Historical Albion Michigan
By Frank Passic

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Any photos not otherwise credited are from the personal collection of Frank Passic, Albion Historian.

DAVE EDDY

Morning Star, September 17, 2000, pg. 3

Reminder: Mark your calendars for my Riverside Cemetery tour on Sunday, October 8 at 1:30 p.m. Also, the Historical Notebook is now on the Internet. Go to www.albionmich.com, and click on the Albion History Directory. Choose the Historical Notebook and then the specific articles.

Many people miss the old WALM 1260 AM radio station that used to carry local newscasts, live remote broadcasts, and the Albion College football games. The call letters stood for "Albion-Marshall" and certainly the station was a source for local information during the 1950s and 1960s. Albion has had two natives that "made it big" in radio elsewhere. Both ironically are 1956 graduates of Albion High School, and both started out at WALM. One is David L. White, whose father Don was manager of the local J.C. Penney store. Dave was a major news announcer for powerhouse WJR in Detroit for 22 years during the 1960s and 1970s. In recent years he has served as a Production Manager for Amtrak.

The other person of course is Dave H. Eddy, known as the "morning Mayor" in Battle Creek, located on the "other side" of Calhoun County in the 616 area code. Dave recently celebrated 40 years at WBCK-AM radio 930 in Battle Creek. A big reception breakfast was held in his honor in August of which yours truly attended, along with about 1,000 other persons including some from Albion. Forty years at any job with one company is an accomplishment in itself, but it is almost unheard of in radio. He has become an institution there in Battle Creek and has a large listening audience.

Recently there was an article about Dave in the Scene magazine (Volume 25, No. 7) published in Battle Creek. It gives a listing of Dave’s many accomplishments there over the years. But many Albionites remember Dave in his budding years at WALM as he rose through the ranks while still a teenager, and the airwaves beamed his voice across the greater Albion-Marshall area on "The Pop Shop." Dave eventually found himself hosting the morning show on WALM, and becoming its chief announcer. This writer was just a child then, but when getting up at 6:30 a.m. to eat breakfast and get ready for school and turning on WALM, I always remember that was the time for "The Hog Report." But back to our story.

Dave left WALM for WBCK in 1960, and the rest is history. Dave occasionally mentions his memories of Albion on his morning program, and it is always enjoyable to listen to him when driving through the Battle Creek area. Why not send Dave a congratulation note for his milestone? WBCK, 390 Golden Avenue, Battle Creek, MI 49015, or on the internet: morningmayor@prodigy.net.

As far as Dave’s local background, he is the son of Hewitt (1892-1975) and Edna (Bergstresser)(1899-1985) Eddy. The family home was at 811 N. Monroe St. Hewitt worked at Union Steel Products for 33 years and retired in 1960. A native of Union City, Hewitt wrote the "Grandpappy" column in the Union Steel Messenger for many years. Dave’s mother was a clerk-bookkeeper for various plumbing and electric firms here. Dave’s maternal grandfather Alfred Bergstresser (1871-1924), originally from Eaton County, was employed by the old Hayes Wheel Company on N. Clark St.

From our Historical Notebook we present a 1957 photograph showing Dave Eddy spinning records and announcing over WALM, as his father Hewitt looks on in the distance. Congratulations Dave on making history here in the Historical Notebook.


Dave Eddy at the controls

Next: HURLEY BLOCK


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