PE: Portland's First Wireless Statio...

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Author: Craig_adams
Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 12:08 am
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On August 7, 1907 it was announced, a wireless station would be built in Portland Oreg. by United Wireless Telegraph Co. (Christopher C. Wilson, President; Samuel S. Bogart, Vice-President; W.A. Diboll, Treasurer & Cloyd Marshall, Secretary). The firm was formed in November 1906 as the result of the merging of the Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co. of America & The American De Forest Wireless Telegraph Co. United was in the process of building wireless stations in Seattle, Tacoma & Astoria. Construction of the Portland station would begin in 10 days. United's impressive plans called for stations from Nome Alaska to Panama. These stations would relay messages to and from vessels in the Pacific to their owners. Portland's station would serve shipping in the Columbia & Willamette Rivers and would also relay messages to United's Astoria station, which would then retransmit the messages out to sea.

A.V. Ragsdale, United's Portland Station Manager & C.B. Cooper, Corporate Chief Engineer, negotiated erecting the tower at "Council Crest Amusement Park" (now: Council Crest Park). The amusement park had just opened two months earlier on May 29th, Decoration Day. The tower, estimated at 200 plus feet was located on the south side of the park. There are two images of the tower linked below. Scroll down the page.
http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/council_crest.html
The telegraph room office was located in Portland at 107 1/2 6th Ave. (now: 421 S.W. 6th Ave.). Also in August 1907 The Department of The Navy, Bureau of Equipment, sequentially assigned the letters PE to United Wireless Telegraph Company's Portland Oreg. station for the wavelength of 450 meters (666.2kc) with the power of 2KW. United Wireless model spark-gap apparatus.

In September 1907 station PE began operation as Portland's first wireless station, as well as Oregon's third station. PE joined sister station PC Astoria, which began in late August 1907. By October 1907 United Wireless stock was selling at a fast clip, mostly due to George H. Parker, Fiscal Agent based at sister station PA Seattle (202 Arcade Building, between Union & University Sts.). Parker also controlled all the selling territory West of the Mississippi with amazing success, making it possible for United to build more stations in the Northwest.

By August 1908 United was the largest wireless company in the Nation, with 74 stations, plus outlets in Canada & Cuba. By early 1909 PE had moved it's telegraph room office to The Corbett Building, room 410, at: 292 Morrison St. (now: 430 S.W. Morrison St.) with Fred S. Stewart, Fiscal Agent. On July 10, 1909 United stockholders reported officers were making it impossible for holders to find buyers for United stock. By August 1909 PE was operating on 425 meters (705.3kc). In May 1910 United's Fiscal Agent for station KT, The Dalles Oreg. F.E. Mills was arrested by the Wasco County Sheriff for selling stock to a man who never received the certificates.

On June 15, 1910 U.S. Post Office Inspectors raided United Wireless offices in New York, arresting Christopher C. Wilson, President & Samuel S. Bogart, Vice-President. Chief Inspector Walter S. Mayer said "Although the company has been running at a loss, the price of it's shares have been advanced by manipulation to fictitious values and that individual officers of the company have sold out their stock to the general public at a profit estimated in one instance at between $5 Million & $10 Million." United had inflated itself to $1 Billion Dollars!

The specified instances of alleged fraudulent use of the mails was given as the mailing of a letter on March 8, 1910 to Michael O'Brien of Waterbury, Conn. There were 28,000 United shareholders with most living in Western States and high numbers in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle & Portland. United stock was selling at $50.00 a share, when in reality the stock was worth $0.0004 a share! The Feds called this "One of the most gigantic schemes to defraud investors that has ever been unearthed in this Country." Wilson was released on $25,000. bail & Bogart on $10,000.

On June 18, 1910 it was reported Seattle based Fiscal Agent, George H. Parker had become a Millionaire with his "masterpieces of extravagant statements of frenzied visions of the countless millions to be earned by his company." By this time United Wireless was operating nine stations in Oregon with the additions of: DR Eugene, PX Marshfield, DW Newport, DO Roseburg, DM Salem, KE St. Helens, plus border station PV Kalama. On June 27, 1910 George H. Parker "was arrested on a Federal Warrent, charging the use of the mails to defraud." Parker said in his defense he "has no fear of the outcome of his prosecution." He was released on $10,000. bail.

On August 3, 1910 the Grand Jury found two indictments against Christopher C. Wilson, President; Samual S. Bogart, Vice-President; W.A. Biboll, Treasurer; George H. Parker, Western Sales Agent; William W. Tompkins, Eastern Sales Agent; Francis X. Butler, Counsel; Charles C. Galbraith, United Manager for fraudulent use of the mails and conspiracy for such use. It is believed United Wireless stations in Oregon including PE Portland, were shut down shortly after this event, with the exceptions of PC Astoria & PX Marshfield.

Author: Craig_adams
Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 1:33 am
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On October 7, 1910 the Grand Jury continued its investigation and a subpoena duces tecum was issued for the company books. On October 28, 1910 another subpoena duces tecum was issued calling for the same books. On May 17, 1911 Samuel S. Bogart, Vice-President pleaded guilty.

On May 29, 1911 the officers of United Wireless Telegraph Co. were found guilty in U.S. Circuit Court on four counts. Judge Martin denied them bail. One of the jurors had been approached with an offer of any amount "with five figures" to hang the jury. Sentences were immediately imposed:

Christopher C. Wilson: Three years in the Atlanta Penitentiary.
George H. Parker: Two years in the Atlanta Penitentiary.
Francis X. Butler: Two years in the Atlanta Penitentiary.
William W. Tompkins: One year in the New York County Penitentiary.
W.A. Diboll: One year in the New York County Penitentiary.
(The group was then handcuffed together and lead away by Federal Deputies.)

On July 23, 1911 United Wireless was adjudicated bankrupt. On September 15, 1911 Trustees in bankruptcy were appointed. It is believed that station PE Portland began operation again shortly after the Trustees were appointed, with new letters DZ. The United Wireless station continued to operate on 425 meters (705.3kc). A new telegraph office was opened in The Yeon Building, room 910, at: 128 5th Ave. (now: 522 S.W. 5th Ave.). Fred S. Stewart returned as Fiscal Agent.

On March 25, 1912 United Wireless pleaded no contest and was taken over by the British Marconi Co. for the payment of $700,000. It is believed station DZ Portland was immediately shut down, never to operate again. On June 29, 1912 the assets of United Wireless were then sold to the newly resurrected Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co. of America.

So ends Portland's first introduction to the wireless. The City was not deterred. In the five years since PE's start-up, having a wireless station based in Portland was now an asset to its port business. Portland now lacked what other U.S. ports had and looked "small town". The closest marine wireless was in Astoria. Portland would now court wireless companies to setup shop in the Rose City.

On December 1, 1913 J.R. Irwin, Superintendent of The Oregon Division of The Marconi Wireless Telegraph Co. of America announced plans to establish a station in Portland with 10KW. The wireless was intended for use in working vessels between Portland & Astoria where the company operated KPC (formerly PC). The Astoria station would handle messages for vessels at sea. The Portland station was never built for unknown reasons. However by mid 1914 Portland did have a marine wireless station operating when Federal Telegraph Co. opened station KFU in the Lents District.

Sources for this history were: Thomas White, Polk Directories, The Morning Oregonian & The Oregon Journal.

Author: Stoner
Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 7:46 pm
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love your stuff Craig.....Thanks for all the time & effort it takes to record all this history. You are Mr Radio!
(now tell Dennis to throw all those liner cards in the trash and have some damn fun!)

Author: Waynes_world
Thursday, June 29, 2006 - 10:00 pm
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http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/portland_radio.html

What a cool site, Craig! I love looking at old photos, but the color I have seen looks awesome. It was fun to look at the photos of the Lewis and Clark fair and the Portland Beavers, as well as the radio part!

Author: Semoochie
Friday, June 30, 2006 - 12:29 am
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Craig used to be Mr Radio; now he's Mr Telegraph! :-)

Author: Craig_adams
Friday, June 30, 2006 - 1:51 am
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- .... .- -. -.- .. .. . . ..- ... . -- . . . . .. . .... .. .

Author: Missing_kskd
Friday, June 30, 2006 - 5:24 pm
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!!!

Thanks Craig --your efforts are enjoyed and appreciated.

Author: Radionut
Friday, June 30, 2006 - 9:35 pm
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_ .... ._ _. _._ ... _._. ._. ._ .. _..

Thanks Craig

Author: Craig_adams
Friday, June 30, 2006 - 11:07 pm
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Radionut: Didn't realize until I had decipherered your message that it appears below. However "G" is --. Not -.. but by then I had caught on. Very Good! Radionut used the International Morse Code, where I used the original Morse Code to throw people off.

Can anyone decipherer it? It was hard to do since there are spaces within some of the code letters and posting it pushed letters together. Anyone want to take a stab at it?

Author: Washnotore2
Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 12:20 am
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The US Navy calls it's Morse Code training, IMCO School. Training for code on the west coast was in San Diego, California. But over on the east coast. Code training was done at a place called Bainbridge, Maryland.

Author: Craig_adams
Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 1:33 am
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Washnotore2: Interesting. What decade are you referring to in this?

Author: Washnotore2
Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 2:23 am
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Craig,

I'm just guessing here. These two US Navy IMCO schools were active. Between the years 1950-1992. Bainbridge, Maryland location was closed down by 1976. And the San Diego location was closed down by 1992.

Author: Radionut
Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 2:40 am
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Craig, You're right, my typo.

Author: Craig_adams
Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 3:17 am
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Radionut: It's OK! You're probably one of those telegragh pros, typing at 40 to 80 words a minute, so it can happen!

Washnotore2: Thought the schools might have been from an earlier decade but then again the Navy is still using code today.

Author: Kq4
Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 8:32 am
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"- .... .- -. -.- .. .. . . ..- ... . -- . . . . .. . .... .. ."

"Anyone want to take a stab at it?"

THANK YOU SEMOOCHIE

Author: Washnotore2
Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 12:15 pm
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Craig, Yes the Navy still uses code today. It's in the form of flashing lights from ship to ship. But wireless code is no longer used.

Author: Nwokie
Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 1:18 pm
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The Air Force stopped teaching morse code about 20 years ago, and they quit training navigators on use of sextants at about the same time.

With INS and GPS its considered unneeded.

Of course, I think kids should still learn how to use a slide rule and log tables, before being allowed to use a calculator.

To keep on topic, anyone remember using one of those old freq meters, before digital displays, you tutned the dial and watched for a dip, hard part determing if it was a harmonic or not.

Author: 62kgw
Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 2:59 pm
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Next research project for Craig Adams to consider:

History of Portland's wireline telegraph.
History of Smoke Signal Broadcasts in Oregon.

Author: Craig_adams
Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 4:45 pm
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Kq4 said: "THANK YOU SEMOOCHIE"

That Is Correct! Didn't think any one could get the message with the posting problem of shoved space together. How hard was it Kq4? I didn't try to decipher it after posting. Did you have to take some liberty and guess from what you had at one point or does it actually say it?

Author: Kq4
Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 9:02 pm
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When I first started reading your message to Semoochie, I got "thank" and then screeched to a halt. I thought, "What's going on here? Craig's CW is a bit faulty." But then it dawned on me you were using American Morse, which I am not very familiar with. Being a Ham of nearly 40 years, I'm strictly an International Morse user. But it got me to thinking: Early radio operators who mastered both versions of the Code must have been very valuable as worldwide communication became more common.

Author: Semoochie
Saturday, July 01, 2006 - 11:19 pm
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Thank you for allowing me to live in infamy! :-)

Author: Kq4
Sunday, July 02, 2006 - 9:12 am
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In infamy? I'd say in esteem!

Author: Semoochie
Sunday, July 02, 2006 - 2:24 pm
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Thank you!


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