A Powerful History how local people brought electricity to the area

A Powerful History how local people brought electricity to the area

A Powerful History how local people brought electricity to the area As difficult as it is to imagine in today s world of every kind of electronic device, there was a time when the area now served by Rappahannock Electric Cooperative (REC) had no electricity. No refrigerators. No radio or TVs. No air conditioning. No washing machines. Knowing great things could happen if they worked together, local farmers, businessmen and community leaders from Caroline County, Va. banded together to form Farmers Rural Utilities in November 1935, which later became Virginia Electric Cooperative (VEC) in June 1938. In August 1938, a similar group from Culpeper and Madison, Va. created what later became known as Northern Piedmont Electric Cooperative (NPEC). Owned by the same people it serves, called members, a cooperative is a democratically-controlled form of business. Members elect the board of directors and take action on important issues at an annual meeting. Much has changed since those first organizations were formed. However, the guiding principle of the Cooperative has remained the same. Rappahannock Electric Cooperative exists to enhance the lives of its members by providing reliable, affordable electric service and by playing an active role in enhancing the social and economic well-being of the communities it serves. As REC celebrates the 70th anniversary of its founding, it s important to honor those early days. It was only 70 years ago when the vast majority of people in this area did not have electricity. What was it like for them to live without the benefits of this vital service, and how did their electric Cooperative change the social landscape of the region? The answer to these questions also provides the foundation of the Cooperative s future. REC was created so that all could have electricity. As the nature of our future energy use changes, REC will continue to exist for its members, providing them the same reliable service they have come to know and trust for the past 70 years. A Powerful History 5

THE NEED FOR ELECTRICITY Creation of the Rural Electric Administration Soon after Thomas Edison invented the light bulb in 1879, cities across America were electrified. It would be over 50 years before electricity began to be delivered to Americans living in the sparsely populated countryside. During this time, two classes of American citizens developed: those with and those without electricity. Cities were served by investor-owned utilities that saw compact distribution systems that could provide service for a profit. The convenience and productivity electricity made possible in the cities remained alien to rural Americans. Investor-owned utilities chose not to serve the less densely populated rural areas. They could not justify building a delivery system for the small amount of electricity farms would buy, much less make a profit. Percentage of farms with electricity in 1930 9.5 % United States 1.8 % Spotsylvania County 0.6 % Caroline County If electricity was to be brought to rural America, farmers were expected to bear the cost of constructing the power delivery system. It was a cost they could not afford. As a result, they lived and worked without electricity and the simple modern conveniences it provided. Light bulbs did not brighten dark rooms. Electric pumps did not draw water to make indoor plumbing possible. Farmers relied on the horse rather than the electric motor to make their ventures productive. Rural Americans lagged behind their urban counterparts socially and economically. In the 1930s, the woes of the Great Depression made this situation even darker. President Franklin D. Roosevelt s New Deal for the American people recognized the inequity. On May 11, 1935, the President signed into law executive order 7037 creating the Rural Electric Administration (REA). With the stroke of a pen, While urban areas enjoyed the benefits of electricity, rural Americans lived without its convenience until the late 1930s. 6 The Need for Electricity

REA comes to Virginia he began the greatest movement that would change rural America for good. The REA would provide the resources to bring electricity to millions of rural Americans. With the means for rural electrification created, the way for creating electric distribution systems all across America was clear. Farmers, businessmen and community leaders could now band together to bring electricity to their country homes. The Rappahannock region of Virginia was the setting for one of the early stories of rural electrification. FARMERS AND BUSINESSMEN UNITE REA Comes to Virginia The idea for a local electric cooperative was born during a conversation held in the late spring of 1935. Dr. J.R. Travis of New London and Francis D. Pitts of Sparta, both rural citizens of Caroline County, Va., had long wanted electricity, but were unable to receive it themselves. They gathered leaders from nearby communities and looked into the idea of utilizing the newly created REA program to establish a rural electric business. To satisfy the REA requirement of at least 100 miles of constructed line to serve 300 customers, Dr. Travis and Mr. Pitts, along with other community leaders, spent countless hours driving country roads to rural homes, schools, and churches explaining the creation and viability of an electric cooperative. It was their daunting task to convince people to pay the $5 membership fee and spend at least $3.50 a month for electric service. Finding those who wanted electricity did not prove to be a problem. The Caroline Progress heralded the new business venture in late 1935. REA Project Arouses Wide Interest was the headline. No project in many years, if ever, has aroused such widespread interest among Caroline County people as the proposed electrification of the rural areas of the county. Their efforts paid off as applications poured in from all areas of Caroline and surrounding counties, with a membership of 500 achieved by October and 800 in November. The promise of electricity was growing An REA check for $366,000 is signed for rural electrification to extend to eight counties. brighter, and word was spreading into surrounding counties. The formation of this rural electric cooperative was quickly taking shape. 7

Under Virginia law at the time, there were no provisions for the creation of an electric cooperative. As a result, Dr. Travis and Mr. Pitts formally organized the membership as a nonprofit company. On Nov. 29, 1935, this new company became known as Farmers Rural Utilities (FRU). Local community leaders C.A. Holloway, R.F. Hoberton, A.J. Gouldman, and R.R. Denison joined these two men to create its first board of directors. Actively seeking members, FRU was also searching for a knowledgeable manager and employees to build its system. Without an office, supplies or equipment, Mr. William H. Brown was hired to bring electricity to FRU s members in January 1936. Mr. Brown entered the following in his journal on Jan. 28, 1936: Borrowed two small tables, two chairs, and typewriter and moved into office quarters, using hallway pending preparation of the two front first floor rooms for our use The first FRU office opened in 1936 on Main Street in the town of Bowling Green. Starting from an office in Bowling Green, Va. located in the hallway of a residence and with the approval of a 20-year loan contract for $366,000, FRU commenced mapping, planning and engineering its electric distribution system. Farmers Rural Utilities Turns On the Lights The first phase of the new REA project called for work on 3,750 miles of line in Caroline, Spotsylvania, and Hanover counties to bring electricity to 14,000 customers. Using a listing of members and road diagrams provided by members, Mr. Brown worked to complete the engineering details. Frequent entries into his journal included Worked on load center calculations and studied possible line layouts and operating conditions. It would take several weeks of such studies to put into place FRU s system. Mr. Brown and FRU s board of directors spent countless hours traveling country roads attending membership meetings and providing details about the progress of the Cooperative. Members were anxious to receive electricity. 8 FRU is born

The lights are turned on (L-R) Farmers Rural Utilities brings power to its first farm in 1936; early Northern Piedmont Electric Cooperative workers raise the first poles; and these crews work long hours to deliver electricity to the countryside. The cost of line construction would have to be reduced before rural people could receive electricity. Several REA innovations made this possible, including the creation of: two-wire, vertical-designed single-phase lines to eliminate the expense of attaching a cross arm to each pole; high-strength conductors that allowed longer spans of wire, reducing the number of poles needed per mile of line from 30 to 18; and the assembly line process where crews staked lines, dug holes, manually set poles, and strung line to finish the job. This process dramatically decreased the cost of line construction. FRU s electric distribution system was constructed using this innovative con-struction process. By March 1936, work was occurring along Highway 1 in the Doswell and Gumtree areas. It included a power line from Doswell to Highway 2. From this area outward, FRU s distribution system was created. The hard work by local citizens and employees came to fruition on Aug. 8, 1936. After months of meetings, planning and construction, the first REA-financed power line in Virginia and on the East Coast was energized. With little fanfare, the Maury E. Quarles home off of Highway 1 in Carmel Church turned on the lights for the first time. Electricity was now being provided to rural Virginia. In 1938, the Virginia General Assembly passed the Virginia Rural Electrification Act, recognizing the nonprofit utilities. This important step allowed FRU to reorganize. In June 1938, the newly named Virginia Electric Cooperative was created. Using funds from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Cooperative constructed a new office on a two-acre lot on Route 2 north of Bowling Green. It finally had sufficient facilities to bring electric service to the surrounding areas and counties. 9

Another Cooperative is Born Shortly after the creation of Virginia Electric Cooperative, another rural electric cooperative began to take shape in Virginia s northern Piedmont region. Under the direction of A.J. Jesse, county agent from Madison, Va., and T.A. Jeffries of Culpeper, Va., local leaders gathered in the town of Culpeper s municipal building. They discussed providing electricity to the rural areas of Culpeper, Madison, Orange, Greene, and Rappahannock counties. On Aug. 24, 1938, the results of their efforts were seen with the creation of Northern Piedmont Electric Cooperative. Northern Piedmont Electric opens its second office in 1938 in Culpeper, Va. Using REA guidelines, this Cooperative obtained the necessary membership applications and construction information. A state charter was granted, and the Cooperative located in a small building on Main Street in the town of Madison. A short while later, Northern Piedmont Electric Cooperative relocated to East Davis Street in the town of Culpeper. In late September 1938, the Virginia Star reported, T.A. Jeffries received notice from O.P. Tucker, president of the Cooperative, that an appropriation of $160,000 has been made for rural electrification in these counties. Northern Piedmont Electric Cooperative obtained its first REA loan allotment. It was expected that $1.5 million would eventually be lent to build 700 miles of power lines into the surrounding counties. The initial loan amount was used for construction in the Brightwood, Novum, and Reva areas of Culpeper and Madison. With construction of up to four miles of line a day, it was not long before the first people received electricity. On April 22, 1939, the first Northern Piedmont Electric Cooperative meter was set at the home of Ed Utz of Brightwood. That same day, Thomas Blakenbaker, Dewey Backe, and J.R. Lohr received service. The following day, 126 more homes received electricity. The rural people of the Northern Piedmont were on their way to receiving electricity. (L-R) A lineman reviews his work plans; the first Northern Piedmont meter is set at the home of Ed Utz; T.A. Jeffries was Northern Piedmont s first manager. 10 Northern Piedmont is born

Members vote to consolidate CONSOLIDATION The Creation of Rappahannock Electric Cooperative As a result of the energy crisis of the 1970s and its effect on the cost of wholesale power, both Northern Piedmont Electric and Virginia Electric were willing to consider a radical change for their business operations, which covered 16 counties. A comprehensive study pointed the way to economic benefits for the memberships of both Cooperatives. By combining operations, the two Cooperatives would apply costs to a greater number of members and eliminate the need for duplicate facilities for serving power in the same general area. As a result, the cost of doing business would be reduced, ensuring the economic viability of the Cooperatives and reliable delivery of electricity to the region. For the consolidation to be successful, it would take member action and regulatory oversight. The boards of directors of each Cooperative approved the consolidation, initiating the approval process. The Virginia State Corporation Commission, Rural Electric Administration and National Rural Electric Cooperative Association added their blessings to the union. The final step was a vote by the members of each Cooperative at their respective annual meetings. Members vote to consolidate Northern Piedmont and Virginia Electric into Rappahannock Electric Cooperative. By voting in person or by proxy, they could support or deny the consolidation. This led to a large campaign to win the support of the members. With the use of Rural Living, the Cooperative monthly magazine, mailings, phone calls, and posters, members were educated as to the advantages of the proposed consolidation. The effort of the memberships and employees was successful and the consolidation was approved at Northern Piedmont Electric Cooperative s annual meeting on Aug. 16, 1979 and at Virginia Electric Cooperative s meeting on Aug. 25, 1979. With approval finally gained, the newly created Rappahannock Electric Cooperative began business on Jan. 1, 1980. 11

12 THE COOPERATIVE FUTURE The Growth of REC Located between Northern Virginia and Richmond, the newly consolidated service territory was strategically situated. As people moved from the cities into the suburban rural counties, the number of people served grew rapidly. At the same time, sparsely populated localities continued to need service. This blend of suburban and rural consumers would set REC apart as one of the most unique electric cooperatives in the nation. As the two systems integrated, REC set a foundation for the future. Modern technology would be used to the benefit of both suburban and rural members. Computers automated processes like reading meters, storing customer information, monitoring system equipment, and tracking inventory. With the use of computers, REC would be ready for future growth and changes in the electric industry. In preparation for future energy needs, REC s power supplier, Old Dominion Electric Cooperative (ODEC), entered the power generation business in December 1983 by purchasing an 11.6 percent share of the North Anna Nuclear Power Station in Louisa, Va. Continuing toward greater energy independence, ODEC and its member cooperatives broke ground on the Clover Power Station in 1992. These two milestones signaled that REC and other cooperatives were preparing for a new electric industry. To meet the needs of the growing membership, REC created the HomeResources brand. In addition to traditional utility services such as Outdoor Lighting and Home Energy Audits, new services were offered, including Budget Billing, AutoPay, HomeGuard, and Individual Outage Notification. These value-added services proved the Cooperative remained committed to the needs of the membership. The Future of REC The vision of rural farmers and businessmen in the late 1930s became a reality: bringing electricity to those who had been denied service for so long. Over the past 70 years, they built a system many believed to be impossible. The determination of rural people who wanted electricity overcame the challenges of providing electricity. With a cooperative effort, the rural areas surrounding Caroline and Culpeper developed into viable and economically profitable communities. The energy industry now faces challenges never before seen. As it did more than 70 years ago, Rappahannock Electric Cooperative will meet them head on and ensure reliable and competitively-priced electric service for years to come. The future of REC

247 Industrial Court Fredericksburg, VA 22408 P.O. Box 7388 Fredericksburg, VA 22404-7388 (540) 898-8500 (800) 552-3904 www.myrec.coop Archival photos on cover and inside reprinted with permission. Copyright NRECA and Rappahannock Electric Cooperative.