Elberta Radio History
Elberta Radio History
- Gugliemo Marconi made the first radio transmission in 1895 on the Osle of Wight.
- WFK from the village of South Frankfort (Elberta), Michigan was the first Marconi radio station site approved on the Great Lakes.
- WFK was set up for communication with ships sailing on Lake Michigan.
- The tower for the station was erected in 1906, and C. O. Slyfield, often referred to as “Samp”, was one of the first operators.
- The station was built by the Marconi Company, under the direction of A. E. Jackson.
- The U.S. Navy took over the station in 1917 and operated it intil the fall of 1921.
- Later in the 1920’s WFK was absorbed into the Ann Arbor Railroad.
- WFK remained in operation until 1972.
More information on C.O. Slyfield:
Charles O. (Samp) Slyfield – *1898-1974* FRC amateur call of 8PH – 8ANT – 8LA – W6WQ
Hometown Frankfort, Michigan born May of 1898. His sibs included a brother and 4 sisters. Our subject a grad of FHS in 1916 and married Helen Bush on July 1, 1920. Our VIP was a Motion Picture Oscar nominee and shared a special citation Scientific Technical Award Class III in 1946. Awarded for the design and development of an audio finder and track viewer for checking and locating noise in sound tracks for the Walt Disney Studio Sound Department. Samp was once engaged in 1929 to our VIP lady operator W8JGX Helen Hargreaves, but nothing more became of the friendship.
To digress, a Marconi station (WFK) was installed in the Frankfort/Elberta area of Lake Michigan 1906. It was set up for communication with ships sailing on Lake Michigan. It remained in operation until 1972. Charles (Samp) spent his younger days in radio operations with WFK being absorbed into the Ann Arbor Railroad. He also taught wireless from his home in Frankfort, Michigan, earning 8PH in 1914, then 8ANT in 1916 and 8LA.
Samp had the distinction of receiving a SOS and assisting Car Ferry Nr.4 in 1923. In time WFK used a rotary type spark gap in 1915, which remained in use until 1926 when vacuum tube equipment was installed. It made so much racket that it could be heard in Frankfort Main Street on a quiet day. Samp’s grand daughter Kathy Wright has been very helpful with our effort.
Initially the American Morse Code was used at the Frankfort Marconi station but in 1912 this was changed to the International Morse Code. Scripted from a news item written in 1968 by Charles (Samp) Slyfield who was a one time the Chief Operator at the Marconi Station, using the call WFK and Jerry Young K8GWW had a special event to recognize the system recently. As mentioned Slyfield eventually would make Hollywood, California home and would be a celebrated sound man in the motion picture business with Walt Disney Sound Department as sound director.
Samp’s California move comes after his wife’s death in 1928 and credits pile up with a special recognition award by the Motion Picture Academy in 1946 and became a 3 time Oscar Nominee for sound recording in 1942 “Bambi: 1943 “Saludos, Amigos.” and The Three Caballeros in 1945.
Other items to Slyfield’s credit; Sound recordist at Disney with Fantasia 1940; Victory thru Air Power in 1944; Song of the South 1946; Fun and Fancy Free 1947; So Dear to My Heart 1948; The Wind In the Willows and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad both in 1949; Samp Slyfield became sound director in 1950 and his credits in that capacity include “Cinderella and Beaver Valley both in 1950; Alice In Wonderland 1951; Peter Pan and Bear Country both in 1953; 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea 1954; Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier and Lady and the Tramp both 1955 and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow 1958.” Samp expired in 1974 out in California.
I must admit “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” has me spellbound till this very day. I have several versions of it and there are several police and fire departments around the country with that title!
Samp died January 15, 1974 at the age of 75.