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The R.E.A. Power Plant
was the first farmer-owned Rural Electric Cooperative west of the
Mississippi River built in 1938. |
Display of
how power usage has changed over the last 80 years. |
Electric appliances from
yesteryear. |
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Original Power Plant
generators. |
Original Power Plant generator
control system. |
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A History of the
R.E.A. Museum |
In the early 1930’s only
10% of the farms in the United States used electricity for home and
farm purposes. 90% labored the hard way.
May 1935 – President Franklin Roosevelt created and signed the Rural
Electrification Act. This money provided money to help farmers build
distribution lines only.
March 1936 – First publicity in Hampton Chronicle: “Are you interested in
Rural Electrification?”
February 10, 1937 – Federated REA (six counties: Franklin, Hardin, Wright,
Butler, Grundy and Hancock) and Central REA (Pocahontas) were each
incorporated at Ft. Dodge.
February 15, 1937 – Due to prohibitive power charges by electrical plants,
Federated asked for a loan of $222,000 from the REA fund. This was a new
approach for farmers to build their own generating plant. This loan was
granted.
March 1938 – Federated (Reeve) lines were generated. “First Coop in the
nation to put farmer-owned generated electricity out on farmer-owned
lines.” The first diesel engine is still in the plant. There were a total
of four engines when the plant was in full operation (the last engine
foundation being poured the day of the infamous November 11, 1941
blizzard). The other three engines were removed before the plant was given
to the Historical Society.
May 1938 – Central (Pocahontas) lines were energized. They had borrowed
power from the Reeve plant from March to May.
1948-1950 – Peak period of operation and Reeve Federated then became one
of 14 Coops to create Corn Belt Power at Humboldt. Reeve was used as a
sub-station for several years.
1988 – Don Yadon of Hampton donated the plant to the Franklin County
Historical Society.
1989 – The REA Power Plant Committee under the auspices of the Franklin
County Historical Society was formed to renovate the Power Plant. They
worked to get it on the National Register of Historic Places, extensively
cleaned the structure, and installed new windows, a new roof, painted the
interior and opened with an “Open House” in the fall of 1990. Funds for
the restoration were from a REAP Grant, donations from the six counties in
the original Federated group, Corn Belt Power, and other interested groups
and individuals. Over 1800 hours of work was donated by individuals from
the community. Since that time the committee has done much work to display
what life was like before and after the advent of electricity to rural
areas.
2002 – The REA Power Plant Museum was selected as a Point of Interest in
the Silos and Smoke Stacks National Heritage Area. |
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