Comerford Dam, A Different VIew!

All the stories of Waterford, past and present, have within them the presence of the Connecticut River along one border of the town, and with that, the changes that the two major power dams along this stretch of the river brought to the town. "Upper Waterford" is under the water behind Moore Dam; Comerford Dam, the earlier of the pair, was built in 1930-1931 with the promise of Moore Dam to follow, but the later, larger dam didn't actually arrive until 1954. Thus, older Waterford residents have memories of Moore Dam's construction and the changes it brought. Younger folks focus on the swimming access to the lake, as well as boating and fishing there.

An angle rarely seen is shown by this postcard. It dates back to the days of "amateur radio" or "ham radio," when anyone who studied for and passed the test could have a radio station in their home. Users -- called "hams" -- who contacted each other over the air waves sometimes exchanged postcards marked with their radio call signs (special combinations of numbers and letters assigned when the station was first authorized) and a note about the on-air connection. This one, from the collection of Waterford resident Dave Kanell, shows Comerford Dam -- at the time, the only dam on the Fifteen Mile Falls of the Connecticut River.

Online research easily located Alex Tremblay, the local station operator and a nearby resident.