Rural Electrification
Forksville, Sullivan County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
In 1936 seventy-five percent of Pennsylvania farms had no electric service. During the next five years, with Federal support, 14 consumer-owned cooperatives were formed in this State. Sullivan County Rural Electric Cooperative, serving users in Sullivan, Lycoming, and Bradford counties, was incorporated Dec. 3, 1936.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In 1936, three-quarters of Pennsylvania's farms still lacked electricity, which private companies found unprofitable to supply. With federal backing, rural families organized consumer-owned cooperatives to bring power to themselves. The Sullivan County Rural Electric Cooperative, incorporated in December 1936, wired homes and farms across Sullivan, Lycoming, and Bradford counties.
Why it matters
Rural electrification lifted isolated farm communities into the modern age and remains one of the New Deal's most tangible legacies across rural America.
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Themes & tags
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