HISTORIES: "Our Electric Cooperative" of Barron, Barron County, WI ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor, or the legal representative of the contributor, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Linda Mott 7 July 2000 ==================================================================== Our Electric Cooperative One of the new buildings on the local horizon is the headquarters of the Barron County Electric Cooperative at the junction of East LaSalle Ave. and highway 8, completed in 1954. The cooperative now serves approximately 6900 members on 1876 miles of line in Barron, Washburn and six adjacent counties. Following months of voluntary work by pioneer farmer leaders throughout Barron County, formal incorporation papers were filed with the State on August 21, 1936. The setting of the first pole near the city's power plant on June 19, 1937, was witnessed by hundreds of hopeful farmers who felt confident that this infant business would grow to meet their needs. John E. Olson was president of the board of directors, succeeding to that position following the death of A. G. Bilodeau, the first president. By the end of 1937, some 300 farms were being served along 175 miles of line built with a portion of the loan of $195,000 from the Rural Electrification Administration. Wholesale power was purchased from the city of Barron Municipal Utility. Through the foresight of Mr. John A. Anderson, who was Mayor of the city at that time, and who realized the importance and need of electric service to rural areas, the purchase of a new diesel generating unit was promoted so that the city of Barron could supply the needed power to the electric cooperative. The power supply served the cooperative's needs until 1947, when it became necessary to secure an additional source in the Dairyland Power Cooperative. Energy was purchased from both facilities until 1952 when Dairyland Power Cooperative assumed the full load. Incorporators of the Barron Electric Cooperative were: Nels Nelson, Henry Palmquist, Jake Hawkinson, Edwin E. Peterson and William Gohl. Eight members signed the charter at the original membership meeting. The first office was located in the Jerome Building, now the Gamble Store, then at the corner of LaSalle and 4th Street, now the PCA office, thence the 4th Street section of the present Ben Franklin Store before they purchased the Third Street Building from which they moved in 1954. The regular personnel has increased in number from three to the present thirty, several of whom are fifteen to twenty year employees. The manager, Otis Berger, has held that post since 1941. The first board of directors: A.G. Bilodeau and John E. Olson, Chetek; William Gohl, Comstock; Henry Palmquist, Barron; Alex Schnacky, Haugen; Knute Knutson, Cumberland; Willis Jerome, Barron; S.A. Carlson, Chetek, and Nels Nelson, Rice Lake. Of the three last named, Jerome and Carlson are present board members, and Nels Nelson was its treasurer from organization until his death on July 22, 1959. The area has been zoned since 1941 so that all areas have representation. Acting for the present 6900 members are the following nine man board: Willis Jerome, Raymond Falstad, Chris Abt, A.W. Fenander, S.A. Carlson, Norman Olson, Haakon Anderson, A.A. Immerfal Jr., O.G. Graven. The Barron County Electric Cooperative (Wisconsin's largest) is now a business with total assets of $3,500,000 and an annual operative revenue of just under $1,000,000. In addition to the one at Barron, there are substations at Spooner, Chetek, Clayton, Haugen and Cumberland. Membership equity in the cooperative is approximately 30%. The most phenomenal growth occurred in the decade 1939-1949 when the miles of line jumped from 315 to 1567, and members from 796 to 5,084. Area coverage is near, but the uses of electricity continue to increase and the cooperative plans ahead on that basis in order to not only maintain good service now but to meet the demands of the future. The Barron County Electric Cooperative is a valuable contributor to the economic progress of our community. --From the Souvenir Historical Album of the Barron Centennial-1960 (used by permission)