Mr. J.L. Wade Revolutionized the PM Interest

Before 1960, martineering consisted of little more than erecting a birdhouse. What went on inside the houses was left to the martins. House Sparrows and European Starlings were largely tolerated and snakes and owls made their raids with little notice. Most martineers focused all of their energies into maintaining the wooden structures with a paint job every few years.

While studies by ornithologists and naturalists indicated that martins needed and desired certain characteristics of housing, limitations of the prevalent material, wood, made many of them impractical. The quantum leap in martin housing was a result of a new construction material which allowed for better, lightweight design and, more importantly, convenient access. The material was aluminum.

Mr. J.L. Wade, a manufacturer of television antennas, teamed up with Dr. T. E. Musselman, a naturalist, to design and construct a revolutionary Purple Martin house. And, they did! The primary innovation was the lightweight material making the house easy to raise and lower for nestchecks and competitor control. The features of this new housing combined with the DDT scare of the 1960’s caused a tidal wave of popularity in martineering that has not ebbed since. No one can argue that Trio Manufacturing, Wade’s company, was responsible for making the Purple Martin interest as popular as it is today.

From the 1960’s on, many improvements were made to Trio housing. The pulley system improved over the telescoping pole. Ventilation holes and subfloors increased the comfort level for the birds. A variety of models and styles helped further market the houses to an insatiable public.

Today, forty plus years after the first aluminum houses were developed, Trio is still the largest manufacturer of martin housing. Mr. Wade’s success has been a classic case of American ingenuity and capitalism. He recognized a need and filled it. He did it efficiently and effectively.

While some may disagree with Mr. Wade’s philosophies regarding compartment size, continued improving on his company’s houses, use of gourds in the interest, it cannot be denied that he changed, molded and contributed heavily to our Purple Martin interest and we should recognize him and give Mr. Wade credit for being the single most important contributor to the conservation of the Purple Martin through manageable housing.

As a manager of an extended colony of 150 pairs of martins nesting in eighteen Trio houses (double-compartment modified, of course), I am pleased that The Purple Martin Society, NA is honoring Mr. J.L. Wade with the 2002 Founder’s Award.

Article is from The Scout Report Vol. 9 (2)