Electricraft

LOCATION: 622 Union Street, Seattle, WA.
OWNER(s): Oliver Runchey, Sr.,
TIMESPAN: 1947-1984
MISC NOTES: Electricraft was founded as a high-quality audio / hi-fi center by Oliver Runchey, Sr., of the Shoreline, Washington, area. Its Grand Opening occurred on October 16, 1947, within his already established Home Appliance Headquarters (622 Union Street). In addition to selling radios and record players, Electricraft also offered recording gear for home enthusiasts -- and after Seattle's first TV station (KRSC) arrived in late-1948, Electricraft became an early purveyor of those new devices. It was the place in Seattle where numerous early audio engineers acquired their home-studio's equipment. Other customers stopped in to cut an instant disc record of them talking, singing, or whistling a tune -- many of which were then mailed off to distant families or friends, as plenty of households still did not have telephones. In the 1950s, Electricraft built a genuine recording studio into their facility and several locally-based record labels would come to be based out of there, including: Electricraft, Listen, NOW, and J.R. Ranch Records. Nearly every Northwest musical star of that era got some early studio experience here: including Bonnie Guitar and the Fleetwoods. Although Electricraft was a family business -- one whose staff included Oliver Runchey, Jr. (a UW grad/ electrician who had recently returned from military service during WWII), his sister Betty Hall, and their brother-in-law Ted Treanor. In time, a young audio engineer named Kearney Barton was brought aboard. And later, in 1960, Bonnie Guitar and Bob Reisdorf's Dolton Record company set up business within the shop, issuing a remarkable string of early local rock 'n' roll tunes that became international radio hits. Electricraft was very successful, eventually growing into a chain of eight regional stores before sliding into bankruptcy in 1979, and finally winding down in late 1984.

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