Nothing remains at the end of the rainbow
I don’t want to take the blame for the decline of American manufacturing. Sure, I could have bought more stuff, but my limited resources would never have kept all of those small factories open. And maybe I should have purchased more new things; the flea markets never protected a single job in industry. However, I did what I could, along the way.
Which brings me to time spent chasing shadows across the continent. Google Streetview is a wonderful attraction, when your travel possibilities are limited. Today, I decided to check on some of the factories I would have liked to visit. Amateur radio related…
Involved in the hobby since the late ‘70s, I remember most of my radios. They were an investment in the design dreams of others. I remember them, in part because I have many of them around here. When I started out, there was a whole section in the back of the Handbook, and all of the monthly magazines paid their bills by running great photos of equipment.
Several years ago, I visited the best of the best: a market for obsolete technology. Paid for by the US Government, and then recycled into hobby use, over and over again. So, I’ve seen what money used to buy. Now, all we have are addresses in small places.
Sevierville. Miamisburg. Benton Harbor. Cedar Rapids. There were more. All provided good jobs to the people who believed in building stuff to last. This was before the whole shebang moved to another part of the planet. And so, with plenty of time, I decided to see what remains at those addresses. Sadly, nothing worth an eventual road trip.
