Note
Radio, Jan 1938, p. 178. (this is the first ad I noticed)
QST, Mar 1963, p. 5. (Founder William P Peterson Jr dies)
QST, Apr 1963, p. 5. (photo)
QST, May 1963, p. 5. (photo)
QST, Sep 1963, p. 8. (photo)
The Peterson Radio Company, a significant player in the history of radio technology, was based in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Peterson’s primary products were quartz crystals.
Founded by amateur radio enthusiast William Petersen, the company’s origins can be traced back to his personal hobby in the early 1930s.
Petersen, who received his amateur radio operator's license in 1930, began experimenting with producing his own quartz crystals to control the frequency in his radio equipment, a process that was both costly and time-consuming at the time. Through trial and error, he successfully developed a method to produce working crystals for his own use.
The quality of his work quickly gained a reputation among other radio enthusiasts, and the demand for his crystals grew so great that by 1936, Petersen was able to quit his full-time job and dedicate himself to his new enterprise. He established a small factory at 2800 Broadway in Council Bluffs to meet the increasing demand.
The company's defining moment, however, came with the outbreak of World War II. Quartz crystals were vital components in military communication equipment, and the Petersen Radio Company was awarded large government contracts to supply them. This wartime demand led to a massive expansion of the company’s operations. For a period of nearly five years, the factory operated 24 hours a day, seven days a week, a testament to its crucial role in the war effort. At its peak during this time, the company employed 176 people, a significant increase from its usual staff of 25. This intensive production earned the company a reputation for excellence and reliability.
Following the war, the company continued to operate in Council Bluffs, incorporating in 1946 with William Petersen as president and his wife, Dorris, as secretary-treasurer. The Peterson Radio Company continued to produce specialized quartz crystals for radio equipment, serving both amateur and commercial markets. Peterson died in 1963, and the company was then run by his wife, Dorris, and their son, William, until the early 2000s.
