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<br />H01,108First 25 Years Marked By Morgan
<br />County RuralElectr~c This Year
<br />
<br />Chastain
<br />La Plata
<br />
<br />Named
<br />Manager
<br />La Plata Electrtc Association has a
<br />new manager Vi'ith the reUrement of
<br />G. W. Granger in- Fe,bruary. Presidept
<br />Terry Robinson .of Pagosa Springs an,'
<br />".' '_nounced,-jhe, ~ppointment,-,(if _H\,1gh,;E..
<br />"C.f-;~tliip.,.tO,~~llMltion b1th~'-BQlll'_d" "
<br />:o{'DJre~_N._,_, " '_ ", ;'
<br />,p". -~Grir~fer "became, _tn1j..n_~gl!r':i~ Mi!Y;<
<br />""-:,1{~~~-t~~ ~~.)~4~;(~t~;,.~~~._,~;.~_~~,: '"
<br />
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<br />These are the men who shapeithe destinies of the Morgan County Rura_1 Electric Associatl,on.. ih 'the. late. 19S6s;
<br />five of them remain active today on the boord of dir,ectors. left to right, standing: Ernest Rosener', president of the
<br />board from 1937 to 1941, and a member of the board until 1956. Mr: Rosener died in 1,961; Glenn Trewet, dir~ctor,
<br />now deceased; C. C. Daily, board president ruday; Q. S. More, first superintendent; ~Iph Hende.rs~n, ret!';ed boa~~
<br />member, who lives in Fori MorgaOJ N. C. Wagers, who has served on stale and nattond! bOl?rds, In a~drtron to- .hls
<br />work locally; Bill Tormohlen, who continues his work -for REA af~er 2S _ years: Se(lted, Rar .~dnno". f~rst se~retary;
<br />tfarry Bigler, who resigned from the board In ,19~1;,George White, present board-member; Jim remerson, first attor-
<br />ney. an'd Ora Kinnamon, board member, now deceased,
<br />The National Rural Electric Assoda-
<br />tlOl'1 celebrated its SUver Anniversary
<br />in 1960, commemorating the May 11,
<br />1935 date when President Franklin D.
<br />Roosevelt signed the REA Act, and the
<br />resulting development of the nation's
<br />rural areas.
<br />The Morgan County Rural Electric
<br />wasn't Quite that old in 1960-but now,
<br />in 1962, it is ready to mark its own fi~t
<br />25 years, and to take note of the f~Ct
<br />that it 'Was one of the early associations .
<br />in rural electric h!.'ltory, and is one
<br />which has built, an enviable local and
<br />:national reputation,
<br />The auodlltloQ became an entlty
<br />AprU,28, 1837, wbeQ the Colorado
<br />SlH;:re!uy 01 Side Wiled e' certifi.
<br />cde of authority to the new ...0- .
<br />clal1oQ,
<br />A little over a year later. May ~1,
<br />1936, the Co-op began receiving ,Public
<br />Service Company power at the fin;t
<br />sub-station at'Brush.
<br />, No one dreaDied then that the'
<br />groundwork had been laid for a multl~
<br />ml1llon dollar operation, serving five
<br />.counties.
<br />First loan apPllcation for $250,000
<br />was made March 31, 1937. It was ap-
<br />proved tor 246 miles of construction in
<br />the east end of Morgan county, to serve
<br />i144 members. Less than a year la~r,
<br />January 22, 1938, the board accepted" a
<br />construction bid of $:166,824.49 to build
<br />lines within 75 days to give farmers
<br />electric energy for irrigation welLs by
<br />Moy,
<br />Completion of the east section of the
<br />project May 1, 1938, was marked by
<br />i1peclal ceremonies five days later.
<br />Almost Immediately the board faced
<br />the problem of obtaining additional
<br />power. Joint action of the Co-op and the
<br />City of Fort Morgan, which, held, a
<br />special eleetiou June 12, 1939. to au-
<br />thorize purchMe of power from ihe
<br />Bureau of Reclamation, brought about
<br />the construction of Bureau linea from
<br />Greeley to Brush. The new contract
<br />with the Bureau saved the Co-op ap-
<br />proximately ,24 percent on its power
<br />bill,
<br />Now the west end of the project was
<br />planned, and an additional loan for
<br />4325,000 asked for co1\$tructlon. It was ,
<br />approved Aprl119, 1939.
<br />There were Origltlal1y two sub-sta-
<br />ttons, at Brush and Wlgginll. Land for
<br />the Brush station was given by the
<br />Morgan County Commissioners; for the
<br />,Wiggins substation by board member.
<br />HarI'YBigter.
<br />Now there are ten 5000 !tv stations,
<br />the others being at Hoyt, Orchard., Pros~
<br />peet Valley, Woodrow, South Woodrow,
<br />Morgan. Messex and Adena.
<br />Bllildlng of, several of these sub-
<br />:stations was a necessIty because of 011
<br />development in Morgan county. begin-
<br />ning in 1952. This brought a sizeable
<br />increase in revenue to the association;
<br />Ilome 450 to 500 oll industry acco,unts
<br />were added to tile rural electric books.
<br />The oU development presented no.
<br />treat probtem, since all lines installed
<br />:sInce the ,beginning ot the project were
<br />heavy three-phase lines.
<br />
<br />"
<br />
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<br />~, '-:;;; -i~:..2~"n;", '''~<>'';'~'~;~f;_~~'~'(:,::;V~-''':,''
<br />
<br />Chastain hll1r lieen asSistililt manager
<br />since M_8y, i946. He graduated' from
<br />Q. S. More wlIS-the-flrst mllJiager,and ColotadO University in 1939 anti first
<br />the flrst' attorney was' Jim Patterson. taught school._ He' served as a N'svy
<br />bo electronics officer in: 'World, Will: n,
<br />Monian,C:ounty rural electric has r:. is mlll:ried' and- has two- children__.
<br />rOwecl'..$5;733;4;53;08-'frOm_ th:e__govern- Cliftollj'- a s~l'Iiot- at' ,C'stral'l't;l:- CaJ:bl
<br />ment,., ail9-" is paying apptoxln'iately JelIn Buswell who is,married:titld',lives'
<br />$70;000 l'ryear in 'iriteI'llsUt'lms repaid In' DeliVlil'.
<br />lllorEi'than' $Z%.mfI1ion'on tlie:prlIici~a-1,'
<br />including more than $h'4 niillion repaid Chastalli is a fO'rmer"secttllltrY of the
<br />IIhe'll.d ,of s~edu1e. La piatil C'olin'fy ~ocra\k _Cen"triU
<br />Membarsh,iphall groWn- from ~ Committee. Rei!! serving:a-~orid term
<br />lOa-~e~.;!.ljIi~;tigl.1rtrof4.144. as-seCretary,_of School Di,africt.9",Rr
<br />These meMbers have 'received, re- State ',Board _'of Education,. is chair-
<br />fUnds shiee: 1952 of"more :thaD- e man of,the,I';'a PlaIa ,County, Vn,ited
<br />million cIoll~s"lhe_,r(jfllnd. rtipre_ Fund;'dis,trict'comfuission ()f ~he -..v:est-
<br />senl;"H- ap:Pto}Clri'l. .., eil 15- percel1l eni 'Colorado Covn:cU _of th,e':J30y..ScOuta
<br />~... of .A,Jnerica and Vi~.chaitIiian of_:ilie:
<br />of the ~ergr_cllar9:es." I;.a_ plata CoUnty R,!A:- _cross: He alsi:l-
<br />, 'A'Ce;ra!l;e PoV\'er-uSe ~s incre~e.d s~rved;'fo~'y'e;lts.as Ci"il,nefense'di~
<br />'ft6~;2~0 .kwh wrmontl\ m-1949 to 5~ rector tor La:-PlatiFC/.iunty Ilna'CitY' ~
<br />last year,.~ 135-pe;l,'Cent'mcrea_se--ov~r :Ouriufgo:
<br />tlie )l:eahl, The assoc!a~Qn)ought about John E; MiirpbY, tlie new asSistant.
<br />500,OOO--kwH frOin the Bureau in the managerllfLa:Plata',l!l1ectric,-was b'Otn
<br />earJr dars of tl'ie system; m 1961 they and 'reared' ,II_eat: _ DUrango. DWing
<br />pUl:cha,sed n!},350,00~0 kwh, World Will: II he serve_d 'with'_ the 14th
<br />Reasqns fot:_suc'cess of the $.ssociation ' Ilrmored diVision'in the European cam~
<br />are that it, was ,ready_ for grow~h when paign. He attended the University of
<br />It csme, because of ' the heavy tllhe- Cirtcinnatl,' and was employed for sev-'
<br />]ihM_e lines, good lo;tcations for ~ub- eral years 1n the exploration depart_
<br />stations, and a gD9d: record on pay. ment of Stanolind Oil Co. He joined
<br />ments. Board memhl1:rs 'have been con- La Plata as an ,engit).eer in June, 1949.
<br />ser-vatlve in their al?proach to'run the and has also handled power use ac-
<br />assocIation as,they would run a private t!vit!es. .
<br />bllSltlesil. Muq,hy is active in the Elks Lodge, .
<br />8ig project for 1962 Is the con. vice president of Kiwanis, and chair.
<br />lItntdiOl1 of a new $315.000 head_ man of the La. Plata County Democratic
<br />lJUtU't'l'1l_bullding, which.will prop_ Central' Committee. He and his wire,
<br />,erly- repreSent Ihe b,ig business Mary, live at 1624 ElI!t1awn- Avenue
<br />which Morgan c;:'ounly has become in Durango with the1r three children
<br />in its f"Jr.lt 25 years. Michael, Patrick and Judy Kay. '
<br />
<br />The firsl direclors had difficlllly-
<br />in plirsuadlng Washington officials
<br />that it WilS _ practical lei buUd the
<br />three.phase lines in this Wes:fern
<br />counirf. Bul, the _di1'8C:1ors ,enfi-
<br />SiODed ,the ",irrigation wells wJ:tic:h
<br />have. iIl,Creuitd- h:om .250 10- 1448,
<br />aQ~,:they refused 10 '1l~t1e.for lines.
<br />'lnad!i!Clu~e,for Ihe jol>.: lI1Ues of
<br />Iin.es' have-'lncreased Hom 500 to
<br />270~-- , ".
<br />V1sfon . of. the. _early directors. ,has
<br />been-acknowledged. over and over,',as
<br />the -association has g~own.
<br />Four ot the or1glnaL'board memben
<br />are, stl11 serving: C. C. Daily; wno- is
<br />Mud 'president today, ,.N. C. 'Wagers,
<br />Wm: F. Totmohlen- and -George. White.
<br />J. R. Hendef.$on retired fro'iri,th'e' boal;'d
<br />som~ -rc:~rn ago, 'and'stillllves' ~n,.Fot'f
<br />:f!!organ. 'Harry Bigl~_r, ot, Vliggms- re~
<br />si,gned from' the I.loard'-In 19'61: Now
<br />deceased at'(! Glenn Trewet;, Ore'Kinna-
<br />mon. and EJ;'!lest Rosener:Rosener, ffrst
<br />bo~~d ~,i'esident, died',in,1961. .
<br />~sent boaM' members, in addition
<br />to the original lour, are- Vester'Carder,
<br />Ed-w. Pumphrey, Jr., Jim Kammerer,
<br />Harold '8c.hocke, al1,d RoY:J:ohllSQn.'
<br />. It was Ray Cannon; then- ,Morgan
<br />county agricultural agent, - who, ill
<br />credited with sparking the first alforn
<br />to;;vard rural elecitrificati.9U'in Morgan
<br />county. He_ appointed the nine' men,
<br />representing different districts of the
<br />.::ounty, who laid the' groundwork for
<br />the IlIlsociation; These were the - ~e
<br />who stayed on to make lip the first
<br />board of diredors.
<br />
<br />White River Electric Began With
<br />Meager Equipment,.Now Serves 1148
<br />
<br />White Jliver EleCtriy, Association: Inc.
<br />of Meeker. is not' as old In liOiJlt,of
<br />time as several others in COlorado; but
<br />the same' moUves insPired, ~he ~ornia-
<br />tion of the' cooperative on 'Noyijmber
<br />17, 1945, which was to relieVe rliral
<br />families, in that portion o,f n9rj;h'Western'
<br />Colorado of an immense aniount of
<br />drudgery ,and inconvenience.
<br />Thls,:firat,~ resulted in p(lwer
<br />being turned' into the lines July 1', 1946,
<br />which brought nearly 500 conlrllmers
<br />into a modern world o,f l~-o-:ing. SinCe
<br />that time the nwnber' of users has ln~
<br />creased to 1146,
<br />First board of directors and incorpor-
<br />aton consisted mostly 9l ranchers and
<br />tarmers. They were 'Arthur H, _Amick,
<br />John ,Van Cleave, IWwne T. McKinnon,
<br />Arthur Lammers; George F, Wellman,
<br />Fred A. Nichols, Eddie Wilson, Eugene
<br />V. Davis, Milo Love, Stuart McL~ugh_
<br />line and Hugh L. Caldwell. Most of
<br />the eleven are descendants of the
<br />original settlers in':the White :River
<br />Valley.
<br />Arthur. R. Amick became tile first
<br />"president; _ vice president was, ~gene
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<br />V; Davis, secretary was John Van
<br />Cleave; and treasurer was Arthur tam~
<br />Itlertl. ' .
<br />Like _othE!r rural electric systems,
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<br />they came_ into-, operatlon by _a lot of
<br />effort on: th~ part _ of, neighborhood
<br />leaders.' :rh~ .bwludoo 'Women who. '
<br />(Continued on pjlge 5)
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<br />This picture token by Bert Rosenlund, (I director, shows the Bol:lrd of
<br />DlTe~tOl"s of White River Electric Association In~., in March of 1960. - Most of
<br />them had a large part in formation of IhG associotion. Left 10 right: Tom
<br />Franks, Carl Anderson, Hen-ry' Jacobs, Alfred George, Robert White, E. L.
<br />Cunningham, Herb Gordon (attorney), Floyd Liseshke, Roger Purdy (manager),
<br />Walter Palmer, Dick Sprod and Bernie Stephenson,
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