The history behind the Amateur Radio Museum

After several years of work on the building itself and the collection of amateur radio equipment and other items, the Waller-McMunn Museum will open to the public from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. The museum specializing in local amateur radio history is located at 12044 East Pike Road, east of Cambridge on U. S. Route 40, behind the red B & O caboose.

In 1912, Homer McMunn built the first radio receiver in Cambridge, and Roy Waller was among the first to copy the Navy station at Arlington, Virginia, which opened that year. By 1913, Cambridge had its share of experimenters.

According to the Guernsey Times and The Daily Jeffersonian, there were several wireless instruments in the city. Waller and McMunn built transmitters to go with their receivers and began sending signals around town for practice. The two owned and used a building to house their wireless station, originally located on North Fourth Street. On Dec. 4, 1913, local experimenters decided to invite all interested parties to meet at Waller’s home, where they formed the Wireless Association of Cambridge.

The building was later used to house another amateur’s amateur radio station. Much later, another individual bought the building and moved the station to his location, and modified it to suit his needs. Upon the sale of his property, the Cambridge Amateur Radio Association accepted the building upon an agreement to move it.

Local historian Dave Adair agreed to let club, which raised the money for the move, place the building on his property.

Submitted by Lyn Alfman with the Cambridge Amateur Radio Association.

This article originally appeared on The Daily Jeffersonian: The history behind the Amateur Radio Museum