A power plant originally owned by the first electric co-op to receive a generation and transmission loan from the US Rural Electrification Administration (REA) has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
In May 1935, president Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order establishing REA and creating the Rural Electrification Act, a federal loan programme that brought electricity to the rural USA and launched the country’s electric co-operative movement.
This led to the creation of Federated REA, a collective of northern Iowa farmers committed to the pursuit of electrification where they lived.
The Reeve Power Plant in Hampton, Iowa, now known as the REA Power Plant Museum, was owned by Federated REA, which received a loan of US$222,000 from the REA in 1937 to build the facility.
Construction of the Reeve Power Plant began that year, and it produced its first electricity on 23 March 1938. This milestone made Federated REA the first co-op west of the Mississippi to both distribute and generate power.
After its decommission in 1974, the plant reopened in 1990 as the REA Power Plant Museum, owned by Franklin County Historical Society (FCHS). Exhibits include the plant’s original three-cylinder engine, circuit panels, transformers and REA-engraved concrete blocks.
Last December, Reeve Power Plant received National Historic Landmark designation from the US Department of the Interior as the last remaining original plant built after the 1936 Rural Electrification Act. National Historic Landmarks are sites deemed to be nationally significant in US history and culture, with notable examples including Mount Rushmore and the Statue of Liberty.
A team of FCHS volunteers is now working to get the plant designated as the National REA Museum.
The electric co-op – now known as Franklin Rural Electric Cooperative – described the story of the Reeve Power Plant as “one of hope, resilience, and a brighter future built by the hands of those who refused to be defined by darkness,” adding: “The Franklin County Historical Society’s dedication helps to preserve the spirit of hope, resilience, and effort that made electrification possible, ensuring the story continues to inspire future generations.”
