Farmers Electric Cooperative
Greenville, Hunt County, Texas
Marker Inscription
In 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) to fund the expansion of electricity to rural America. With federal funding, small electric cooperatives began to appear in the area, eventually merging into a larger tri-county cooperative called Farmers Electric. The first 50 miles of lines were energized on September 14, 1938, supplying power to 101 customers. After one year, more than 800 customers had power which allowed for a simplified and safer home. Despite the difficult financial time during the depression, the need and desire for electricity meant a growing membership for the cooperative. This not only included electricity, but also a community of neighbors and friends.
Erected by Texas Historical Commission
The Story
When President Franklin Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration in 1936, federal funding let small cooperatives spring up to bring power to the countryside, eventually merging into Farmers Electric. Its first 50 miles of line went live on September 14, 1938, serving 101 customers; within a year more than 800 households had electricity. Even in the depths of the Depression, the hunger for power made the cooperative grow.
Why it matters
Rural electrification transformed daily life across America, and cooperatives like this one show how New Deal policy and neighborly organization together lit up the farms that private utilities had passed by.
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Related people
- · Franklin D. Roosevelt
Related events
- · Rural Electrification Administration
Themes & tags
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