Electricity –
Irrigation
From Margaret Palmer’s scrapbook of REA articles in the
Buffalo County Historical Society's Archives:
REA – Rural Electrification Administration
July 11, 1930 – In Buffalo County 500 irrigation pumps have
been installed.
July 13, 1939 – Reports of 40 bushels to the acre wheat in
the Elm Creek area. (“Hoppers Stop Combine”)
October 1939 – Nebr. Had 29 REA districts. Used electricity
for pump irrigation, refrigerators, lights, washing machines
and other small appliances. Not for heavy farm work like
grinding.
1939 – The first electric power and irrigation district in
the county was along the Platte valley between Gibbon and
Kearney. The second one was in the Shelton area. It had 60
miles of line serving 135 consumers in Gibbon, Shelton and
Sharon townships. People were to sign up and then a plan
would be made of where the lines would be constructed.
Before electricity, farmers with pump irrigation ran their
pumps with tractors or some other gas-powered engine belted
to the pump.
August 8, 1939 – A meeting to help members and prospective
members of the Buffalo County Public Power District plan
their wiring was to be held at the IOOF Hall in Gibbon. REA
loans were obtained to pay for the lines and farmers could
get loans to wire their homes. Farmers were urged to get
their wiring contracts as soon as possible because lines
would not be built to farms which were not wired or did not
have wiring contracts. (see copy of program with poem)
and brooders Apr-May 1940 – A survey of use of electrical
appliances used in first electric district in first 13
months of operation. 90 consumers reported using
iron – 91%
radio – 88.5%
washing machine – 85%
refrigerator – 40%
poultry lighting were becoming increasingly popular
farm wives beginning to use electric brooders
REA Newsletter
First issue – April, 1940 – (see copy of radio in dairy
barns)
July, 1940 – (see copy about moths & crops irrigated)
(see copy for how to get new members)
Buffalo Tales, Volume 1, No.
6 & 7, June & July, 1978,
PART I. THE KEARNEY CANAL
1875-1886, & Part II. THE KEARNEY CANAL 1887 AND AFTER
by Gene E. Hamaker
“Two possible conclusions about
the canal's origins have been suggested by this review of
the story. First, that the original proposals were for the
development of water power, with irrigation being of
secondary, even incidental, importance. Second, that the
production of electric power was not a factor before 1887….
“When
the idea of such a canal was first formed is unknown, some
would say as early as 1873. There is no clear evidence,
however, that a need for a canal was recognized until 1875.
The hard times and grasshoppers of the mid-seventies may
have inspired the appearance of supporters before the
Buffalo County Commissioners in January of 1876.
Eight-seven persons signed a petition asking for a survey of
a canal from a point about twelve miles west of Kearney
eastwards to the bluffs north of the city. An estimate of
the practicability and cost of the canal was to be made by
the surveyor. Simon Murphy, the county surveyor, was given
the task. His report, presented in February of 1876,
estimated that a canal twelve feet wide on the bottom and
three feet deep would cost $57,660 for diversion dam, flumes
and excavation. The purpose of the canal does not appear in
the petition or the survey report….
“The
first Board of Trade in Kearney, organized April 2, 1881,
took up the scheme to build a canal from the Platte river to
the hills north of the city at its second meeting on the 7th
of April. The canal was to supply water for the city and to
provide power for milling and other manufacturing purposes….
“Indications of vigorous disputes appear in the records that
remain. Probably as a result of these, it was decided the
canal should have a capacity adequate to provide water for
power, fire protection, irrigation along the line of the
canal and, from the wasteway, "for a number of miles" below
the city….
Work
on constructing the canal began in the fall of 1882 and was
continued the following spring. “…twelve miles completed by
the summer, when available funds were exhausted….There seems
to have been some experimentation with irrigation on the
Barney place west of Deep Creek and, perhaps, at another
farm in 1883.”
George
Frank purchased controlling interest in the canal in July
1885 and further work began that fall. The canal was
finally completed in August 1886.
(Electricity)
“Kearney probably received its first electric
lights with the establishment of the Pilcher Electric Light
Company in 1885. The company provided at least some street
lights before it, or its successor, expired perhaps late in
1886.
“The Kearney Canal and Water Supply Company was
granted a franchise in June of 1887 to erect an electric
plant and distribute electricity and power.”
“A test run was made on the turbines in March of
1888 and in early April electric power was being produced
from the canal for the first time.”
Buffalo Tales, Volume 18, No. 2, March - April, 1995,
"FURNITURE THAT TALKS:" A history of KGFW and early radio in
Buffalo County by Tom Frasier
“As a
charter member of the Nebraska Reclamation Association
[Lloyd] Thomas committed his personal energy and the voice
of KGFW to bringing irrigation to the farmers of Buffalo
County and the Tri-County area.”
Buffalo Tales, Volume 26, No. 5, September - October, 2003,
Fifty Years of International Harvester Company in
Buffalo County by Howard L. Mefferd
“The
1950's witnessed a major change in the equipment used by the
Buffalo County farmer. The family farms were declining in
number and changing in character. The demand for larger
machines came at an accelerating rate, and along with the
increase in size came an even greater increase in
complexity. Crops were changing and labor intensive crops
such as sugar beets and potatoes had all but vanished from
the scene. Irrigation became a major player in the
productivity of the area and the resulting increase in crop
yield demanded more advanced machines with different methods
and larger capacities.”
Buffalo Tales, Volume 13, No. 4, April, 1990, RURAL
ELECTRIFICATION 1929-1953 by Alice Shaneyfelt Howell
Electricity is a servant, make it work for you.
Then baking days won't be so hot, or washdays be so
blue.
Your cows will be contented, with a milker fine and
bright.
The kids will like the music, from the radio at
night.
Your feed will be ground easily, your babychicks
kept warm.
The whole family will be happy, with electricity on
the farm.
--Author Unknown
“In
1929 in all of Nebraska only 5,278 farmers were served with
electricity.”
“Legislation had been sought in the state legislature by the
League of Nebraska Municipalities to grant municipal light
and power systems permission to sell electric energy within
a radius of 25 miles of their municipal boundaries, but the
politically-powerful private power groups seemed to control
the legislature and no progress was made. Finally, in the
general election in November, 1930, legislative proposals to
free cities and villages from their legal chains were
submitted to the people, and a measure providing for farm
electricity from municipal plants carried by a vote of
204,579 to 89,205.
“However, the problem of serving rural areas was still not
solved. In the six years following the legislation
permitting rural electrification, lines were constructed to
serve only 5,000 additional Nebraska farms. The cities
owning generating plants were unable or unwilling to finance
rural projects; additional generating capacity and new
equipment was necessary, the state was in the throes of a
depression, and rates charged by private power companies
were so high the small farmer could never afford it….”
1933
federal legislation allowed for the creation of “three
hydroelectric districts in Nebraska: Loup River, Platte
Valley [which included Buffalo County] and Central Nebraska
(Tri-County).”
“On
May 11, 1935, President Roosevelt, by executive order,
created the Rural Electrification Administration. One year
later the Rural Electrification Act was adopted, authorizing
a loan program to co-operatives and public power districts
for construction of rural lines. In order to encourage the
first customers, installation loans were made to individual
farmers.”
“The
REA districts had to overcome many difficulties. They were
not welcomed by the private power companies, and in truth,
it must be said that all farmers did not endorse the
program. There were stand-pat Republicans who didn't want
anything to do with a New Deal proposition, and others who
felt that electricity generated by water was inferior to
that generated by steam.”
“As
early as November of 1935, before the federal REA loan
program was adopted, a group of farmers in Buffalo County
met to plan a temporary rural electrification
organization.” At a 2-day meeting participants discussed
rural electrification and pump irrigation.
“On
January 23, 1937, the first REA board in Buffalo County was
organized….The organization was known as Buffalo County
Public Power District….The first construction contract
covered 142 miles of line and 328 farmsteads. It was
estimated that there were 202 irrigation wells on these
farmsteads….The first phase of the project was intended to
provide power from Elm Creek east to Gibbon, and the second
phase east to the Hall County line. The setting of the
first pole was a special event. It took place on May 15,
1938 on the John Hammans farm near Gibbon. The first section
of lines was energized in December, 1938. A second contract
was signed on November 9, 1938, for $130,000 for
construction of 60.5 miles of line to 132 customers. Bids
were let on April 11, 1939. Another 70 miles of line was
contracted for in May, 1941.”
“Charles A. Palmer of North Platte was appointed in June,
1939, to succeed Frank H. Wheeler as project superintendent
in the Kearney office. He headed the REA in Kearney from
that time until his retirement. It can be said without a
doubt that the success and achievements of REA in Buffalo
County were in a large part due to Charlie's guidance and
supervision.”
“Electricity for pump irrigation was a major incentive in
the development of rural electrification in Buffalo County,
and irrigation was closely tied in with REA projects….The
first water for irrigation was pumped with REA power on
March 16, 1939 at the McConnell Bros. well. Sixteen and a
half months later, on July 30, 1940, the 100th pump was
installed on the Warren Reynolds farm east of Kearney.
Buffalo County farmers felt so good about this that they
held a celebration at the Reynolds farm….Over 200 people
attended. REA officials spoke, and a transcription of the
ceremony was broadcast over KGFW Radio, recording the hum of
the pump….”
“By
the early 50s, most of the farms in Buffalo County had REA
service. The last portion of the county was the northwest
section, where a sub-station at Miller would serve remaining
portions of Sartoria, Armada, Scott and Harrison
townships,…”
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