The History of Radio in Amarillo All Started With a Concert

It may seem hard to believe, but a town that once was said to have a population of 500 humans and 50,000 head of cattle would eventually come to make radio broadcast history. In fact, a well kept secret is that radio broadcasting has deep roots in the Texas panhandle.

The "Boom"

Looking back through a quick snapshot of the history of Amarillo, there was a period of time that I suppose one could call a "boom." Natural gas was discovered. Oil was discovered. West Texas A&M had been founded.

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During this stretch is when we became the "center of the helium industry." That happened the same year that the airport opened up. It was Amarillo International Airport.

All of this happened within a relatively short period of time. In the middle of it all was Amarillo's first radio station.

Amarillo's First Radio Station

Amarillo was the proud home of one of the first 80 licensed radio stations in the entire U.S. WDAG. This early station would, according to this timeline of Amarillo history, air the first radio concert in 1922. The first public radio broadcast happened just 12 years prior in New York City.

At one point, concert broadcasts seemed like the "thing to do." I remember growing up and listening to concerts of all kinds being broadcast on the radio. From Christmas specials to "Battle of the Bands," I've heard a lot of live concerts over the years in all of the places I've lived.

That too now seems like something that is relegated to history.

For more interesting facts about Amarillo, check out this link.

Check Out The Original Names For These Amarillo Streets

It's hard to imagine these well-known Amarillo streets as any other name. Try to imagine giving directions to someone while using their original names. Gets tricky, doesn't it?

The new names (that we currently know them by) came mostly from associates of Henry Luckett, who drew the first map of the area. When this took place exactly, records do not show, but the street name revamp is covered extensively in 'Old Town Amarillo' by Judge John Crudgington, published in the Plains Historical Review in 1957.

Say You're From Amarillo Without Saying You're From Amarillo

Amarillo is a pretty quirky place. We've got the Big Texan, the weird signs, and (obviously) the famed Cadillac Ranch. But more than that, there's a distinct culture of close-knit community, eccentrics, a thriving arts scene, and much more.

The point is, living in Amarillo is a unique experience. Because of that, it's really pretty easy to tell who's a native or a long-time resident. And I can prove it.

Here's a couple of ways you can say you're from Amarillo.....without saying you're from Amarillo.