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Frederick A. 'Fred' Parsons Bronx, NY QCWA # 189 |
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First Call: 2ABM Other Call(s): W2FIV
Frederick A. "Fred" Parsons was born on May 4, 1892, in Lowell, MA, to Charles F. and Carrie E. Parsons. His father had emigrated from England. Fred made his first 2-way wireless contact in 1906. He was among the thirty or so names listed in the first compilation of radio amateurs, prepared in 1910, with the call sign of "YP."
Between about 1907 and 1909, Fred was employed by United Wireless on ship assignments, including on the "Pole Star," which plied the maritime route between Portland, ME, and New York. By 1912, he had left the sea, and was superintendent of the transatlantic Marconi station at South Wellfleet, MA, a position he held until the start of WWI.
By the early 1920s, Fred was manager of the Marion, MA, transatlantic station. Fred held the amateur radio call of 2ABM by then, and maintained a very impressive amateur station in New Rochelle, NY.
By 1930, Fred was employed by the New York Telephone Company as a line telegrapher. He retired from New York Telephone after many years of service, while residing in Bronx, NY, with his wife, Margaret. Fred passed away in the Bronx in October 1968.
Fred was always proud of a scale model of the old Marconi station at South Wellfleet, which he had painstakingly built. Its realism was enhanced by a tiny spark flashing from the shack window, as well as by sand Fred personally brought from the dunes at the original station site. The model was displayed for many years by the National Park Service at its "Marconi Station Area," which is under federal jurisdiction as part of the Cape Cod National Seashore.
