1894 he built a successful radio wave transmission and receiver set. The device was called the wireless telephone, or radio telegraph.

Prior to the radio’s invention, communication over both land and sea was done by carrier pigeons, taking many days to relay messages across long distances. The new wireless technology became a vital tool for ships in the early 1900s, allowing both ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communication.

Originally, ship radios used Morse code transmissions. In 1912, radio distress signals sent from Titanic saved the lives of 700 passengers. Communication radios were installed in airplanes and used in military operations. After World War I, commercially made radio receiver sets became available to the public and quickly gained popularity.

“Radio broadcasting service is available in all parts of the United States. Probably not less than 250,000 receiving sets are in operation, the daily audience that listens [is] more than 1,000,000 people.” – Glenwood Post, Dec. 11, 1924

A problem with early radios was that during the day the sun’s radiation caused radio waves to be absorbed by increased ionization, reducing the signal’s range. While at night, signals could travel longer distances. 

Carbondale-born Ed Robison described this phenomenon in his autobiography, “My Colorado Heritage.” 

“Our first radio — a Freed-Eisemann — was purchased about 1923. It had three dialing knobs, which had to be in perfect synchronization to get the desired station. As there was no transmitter in Western Colorado, we attached one end of a large antenna to a lodgepole pine in the side yard, and the other to an upper branch of one of the large poplar trees in the front yard. This way we had a range — at night only — from WJZ in Bound Brook, New Jersey to KGO in San Francisco. In daytime, the reception was poor, mostly static. There was no FM band, only AM.” 

Another issue with radio was poor sound quality. At first, headphones were needed. Later a sound horn, like those used by phonographs, was added. Next came loudspeakers separate from the radio, and finally a built-in speaker. But the real key to clear sound was the invention of the vacuum tube, a lightbulb type object which amplified the radio signal. Tubes burnt out occasionally and had to be replaced, so local electric companies began to carry them for sale.

“One day, I took the radio tubes down to be tested at the Carbondale Light and Power Company office [in the Dinkel building] of which Mr. W.A.E. de Beque was manager. I didn’t address him as Wally, as dad knew him, but as “Mr.” As I entered, I thought I saw a very comely young lady with a bulb in her hand, so I approached her and asked, “Is Mr. de Beque in please?” Just then, he arrived and burst into laughter! I had mistaken a cardboard advertisement for a real woman! It took a while to live that one down!” – Ed Robison

Wally de Beque II inherited Carbondale Light and Power from his father-in-law, William Dinkel, who was instrumental in bringing electricity to Carbondale in 1911. Mr. de Beque was an early radio owner, and graciously entertained visitors curious to hear what the new device had to offer.

“On Saturday evening … the real dyed-in-the-wool radio fans of Rifle … motored to Carbondale to visit Mr. de Beque of that place and listen in on what the wild winds were saying.” – The Rifle Telegram, March 30, 1922

Then, perhaps tired of his home being invaded by curiosity seekers, de Beque set up a public receiver. 

“The radio receiving station at the Citizens National Bank [Glenwood Springs] is going full blast now, and many interesting things may be heard. Wallace de Beque of Carbondale got the outfit in working order for the bank. The first conversation cleared by this radio was of a man in Denver to a friend in California.” – Avalanche-Echo, June 1,1922

Because anyone could build a radio transmitter and broadcast, thousands of amateur radio operators sprang up across the country. Some used the radio just to talk to their friends and relatives in other states, as telephone calls were expensive but radio was free.

Broadcasting stations were slow to come to the Roaring Fork Valley. KGLN went on air in Glenwood Springs in 1947, Aspen’s KSNO in 1964. In Carbondale, Lee Swidler and a handful of other volunteers started KDNK, a community radio station that has been broadcasting since April 15, 1983. The call sign, nicknamed “The DiNK,” refers to the Dinkel Building where the station’s studio was first located.

In 1984, Mary Ferguson, 77 at the time and a retired elementary school teacher, made history as America’s oldest DJ with her KDNK program “This I Remember,” featuring live interviews with Carbondale’s citizens. The recordings are available for listening on www.carbondalehistory.org Sue Gray is a Carbondale historian and volunteer archivist for the Carbondale Historical Society. You can join the archiving team by contacting Carbondale Historical Society at info@carbondalehistory.org