No one had access to electricity until the 1880s. Few Wisconsin farms had electricity until the 1930s. It was too expensive for most farmers to install power lines and pay for electricity. It was more protiable for companies to supply power to cities than the country. The New Deal's Rural Electrification Administration helped farmers meet the growing need for electricity.

The nation's first commercial power plant opened in Appleton in 1882. Henry J. Rogers moved to Wisconsin in 1873. He wanted to introduce electric power to his factory and home. He built his plant with hardware from the Edison Company. The plant started transmitting power to local paper mills, the water company and several wealthy families in the summer of 1882. More power plants soon followed.

Electric railroads made suburban living possible. The city soon transformed into a center of business. Employees rose streetcars from residential neighborhoods into the city for work. Investor promoted interurban trolleys to connect adjacent cities. Former manager of Milwaukee's railways John I. Beggs envisioned an interurban system from Chicago to Green Bay. Unfortunately, automobiles soon beat out light rail.

Farmers Ignored

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Prairie du Sac Hydroelectric Plant, 1924

Aerial view of the Prairie du Sac hydroelectric plant and the surrounding landscape of the Wisconsin River. View the original source document: WHI 49745

After engineers harnessed Niagara Falls to generate eletricity in 1896, Wisconsin investors looked into using the state's many rivers for hydroelectric power. But hydroelectric power stations were extremely expensive. Wisconsin had over 400 dams by 1935. But steam continued to supply most of Wisconsin's power. The cost of building electric power made it difficult for small electric companies to stake a claim to the market. A few large corporations gained control over the electricity market.

Many farmers and members of Congress believed that farmers needed electrical service they could afford. In 1935, President Franklin Roosevelt established the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) to help farmers meet the need for power. The government encouraged non-profit, cooperative organizations of farmers to develop their electrical infrastructure.

Electric Coops

Local leaders worked with the REA to collect fees and enroll customers in rural electric programs. The REA gave farmers low-interest loans to build their own lines and provide them with electricity. Wisconsin's first electricity cooperative named Richland Electric Cooperative opened on May 7, 1937. Within fifteen years, 90% of American farms had electricity. 

Rural electric systems serve more than 520,000 people in Wisconsin today and over 34 million across the United States. Wisconsin created the nation's first statewide association for rural electric cooperatives, printed the first publication for members and founded the insurance company that provides coverage to the more rural electrical cooperatives than any other in the country.

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[Sources: The History of Wisconsin vols. 3 and 4 (Madison: State Historical Society of Wisconsin); Kasparek, Jon, Bobbie Malone and Erica Schock. Wisconsin History Highlights: Delving into the Past (Madison: Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 2004); "Electrification History" National Academy of Engineering]