WBAQ in 1922: South Bend's First Radio Station

Meet Thane Mains, Dr. Myron Harmon, and the little station at the YMCA that changed South Bend

BY PEG RAMEY // POSTED FEBRUARY 12, 2026

My father, Thane H. Mains, left his hometown Detroit at age 17 in 1912 and traveled west to become a telegraph operator for Western Union. He became intrigued with electronics, became a proficient telegraph operator and became interested in wireless transmission. He returned to Detroit and obtained his radio operator's license in April 1921. By November that year, only nine licensed U.S. Broadcast Service Stations existed. Detroit had license #8 at station WBL.

Soon enough, it would come to South Bend. It was inevitable.

Mains connected with Dr. Myron Harmon of South Bend, Indiana. Together they formed radio station WBAQ in April 1922 under U.S. License #118. It was the first station in South Bend and the sixth in Indiana. Mains ordered all the equipment and designed and built the transmitter, with funding from Dr. Harmon. Sponsors were The South Bend News-Times, the YMCA, where the station was housed, and 'prominent merchants and professional men'.

By the end of June 1922, 387 US stations had been licensed. One of these, under U.S. License #382, was WGAZ, which later became WSBT.

But WBAQ was first.

Early response to the WBAQ included a letter written on The Studebaker Corporation letterhead, dated May 8, 1922, and included these comments:

"Up to the present time I have always had to tune in for Chicago or other cities, but the set that I have, when the generator starts at your broadcasting station it is so powerful that I can detect it at once and can tune onto it within short notice... It was so powerful on my set that I opened the window and allowed the people passing by on 509 East Indiana Avenue to hear the concert... I want to congratulate you."

Mains kept a scrapbook of news clippings from the South Bend News-Times and other sources which provides a fascinating glimpse into early radio and South Bend at that time. Here are some typical clipping headlines:

VOCAL SOLOS ARE FEATURES OF RADIO PROGRAM AT THE 'Y'
LOCAL RADIO ENTHUSIASTS HEAR SERMON BY REV. LONG
RADIOPHONE WALTZ PROVES ENTERTAINING TO RADIO FANS
BEAUTY AND LOVE PROBLEMS SOLVED AT RADIO STATION

On June 18, 1922, the News-Times ran an article including photographs of the studio and equipment along with the headline:

HERE'S RADIO STATION THAT SERVES THE LOCAL FANS WITH CONCERT PROGRAMS, NEWS BULLETINS

The article included this information:

"Myron L. Harmon, director of the station and Thane H. Mains, operator, recently completed installing new equipment which has increased the power of the station about five fold… The new equipment installed is valued at $500 or $600, bringing the valuation of the plant to approximately $9,000. Included in the new equipment is a set of larger vacuum tubes, which cost $30 apiece... The local YMCA is said to be one of the few 'Y's in the Country having a broadcast station."

On July 7, the News-Times announced that the station would furnish a weekly printed program called RADIOGRAM WBAQ through cooperating local merchants. That article listed songs that were to be featured on Friday by the South Bend Novelty Six: "You, Just You", "Ain't No Body's Baby", "The Sheik", "One Kiss", "Stars", "Song of India", "Moonlight", "I'm Just Too Mean to Cry", and "Swanee River Moon".

WBAQ went off the air in November 1922. It had been operating under an amateur's license and new federal regulations had been imposed, which many small stations could not meet.

During the station's run, Mains and Harmon met and made lifelong friends and admirers. They met people of talent with interesting stories. Their broadcasts featured local talent from across the region: vocalists, choirs, pianists, violinists, and even a Hawaiian guitarist. They featured the Jazzapation Six, a new local jazz band.

Speakers talked about Camp Eberhart, religion, the Lincoln Highway, and banking. WBAQ received postcards from as far away as Texas sharing that their broadcast had been picked up. They presented a Radio Dance at a local club. They helped the News-Times raise money for a state-of-the art radio-receiver for Healthwin Hospital and the 'Vets'.

Mostly, they had fun. It's not certain when the last broadcast happened, but for about six months, WBAQ was on top in South Bend.

My dad then opened a radio sales shop, as customers were anxious to have the latest model of radio receiver. He was at several locations, including 107 West Division Street in South Bend.

He ended up being trained as a draftsman and mechanical engineer. He worked at Bendix Brake, South Bend Tool, and Huckins Tool in South Bend; Continental Motors in Muskegon; and Foster Machine in Elkhart during the 1930s.

Thanes Harper Maines died in 1957.