Background Information for Teachers
In the early years of the twentieth century, electric power dramatically changed the domestic and professional lives of Americans in urban areas. Farmers and residents of rural areas continued to live without electricity for quite some time beyond their counterparts in the city. Change came more slowly to rural areas because the privately owned and operated power companies considered the extension of their lines to rural areas too costly for the minimal return they would receive.
With farmers already reeling from the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt sought to alleviate hardships and increase farmers" standard of living. Part of this effort included his creating the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) by executive order. Congress supported the REA through the release of $100 million in emergency funds to bring electrical power to rural areas.
Power companies were privately owned and many of those owners found the creation of the REA symbolic of the intrusive nature of the New Deal and worked to curb what they perceived as an abuse of government power. In Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, this disagreement escalated to a conflict that came to be known nationally as the "Battle of the Pole Holes."
Prior to the creation of the REA, only 10 percent of Pennsylvania's rural population had access to electricity. Though they desired the benefits of electricity, local farmers often had opinions about which private power company should supply their area and which company would be least expensive. In the Cumberland County "Battle of the Pole Holes," local farmers, desiring association with the newly incorporated Adams Electric Cooperative headquartered in Gettysburg, followed the work of Pennsylvania Power and Light (PP+L) crews by cutting down the poles and filling in the newly dug pole holes prior to the of installing lines. After several court battles, compromises were instituted to protect the territorial rights of companies and open electric lines to rural Pennsylvanians.
This lesson will look at the impact of rural electrification, the "Battle of the Pole Holes" conflict, and the role of government and the Rural Electrification Administration.
With farmers already reeling from the Great Depression, Franklin Roosevelt sought to alleviate hardships and increase farmers" standard of living. Part of this effort included his creating the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) by executive order. Congress supported the REA through the release of $100 million in emergency funds to bring electrical power to rural areas.
Power companies were privately owned and many of those owners found the creation of the REA symbolic of the intrusive nature of the New Deal and worked to curb what they perceived as an abuse of government power. In Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, this disagreement escalated to a conflict that came to be known nationally as the "Battle of the Pole Holes."
Prior to the creation of the REA, only 10 percent of Pennsylvania's rural population had access to electricity. Though they desired the benefits of electricity, local farmers often had opinions about which private power company should supply their area and which company would be least expensive. In the Cumberland County "Battle of the Pole Holes," local farmers, desiring association with the newly incorporated Adams Electric Cooperative headquartered in Gettysburg, followed the work of Pennsylvania Power and Light (PP+L) crews by cutting down the poles and filling in the newly dug pole holes prior to the of installing lines. After several court battles, compromises were instituted to protect the territorial rights of companies and open electric lines to rural Pennsylvanians.
This lesson will look at the impact of rural electrification, the "Battle of the Pole Holes" conflict, and the role of government and the Rural Electrification Administration.
Further Reading
Severson, Harlan. Miracle Blessing: Rural Electrification in Pennsylvania. Harrisburg, PA: Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association, 1977.
This is the story of rural electrification in Pennsylvania and how it changed the way of life for thousands of rural families. It includes a number of photographs to illustrate the period.
Web Sites
Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission
http://www.puc.state.pa.us/utilitychoice/whatis.aspx?ut=ec
Current information on electric choice is provided on the site as well as links to the eleven electric distribution companies in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association http://www.prea.com/Content/default.asp
This is the official homepage of the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association. It provides background information about the organization, a brief history, and contains a link to Penn Lines, a monthly magazine that discusses various issues for consumers and provides some articles chronicling the history of the PREA.
TVA: Electricity for All http://newdeal.feri.org/tva/tva10.htm
This is an excellent five-page source for background information on the importance of rural electrification written by contemporaries in the 1930s.
Current information on electric choice is provided on the site as well as links to the eleven electric distribution companies in Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association http://www.prea.com/Content/default.asp
This is the official homepage of the Pennsylvania Rural Electric Association. It provides background information about the organization, a brief history, and contains a link to Penn Lines, a monthly magazine that discusses various issues for consumers and provides some articles chronicling the history of the PREA.
TVA: Electricity for All http://newdeal.feri.org/tva/tva10.htm
This is an excellent five-page source for background information on the importance of rural electrification written by contemporaries in the 1930s.
