© Mark Ollig
As a boy growing up in Winsted, I often used “the shortcut” when walking from home to downtown.
By taking this route, one can save approximately 25 minutes round trip.
We had to be cautious as the shortcut required us to sneak across the lawns of two homes.
One of the homes had a German Shepherd famous for its loud and intimidating barking, especially when a neighborhood kid was caught trespassing.
Once downtown, I usually stopped at the pharmacy (across the street from the bank) to browse its comics, models, and vinyl records collection.
I would also buy Bazooka Bubble Gum and a few 5th Avenue candy bars.
One day, I was drawn to a new item inside the pharmacy’s glass display case.
It was a pocket-sized AM (amplitude modulation) transistor radio.
I politely asked to see the radio, and Herb, the store owner, carefully took it out of the display case and handed it to me with a smile.
As I studied the pocket radio, I was impressed by its small size and the fact that it used six tiny transistors instead of vacuum tubes.
Measuring 2.5 x 4.1 x 1.4 inches, the front of the radio had an attached thin chrome front plate cover.
This Channel Master pocket-sized transistor radio included a leather case, earphones, and a dynamic loudspeaker.
It was the 1960s, and this electronic device I held seemed futuristic.
I wanted this radio and asked Herb (who also happened to live across the street from me) how much the radio cost.
“Well, Mark, this one is priced at $5.22,” he told me.
I hesitated and said, “Okay. I’ll need to come back.” Herb smiled and assured me the radio would be there when I returned.
While researching today’s column, I found an advertisement in the Feb. 21, 1965 edition of the Minneapolis Sunday Tribune.
The ad on page 15B featured the same Channel Master 6-transistor pocket radio model, priced at $5.22 (equivalent to $50.88 in 2023).
By saving my allowance, doing extra chores around the house (and receiving additional financial help from my father), I soon had enough money to purchase the radio.
Upon entering the pharmacy store, Herb greeted me with a smile. He could tell from my expression that I was there to purchase a radio, which I did, along with a few 9-volt transistor batteries.
My radio stayed with me in my front pocket. I listened to it wherever I went, even when riding my bike through the neighborhood.
Its earphone cord ran down the front of my shirt, plugging into the radio like a lifeline connecting me to the rest of the world.
I liked listening to the radio and hearing the popular songs of the day playing on AM stations like KDWB (channel 63!) and WDGY (WeeGee!).
In addition to listening to the music and disc jockeys talking on the radio, I kept up with my favorite sports teams, such as the Minnesota Twins and Vikings.
I listened to “Honest to Goodness,” a radio program on WCCO (830 kilocycles) that aired on weekday evenings and was hosted by Steve Edstrom and Ray Christensen.
Steve and Ray received postcards from listeners wishing to be called during the program and asked a trivia question. If the listener answered correctly, they would win the jackpot, which started at $8.30.
WCCO also broadcast the late-night program “Hobbs House,” hosted by Franklin Hobbs, which featured the popular opening song “Smoke Rings” by Henry Mancini.
During those snowy winter mornings, I and most students and their parents listened to WCCO radio to hear Roger Erickson announce the school closings and late starting times.
On May 6, 1965, six tornadoes in mid-Minnesota, including the Winsted area, caused everyone to head to their basements and listen to the radio for updates.
From their home phone or a payphone, individuals who witnessed a tornado or found themselves in its path called in to WCCO.
Callers’ voices were broadcast over WCCO radio throughout the evening and past midnight, reporting their location and describing the damage caused by high winds and tornadoes, including downed power lines, trees, and building damage.
WCCO radio announcers Dick Chapman, Charlie Boone, and Chuck Lilligren informed listeners (including this little boy at the time with his pocket radio) about the latest weather updates.
On March 16, 1966, at 10:41 a.m., the Gemini 8 spacecraft, atop a Titan II rocket was launched from Cape Canaveral, FL, into earth orbit.
During this time, I stopped to listen to the faint whispers of low-volume conversational audio over the static between radio frequencies as I slowly adjusted the tuning knob on the transistor radio.
I hoped to intercept any audio radio transmissions skipping off the atmosphere between Mission Control in Houston and the two astronauts aboard the Gemini 8 spacecraft.
One of those Gemini 8 astronauts was Neil Armstrong, who, in 1969, would become the first person to walk on the moon.
Do you have any pocket radio memories?
