File:Radio Station WTRI, 1520 on the AM radio dial.jpg

Summary

On January 5, 1962, "Country Frank Manthos", his wife Jane and George and Mary Gillespie paid the Brunswick mayor & council $4,000 for a modest parcel of land near the city dump in back of the High School baseball diamond, the new Scheer Stadium.

On this spot, Brunswick's first radio station, WTRI, 1520 on the AM radio dial, was built. For many of us who grew up in the 1960s, this was the music of our lives as our parents woke up to it and Brunswick baseball leagues warmed up to the country strains of Patsy Cline, Porter Wagoner, George Jones & Tammy Wynette, Johnny Cash, Conway Twitty, Merle Haggard, Loretta Lynn and others. The radio station has changed hands many times over the years, and may have been most notably owned by Bert Thornton, who hosted "radiothons" in the '70s and early '80s for good causes.

Allen Salisbury took it over in 1986 and the station has been owned by several owners since then. Who can name some of the most recent owners?

(Photo credit to the Brunswick History Commission)

Tracey Glover: I remember this station and the people that worked there in the late 60's when I was sick with rocky moutain spotted tick fever and all the prayers and songs and gifts I and my family received, an I believe an interview later to say thank you. Wow!!

Jeanie Hawes: my dad, Randy Sigler, did the Sunday morning gospel show and I would get up early and go with him...it was awesome!

Becky Smith Herdering: My Dad, Mike Smith, worked there for many years...both for the Thornton's (super-nice people!) and Allen Salisbury. We moved to Brunswick when my Dad got that job and I was 2! When I was in HS, Dad and I came up with the idea for "Railroaders on the Air" and I co-hosted a weekly show about HS news and information the entire time I was in HS. Too bad there aren't many little local radio stations like this around any more...remember the remote broadcasts from the Southern States?

Linda Childers Weddle: Country Frank and his crew were awesome. When our daughter was diagnosed with a terminal liver disease shortly after birth they picked up on an article in the Hagerstown newspaper and started a fund drive to help cover medical bills. They raised over $16,000 most of which we donated to Frederick Memorial and Washington County hospitals after she passed away at the age of 6. They loved that little girl with all their hearts..and she loved them.