Powel Crosley, Jr., never intended to be a broadcaster. Son Powel, III, in the very early twenties, pestered Dad for one of those wireless outfits. Instead of spending $100 for a wireless, they bought "The ABC's of Radio" for 25 cents. The next step involved parts for a crystal set. Then came a $200 receiver, and soon a 20-watt transmitter. The first Crosley radio receiver, the "Harko," was only $9.00. --Summer, 1921: Department of Commerce issues license for 8CR as a "special land station." Power is 20 watts, transmitter by the Standard Precision Instrument Company, of Cincinnati at 710 kc. --March, 1922: Call letters WLW assigned by the new Federal Radio Commission. WLW is 65th licensed radiotelephone station to go on the air. Letters are received from Colorado, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, Connecticut. --June 1, 1927: WLW moves to 700 kc On April 17, 1934, the FCC granted Crosley Broadcasting authority to use 500 kW experimentally, during regular hours, with its regular WLW call. On May 2, 1934, a signal pair had been ordered to terminate at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, where a man whose fireside chats had made him well aware of the power of radio was prepared to assist. The golden key which Woodrow Wilson had used to open the Panama Canal was connected. That log shows a final high-power test from 5:15 to 6:30 p.m. 9:02 p.m. Cut to remote line from Washington. President Roosevelt: "I have just pressed the key to formally open Station WLW. . ." From Broadcasting, March 1, 1939: WLW, Cincinnati, world's first station to operate with 500,000 watts power, returned to its regular output of 50,000 watts March 1 by FCC mandate, after one of the hardest fought legal battles in radio annals. Just a matter of hours before the FCC order reducing its power to 50,000 watts was to have become effective, the U. S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia denied the Crosley plea for a stay order to permit the station to continue regular operation during the pendency of its appeal. http://jeff560.tripod.com/wlw.html

Two Cincinnati-area properties associated with Powel Crosley, Jr. (1886-1961) are listed on the National Register of Historic Places: VOA Relay Station and Pinecroft, the Crosley estate. See more information and pictures at: http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/search.php?cx=008494392894044742559%3A2eoolpufsy0&cof=FORID%3A9&q=crosley#1191

What is the world's deepest canyon?
If you're scouting for the deepest scar on Earth, it might not be where you think. The deepest gorge on the planet is found where the Pacific Plate sinks underneath the Philippine Plate. Called the Mariana Trench, the underwater canyon descends 35,827 feet (10,920 meters) — the Grand Canyon only averages about 4,000 feet (1,200 meters) in depth. But if you're looking for the biggest known canyon in the solar system, that's Mars' Valles Marineris. http://www.livescience.com/mysteries/080306-llm-deepest-canyon.html

Arbor Day was begun by Nebraska journalist J. Sterling Moron to promote the planting of trees useful as wind breaks, fuel, and building material on the plains. Nebraskans planted 1 million trees on the first Arbor Day, held in April 1872. In 1885 it was named an official state holiday. Arbor Day generally is a state thing. Nineteen states observe it on the last Friday in April – and occasionally, US presidents have issued a proclamation naming a national Arbor Day at that same time. Some states hold it at other times of the year to coincide with better tree-planting weather. That means January or February in the far South and May in the far north. Oaks, our national tree, are native to 49 of the 50 US states (and you yourself can grow them from acorns). They’re strong, useful, and embedded in US history. Since Colonial days they’ve been sawed into ships, homes, and furniture. The Charter Oak in Connecticut is where they hid the state constitution during a political crisis in 1687. The “iron” sides of the US Navy’s Old Ironsides in fact were oak.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/DC-Decoder/2010/0430/Arbor-Day-quiz-What-is-America-s-national-tree

Q: Who is the woman pictured in the painting behind Judge Joseph H. Niemeyer's bench in common pleas court in Findlay? And why is the child naked?
A: The woman is "Lady Justice" and it's an unusual rendering because she is not blindfolded, Niemeyer said.
The naked child, who is holding the scales of justice, symbolizes a judge's ambition of a pure and unbiased view, he said.
Niemeyer believes the work by Italian-American artist Virgilio Tojetti is original to the courthouse, built in 1886.
The painting was refurbished in 2006. To see photos of it, go to www.co.hancock.oh.us/commonpleas. -- Jordan Cravens.
Q: Who was artist Virgilio Tojetti?
A: Tojetti (1851-1901) was born in Rome and studied with his father, Domenico, and with Jean-Leon Gerome and William-Adolphe Bouguereau in Paris. His father restored several Vatican paintings for Pope Pius IX. The family immigrated to San Francisco in 1870, and the younger artist lived there and in New York. Tojetti specialized in idyllic or angelic scenes with young, rosy-cheeked women in flowing gowns, and long curly or braided brown hair, sometimes crowned in flowers. There is often a cherub or two nearby, as in the courthouse painting. Tojetti painted murals for the New York residence of financier Charles T. Yerkes, the Savoy Hotel in New York, and the former Ponce De Leon Hotel, now Flagler College, in St. Augustine, Fla. He exhibited in New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Brooklyn. The de Young Museum in San Francisco and others hold his work. He was prolific. Some works are sold as posters for $14.99. A watercolor was for sale on eBay for $687.50, but an oil entitled "Harem Dancer" sold last year for $5,355, according to Christie's in London. -- Peter Mattiace, various sources.
Q: What is the North Country National Scenic Trail?
A: The National Park Service says it is destined to be "the longest continuous hiking trail in the United States," through seven states from New York to North Dakota. It is being organized by linking existing trails. For example, the national trail uses much of Ohio's 1,444-mile Buckeye Trail, which winds widely around the state from Lake Erie near Cleveland to the Ohio River in Cincinnati, and back.
When hiking westbound, the North Country National Scenic Trail picks up the Buckeye Trail south of Canton and leaves it near Defiance for other trails in Michigan. The closest places to join the Buckeye Trail are in Delphos, Defiance or Pemberville. -- National Park Service and Buckeye Trail Association.
http://www.thecourier.com/Opinion/columns/2010/May/JU/ar_JU_050310.asp?d=050310,2010,May,03&c=c_13

Feedback to A.Word.A.Day
From: William J. Pease
Subject: Back-formation
My surname demonstrates a different sort of back-formation. "Pease" was originally the name of the vegetable (plural: "peasen") as in "pease porridge hot". To conform to common phonic usage the plural became "pease", the the final letter was dropped, and the singular evolved to become "pea".
From: Thomas Bookwalter
Subject: Back formation
The word Yankees as a reference to New Yorker comes from the nickname, Jan Kees, for the Dutch settlers. Jan Kees is a fairly common Dutch name still today. It was not a plural but a singular word, so Yankee as the singular of the plural Yankees is somewhat similar to the words of this week.
From: Greg Balding
Subject: back-formations
One my favourite back-formations, which is becoming quite common among Australian school-children (mine included), is the verb 'to verse', meaning 'to play against', a back-formation of 'versus'.