Club History
History of the Milford Amateur Radio Club
The first meeting of local amateurs was held at the home of Bob Pouard, K8JYS, on January 27, 1961. Also attending were Charles Black, W8LYU, Erland Simonson, K8EQD, Art Geyer, K8SWW, Val Lewis, K8DTU and many others. There is no available list of amateurs, short wave listeners or other interested participants that attended that meeting.
“Club Night” was held the last Thursday evening each month, September through June. For several years code and theory classes were conducted each week on Thursday nights.
The first meetings were held in the basement of the Detroit Edison Office (between the Village Butcher, 130 East Liberty and the Milford Presbyterian Church, 238 North Main Street
from March of 1961 to February of 1963.
In March 1963, the meetings were held in the Community Hall over the Federal Bank building (now Rottermond Jewelers, pictured below) located on the west side of Main Street in the middle of town until June of 1963.
From September 1963 until January 1967, meetings were at the home of Tom Chill, WA8BSA, on Cooley Lake Road. After that meetings were at the Margaret Muir Jr. High School in Milford. Starting in September 1967 and until June 1968 meetings were held at several members homes. Howard McMartin, WA8CTF, on East Commerce for 1968, and Harvey, W8VLI and Norma Reid, K8DSB, on Fenton Road in 1969. Later meetings were at the Milford High School and we now meet at the Highland Senior Center.
On February 23, 1961, at the second club meeting, the information on forming a club had arrived from the ARRL (American Radio Relay League). A committee was appointed to study this new material.
What did we want to name the club, was the topic of this meeting in March 1961. Two names were suggested: Milford Amateur Radio Club or The Tri County Radio Club. Other projects were discussed including cw and theory classes.
The club Constitution was ratified at the March meeting after a long discussion. Numerous questions included: Must the club Incorporate and what will the name of the club be? Should we join the ARRL? The name of the club became “The Milford Amateur Radio Club”. The First Officers were elected and the club took steps to incorporate.
On March 4, 1966, the club was granted the station club call, W8YDK, in tribute to the late Dr. Benjamin Bragg, a local physician in Milford. Even though he never attended a meeting he was a great moral support and took an interest in the young amateurs in the area. Our club will always try to live up to his memory and livelihood.
The clubs annual events have been Field Day in June, a picnic in June or September, Christmas Dinner and assisting the Milford Police Department with mobile units for patrolling Halloween and some parades on Memorial Day or July 4. In later years members helped in communications for walks, bicycle rides, Huron River clean up, the Milford Hamfest in April and Milford Memories in August.
Information compiled by:
Michael C. Board, WA8WOQ
Director, Milford Amateur Radio Club