Was Radio Actually Invented in Kentucky?

While history has always given Guglielmo Marconi the credit for inventing the radio, you might get a tad bit of pushback if the topic comes up in Murray, Kentucky, where a man named Nathan Stubblefield grew up. You see, there are differing opinions about the invention. Some say Marconi; some say Stubblefield. Since Murray is unofficially nicknamed the "Birthplace of Radio," you can guess where some of those "some" people are from.

Was Radio Invented in Kentucky?

In 1902, Stubblefield invented a wireless, battery-powered telephone. His first attempt utilized conduction. The perfected version was based on magnetic induction. Was it radio? That's been up for debate among the science community for more than a century. Stubblefield did eventually get his patent, but couldn't market his invention. The following post finishes the sad story and features an illustration of his wireless telephone.

Here's how a replica of Stubblefield's coil works. (High school science fair inspiration, anyone?)

Wireless Telephone

The "wireless telephone" sounds like a crude way to describe a mobile phone. You know, that thing we can't live without, even though some of us think we could? I think Stubblefield would find all forms of 2026 technology deeply fascinating. I've long felt the same way about Marconi, Edison, Tesla, and Einstein, among others.

If you can find a Stubblefield device today, good luck; he only made a handful of them, and there was no marketing of the device. All of my searches have been fruitless. I'm sure if a collector had gotten their hands on one, we'd know about it.

Nathan B. Stubblefield's is a fascinating story but, ultimately, a very sad one, too.