Rural Electrification
Woodcock Township, Crawford County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Here on August 5, 1936, the State's first rural electric pole was placed by the Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Incorporated on April 30, 1936, this was Pennsylvania's first such cooperative. By 1941, thirteen more had been formed in this State.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On August 5, 1936, the first rural electric pole in Pennsylvania was set into the ground here by the Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Incorporated that April, it was the state's very first such cooperative, formed by farmers determined to bring power to homes the private utilities had passed by. Its example spread quickly, and thirteen more co-ops followed within five years.
Why it matters
This spot marks the beginning of rural electrification in Pennsylvania, part of the nationwide movement that finally lit America's countryside.
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Related events
- · Rural Electrification Administration
Themes & tags
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