Golden Age of Radio Oral History Project

This collection contains oral histories pertaining to the history of radio in Stevens County in the 1930s and 1940s. This collection was donated by Dr. Harold E. Hinds, Jr. and the histories were collected in 1990, likely for a class at the University of Minnesota Morris.

The digitization and transcription of these oral histories was made possible in part by the people of Minnesota through a grant funded by an appropriation to the Minnesota Historical Society from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund. Any views, findings, opinions, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the State of Minnesota, the Minnesota Historical Society, or the Minnesota Historic Resources Advisory Committee.

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Marlys Alm Interview, 1990

Marlys Alm

In this interview, Marlys Alm reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Alm was born in Morris, MN in 1915. . She remembers getting her first radio while she was still very young, somewhere in the mid 1920's.
Benny Amborn Interview, 1990

Benny Amborn

In this interview, Benny Amborn reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mr. Amborn was born in 1910. The first time Benny listened to radio was in 1924.
Harry Amborn Interview, 1990

Harry Amborn

In this interview, Harry Amborn reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mr. Amborn was born in Georgetown, MN in August of 1921.
Arlene Benson Interview, 1990

Arlene Benson

In this interview, Arlene Benson reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Benson was born September 22, 1922. She first remembers listening to radio in 1937.
Helen Bouressa Interview, 1990

Helen Bouressa

n this interview, Helen Bouressa reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Bouressa was born in March of 1919 in Stevens County. She guesses she was about 12 years old when they got their first radio.
Edna Mae Busch Interview, 1990

Edna Mae Busch

In this interview, Edna Mae Busch reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Busch was born on April 29, 1911. Edna first listened to a radio in her home in 1924.
Ruby Charles Interview, 1990

Ruby Charles

In this interview, Ruby Charles reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Charles was born in Stevens County, MN in 1895.
Eugene Day Interview, 1990

Eugene Day

In this interview, Eugene Day reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mr. Day was born in 1918 and did not move to the Stevens County area until 1950. Mr. Day remembers a lot about how radios worked and where the stations broadcasted from in those days.
Ruth Domingo Interview, 1990

Ruth Domingo

In this interview, Ruth Domingo reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Domingo was born February 4, 1916. She remembers listening to the radio for the first time in 1925.
Genevieve Dosdall Interview, 1990

Genevieve Dosdall

In this interview, Genevieve Dosdall reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Dosdall was sixty-seven years old at the time of the interview. She first remembers listening to radio when she was eight years old.
Glen Dosdall Interview, 1990

Glen Dosdall

In this interview, Glenn Dosdall reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mr. Dosdall was born in 1917. He remembers first listening to the radio in the early 1930's.
Doris Erdahl Interview, 1990

Doris Erdahl

In this interview, Dorris Erdahl reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Erdahl was born on December 21, 1911 on farm east of Donnelly. She remembers buying her first radio with her husband in the early 1940's.
Almira Erickson Interview, 1990

Almira Erickson

In this interview, Almira Erickson reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Erickson was born in 1914 . She remembers getting her first radio while she was still very young, somewhere in the mid 1920's.
Fred Fischer Interview, 1990

Fred Fischer

In this interview, Fred Fischer reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mr. Fischer was born on November 14, 1901. The first time Fred listened to radio was while visiting his sister in a little town in Canada during January of 1922.
Fred Gerber Interview, 1990

Fred Gerber

In this interview, Fred Gerber reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mr. Gerber was born in 1895. Fred and his wife received their first radio in 1926.
Mabel Gerber Interview, 1990

Mabel Gerber

In this interview, Mabel Gerber reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Gerber was born in Stevens County in 1897. . She remembers her brother-in-law made them their first radio in 1926.
Agnes Grossman Interview, 1990

Agnes Grossman

In this interview, Agnes Grossman reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Grossman was born on June 23, 1907. Agnes first remembers listening to the radio in 1931 at her neighbor's house.
Clarence Grossman Interview, 1990

Clarence Grossman

In this interview, Clarence Grossman reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mr. Grossman was born on April 21, 1919. Clarence first listened to the radio in 1940 with his family.
Joe Hennen Interview, 1990

Joe Hennen

In this interview, Joe Hennen reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mr. Hennen was born on October 12, 1909. Joe remembers the family getting their first radio in 1925.
Alice Henricks Interview, 1990

Alice Henricks

In this interview, Alice Henricks reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Henricks was born on December 25, 1908 on a farm in Stevens County. Alice first listened to the radio when her brother-in-law got a radio for the family in 1926 what used batteries and needed headphones.
Emma Hoffman Interview, 1990

Emma Hoffman

In this interview, Emma Hoffman reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Hoffman was born in 1909. Emma first listened to the radio at a friend's house in South Dakota.
Viola Hoffman Interview, 1990

Viola Hoffman

In this interview, Viola Hoffman reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Hoffman was born in 1906. Viola first heard the radio when she and her husband bought one in the early 1930's.
Lilian Horning Interview, 1990

Lilian Horning

In this interview, Lillian Horning reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mrs. Horning was born on March 27, 1906 and lives in Stevens County, MN. The first time Lilian listened to radio was in 1924 in the assembly room at school in which she taught. Her first radio at home was in 1927.
Joe Jacobson Interview, 1990

Joe Jacobson

In this interview, Joe Jacbonson reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mr. Jacbonson was eighty-seven years old at the time of the interview. Joe first listened to the radio in 1924 when his family purchased their first radio.
Walt Kampmeier Interview, 1990

Walt Kampmeier

In this interview, Walt Kampmeier reminisces about the golden era of radio. Mr. Kampmeier was born in 1907 and lives in Stevens County, MN. In 1930, Walt got his first radio.