Hillsboro wireless tower
Encyclopedia
The Hillsboro wireless tower was a wireless telegraph station south of Hillsboro, Oregon
, United States
. Located adjacent to what is now Meriwether National Golf Club
, at the time it was the second tallest steel tower in the world after France
’s Eiffel Tower
. The tower was constructed in 1921 and was torn down in 1952.
Workers dug out 14 feet (4.3 m) deep concrete bases to secure the towers under the guidance of the engineer J. L. Miller. Constructed of steel, the station cost $300,000 to build. KGH used synchronous rotary spark gap transmitters. A 3 kW set for close ships and a 5 kW transmitter for ships far out at sea. A receiving set was installed on top of "The Board of Trade" building in Portland, Oregon
. Transmission lines were placed between the Hillsboro transmitter site and Federal's Portland offices.
In September 1927, KGH was purchased by Mackay Radio & Telegraph Company, a subsidiary of International Telephone & Telegraph Corporation
. Mackay Radio shortly thereafter installed a shortwave transmitter and replaced one of the spark gap transmitters with the new arc and tube type. On December 31, 1928, Mackay Radio announced a new more powerful transmitter would be installed by February 1929, making KGH the most powerful Marine Radio station in the Northwest. In April of that year the new transmitter was put into use by Mackay.
In October 1935, a strike by employees of Mackay caused the transmitter to go dead. During World War II
the United States government took over the operations of the station. It was then operated by the United States Coast Guard
. In 1951, the station was abandoned and subsequently torn down in 1952.
and was capable of sending telegraph message as far away as Asia
and Europe
. The eight smaller towers were 1500 feet (457.2 m) from the central tower. Utilizing short-wave radio signals, the station would transmit point-to-point to regional transmitters such as in San Francisco, California
or directly to ships at sea. On site was also a large concrete building 60 feet (18.3 m) by 80 feet (24.4 m) and 20 feet (6.1 m) tall. In addition to this, on July 9, 1923, KEK began operation. The Marine receiving station was licensed to Hillsboro but was located in a building on Council Crest
in Portland and the main office was in the Postal Building in downtown Portland. This downtown building is where all messages were received and relayed. The cables supporting the towers were one and one-quarter inch in diameter.
KEK had four long wave receivers. Two for ship work and two for shortwave reception. Three of four signals from Federal's San Francisco operating room (KFS transmitter in Palo Alto, California
) were picked up simultaneously by KEK and passed down to the main office in Portland where the operating room was located. The signals came in on a long wavelength automatically and were received on a paper tape. Operators then transcribed the signals from the tape directly on telegraph blank cards, ready for delivery at a speed of 40 to 80 words per minute over KGH.
As reported in The Oregon Journal newspaper in 1923: "Portland is one of the very few cities in the world that has a complete ship to ship and point to point radio service. KEK receives news day and night of ships carrying loved ones, news of ships in trouble. Vessels 1,000 miles at sea report their positions nightly or might request medical aid."
Hillsboro, Oregon
Hillsboro is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and is the county seat of Washington County. Lying in the Tualatin Valley on the west side of the Portland metropolitan area, the city is home to many high-technology companies, such as Intel, that compose what has become known as the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located adjacent to what is now Meriwether National Golf Club
Meriwether National Golf Club
Meriwether National Golf Club is a 27-hole golf club in Washington County, just south of Hillsboro, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1961, it has three, regulation length nine hole courses and an executive length course located along the Tualatin River in suburban Portland, Oregon...
, at the time it was the second tallest steel tower in the world after France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
’s Eiffel Tower
Eiffel Tower
The Eiffel Tower is a puddle iron lattice tower located on the Champ de Mars in Paris. Built in 1889, it has become both a global icon of France and one of the most recognizable structures in the world...
. The tower was constructed in 1921 and was torn down in 1952.
History
Federal Telegraph Company purchased property south of Hillsboro on September 20, 1920, from the Fred Rood estate, with completion of the project coming in 1921. The dedication of telegraph station KGH came on May 11, 1921, with a crowd of 500 and the Hillsboro mayor, A. C. Shute, in attendance. Built on 330 acres (1.3 km²) the station had one large tower at a height of 626 feet (190.8 m) surrounded by eight shorter towers arranged in a circle around the main tower in the center.Workers dug out 14 feet (4.3 m) deep concrete bases to secure the towers under the guidance of the engineer J. L. Miller. Constructed of steel, the station cost $300,000 to build. KGH used synchronous rotary spark gap transmitters. A 3 kW set for close ships and a 5 kW transmitter for ships far out at sea. A receiving set was installed on top of "The Board of Trade" building in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. Transmission lines were placed between the Hillsboro transmitter site and Federal's Portland offices.
In September 1927, KGH was purchased by Mackay Radio & Telegraph Company, a subsidiary of International Telephone & Telegraph Corporation
ITT Corporation
ITT Corporation is a global diversified manufacturing company based in the United States. ITT participates in global markets including water and fluids management, defense and security, and motion and flow control...
. Mackay Radio shortly thereafter installed a shortwave transmitter and replaced one of the spark gap transmitters with the new arc and tube type. On December 31, 1928, Mackay Radio announced a new more powerful transmitter would be installed by February 1929, making KGH the most powerful Marine Radio station in the Northwest. In April of that year the new transmitter was put into use by Mackay.
In October 1935, a strike by employees of Mackay caused the transmitter to go dead. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
the United States government took over the operations of the station. It was then operated by the United States Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
. In 1951, the station was abandoned and subsequently torn down in 1952.
Details
The tower was operated remotely from Portland, OregonPortland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
and was capable of sending telegraph message as far away as Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. The eight smaller towers were 1500 feet (457.2 m) from the central tower. Utilizing short-wave radio signals, the station would transmit point-to-point to regional transmitters such as in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
or directly to ships at sea. On site was also a large concrete building 60 feet (18.3 m) by 80 feet (24.4 m) and 20 feet (6.1 m) tall. In addition to this, on July 9, 1923, KEK began operation. The Marine receiving station was licensed to Hillsboro but was located in a building on Council Crest
Southwest Hills, Portland, Oregon
Southwest Hills is a neighborhood in the West Hills in the southwest section of Portland, Oregon, United States. The northeastern part of the neighborhood, above Goose Hollow and Downtown Portland, is known as Portland Heights...
in Portland and the main office was in the Postal Building in downtown Portland. This downtown building is where all messages were received and relayed. The cables supporting the towers were one and one-quarter inch in diameter.
KEK had four long wave receivers. Two for ship work and two for shortwave reception. Three of four signals from Federal's San Francisco operating room (KFS transmitter in Palo Alto, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
) were picked up simultaneously by KEK and passed down to the main office in Portland where the operating room was located. The signals came in on a long wavelength automatically and were received on a paper tape. Operators then transcribed the signals from the tape directly on telegraph blank cards, ready for delivery at a speed of 40 to 80 words per minute over KGH.
As reported in The Oregon Journal newspaper in 1923: "Portland is one of the very few cities in the world that has a complete ship to ship and point to point radio service. KEK receives news day and night of ships carrying loved ones, news of ships in trouble. Vessels 1,000 miles at sea report their positions nightly or might request medical aid."