W8USR - Special Events
Lincoln History Exhibit & Birthday Celebration
About the Special Event
On February 11, 2006, station W8USR established a successful on-air contact with special event station KC8SWR, hosted by the Plymouth Historical Museum Radio Club in Plymouth, Michigan. This commemorative activation was launched to celebrate Abraham Lincoln's Birthday and showcase the museum's extensive Lincoln history exhibit. Operating across multiple HF frequencies, the club station utilized 14.285 MHz and 7.285 MHz for single-sideband (SSB) operations, alongside 28.120 MHz and 21.070 MHz to handle digital Phase Shift Keying (PSK) contacts. Amateurs who successfully logged a contact with the station on this day were awarded a unique, official commemorative certificate documenting the milestone.
The Dr. Weldon Petz Abraham Lincoln Collection
The Abraham Lincoln Exhibit at the Plymouth Historical Museum is recognized as housing the largest and most complete Lincoln collection in the state of Michigan. Amassed over a 70-year period by renowned Michigan collector and historian Dr. Weldon Petz, the massive archive encompasses between 10,000 and 12,000 individual historical artifacts, research components, and rare volumes. Notable features preserved within this historic collection include:
- Boyhood Volumes: Ultra-rare books owned and read by Abraham Lincoln during his youth, alongside detailed documents tracking his ancestral family genealogy.
- Legal Documentation: Original, handwritten legal forms, law books, and briefs hand-scribed or utilized by Lincoln during his distinguished career as a practicing attorney.
- 1860 Campaign Banner: A rare, original Lincoln & Hamlin presidential campaign banner that physically hung from the historic Starkweather home in Plymouth, Michigan, during the volatile 1860 election.
- Life Mask & Plaster Casts: An authentic Lincoln life mask cast in 1860, accompanied by detailed plaster structural models of his hands.
- Autopsy & Assassination Artifacts: A preserved lock of Abraham Lincoln's hair snipped by medical staff during his autopsy, paired with unique, verified artifacts surrounding his assassination.
The Weldon Petz Collection Library
Housed in a custom-designed archival room situated directly off the museum’s master replicated 19th-century Main Street layout, researchers can access the specialized Weldon Petz Collection Library. This research installation incorporates more than 1,200 specialized historical books, authentic period photographs, geographical maps, rare prints, and curated clip files that allow for deep academic study into the life and executive legacy of the 16th President of the United States.
Station Log: Contact History
| Date | Special Event Call | My Callsign | Time (UTC) | Frequency / Band | Mode | QTH / Host Station Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| February 11, 2006 | KC8SWR | W8USR | 17:48 UTC | 14.285 MHz (20 Meters) | SSB | Plymouth Historical Museum Radio Club • Plymouth, MI |