OT Scientific American dropped "amateur scientist"-what year?

The post about the 1905 telescope-making manual got me to reflecting on the
decline of Scientific American and especially the "amateur scientist"
column. When I was in high school in the early '70's I spent many lunch
hours in the school library pouring over back issues. One day in the late
'70's when I was kicking around NYC I stopped by their office and bought a
copy of Vol. One of Amateur Telescope Making. This was before they sold
the publishing rights. So with all of that as an introduction, here is my
question-

Does anyone know when Scientific American dropped the "amateur scientist"
column and more-or-less simultaneously began their slide into today's
relative mediocrity?

By the way, am I alone in this opinion?

thanks-

Dan Rea
Casper Wyoming
lots of clear nights, but how do you anchor your Meade tripod to withstand
60-mph gusts?