COON RAPIDS, Minn. -- A landmark of sorts in Coon Rapids has been helping the community stay informed for nearly 90 years now.
On Wednesday night, the Anoka County Historical Society held a dinner to celebrate the 90th anniversary of WCCO radio. Proceeds from the event help support the historical society and its programs.
The radio tower didn't actually transmit a signal from Coon Rapids until March of 1925. And that signal was powerful as nearby residents would soon find out.
"For people who live in the neighborhood, what they always want to talk about and tell you about is how they could pick up the radio transmission on just about everything including the radio but just about everything else," said Todd Mahon of the Anoka County Historical Society. "When they picked up their phones they could hear it coming in on the telephone, all sorts of metal things like people said sometimes when they put their head in the dryer in their basement the metal from that would pick it up."
One of the first things transmitted by the tower was the inaugural address of president Calvin Coolidge.
The WCCO radio antenna reaches a height of 654 feet.
(Copyright 2014 by CTN Studios. All Rights Reserved.)
On Wednesday night, the Anoka County Historical Society held a dinner to celebrate the 90th anniversary of WCCO radio. Proceeds from the event help support the historical society and its programs.
The radio tower didn't actually transmit a signal from Coon Rapids until March of 1925. And that signal was powerful as nearby residents would soon find out.
"For people who live in the neighborhood, what they always want to talk about and tell you about is how they could pick up the radio transmission on just about everything including the radio but just about everything else," said Todd Mahon of the Anoka County Historical Society. "When they picked up their phones they could hear it coming in on the telephone, all sorts of metal things like people said sometimes when they put their head in the dryer in their basement the metal from that would pick it up."
One of the first things transmitted by the tower was the inaugural address of president Calvin Coolidge.
The WCCO radio antenna reaches a height of 654 feet.
(Copyright 2014 by CTN Studios. All Rights Reserved.)
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