Newark, Ohio’s first licensed Amateur
Carl Garnet Howard 8AGF was born in Newark, Ohio on May 21, 1898 to Eurize and Mary (Smart) Howard. Their residence was 183 South Pine Street in Newark. Howard had three other brothers; Elmer L., John W. and William.
Radio was an unregulated free-for-all in the early years of the 20th century. The United States Congress stepped in to try and put some order to the chaos of “wireless.” An Act To Regulate Radio Communication August 13, 1912 was implemented giving The Department of Commerce authority to regulate this new medium. Although Amateur Radio is not mentioned by name, Amateurs were, for the first time, required to pass examinations for a license to transmit.
The D.O.C. also began issuing in booklet form lists of new station licenses. Howard appears for the first time in the July 1, 1915 book. He is listed at the South Pine Street address and his transmitter was limited to 30 watts. It could be assumed he took his exam the previous year of 1914 and was not listed until the 1915 book. He might have taken his exam at Cleveland, Ohio as that was the Eighth District headquarters until 1920. At the time of his listing he was 17 years old and was also an apprentice electrician for the Newark Electric Company, which was located in the Arcade in downtown Newark.
Amateur radio started out at the turn of the century as the “darlings” of the press. By the middle of the first decade Amateur Radio was suffering a “public relations” problem. Amateurs were accused of, and in many instances of, interfering with commercial and military radio operations.
Hiram Percy Maxim and members of the Hartford Radio Club to provide a voice for Amateur Radio had formed the American Radio Relay League in 1914. Maxim hit upon the idea of message handling, or “relays”, by Amateurs as a way of showing the value of Amateur Radio. The League issued a call for Amateurs to join the League and become “official” traffic relay stations in early 1916.
In the March 1916 issue of QST, a list of official relay stations was printed. Carl G. Howard 8AGF was listed as an official relay station in Newark, Ohio. The League’s system was based on how the telephone and telegraph system had been set up with various trunk lines covering the United States. Howard was listed on the “D” system, which went from Hartford, Connecticut to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania through Newark, Ohio to Cincinnati, Ohio ending in Key West, Florida. In the July, 1916 and August, 1916 QST more information and a map of the new traffic system was printed with 8AGF listed as one of the stations on the “D” route.
In 1917, with America’s entrance in World War 1, all amateur and commercial activity was suspended and the League ceased operation. The United States Navy was authorized by Congress to supervise all radio activity until the end of the War.
It wasn’t until March 1, 1919 after a protracted fight in Congress with the Navy over control of radio that the Department of Commerce was again given the duty of regulating both commercial and Amateur Radio. On October 1, 1919 Amateurs were able to again apply for a license by examination.
In the June 30, 1921 callbook issued by the D.O.C. Howard is again listed at his South Pine Street address but with a new callsign, 8BBZ and an increase in power to 300 watts. He was now an electrician for the J. W. Passmant Jr. company, which was an electrical contractor in the Newark area.
The Amateur population also increased in Newark with Paul E. Horton 8BCC, 207 Elmwood Avenue, Robert D. Shauck 8BCY, 163 Maholm Street, and Raymond P. Murphy 8QF, 186 Granville Street joining Howard in the listings for Newark.
In the mid 1920’s Howard moved away from the Newark area. He surfaces again in the Chicago area in 1930 married to Ruth Elizabeth Howard. He also disappears from the D.O.C. callbooks issued after 1924 and does not reappear again in any of the callbooks. The Department of Commerce administered radio until the formation of the Federal Communication Commission in 1932.
Carl G. Howard passed away on November 30, 1981 at the age of 83 in Highland Park, Illinois a suburb of Chicago. His obituary listed him as a retired executive of the Howard and Gould Company of Chicago and also a past executive of the Fansteel Corporation of North Chicago.
His wife, Ruth E. Howard of Highland Park; a daughter Jean Casper; and three grandchildren survived him.
Bob Cashdollar NR8U www.nr8u@arrl.net