Central Wisconsin Electric Coop lights area for 75 years

By GREG BLUM Reprinted with permission of CWEC

As many of you already know, this is the 75 th anniversary for our Cooperative which started in Waupaca in 1937. The story actually starts many years before that as cities started getting electricity in earnest in the 1920s. But farmers and rural areas were much more depressed. Droughts, low commodity prices, and the depression left rural America in the dark. Franklin D. Roosevelt saw the importance of electricity in transforming lives as Senator and Governor of New York. He also recognized the stark difference between those in the city who had electricity and those in the country who did not. On May 11 of 1935, then President Roosevelt signed an executive order creating the Rural Electrification Administration also called the REA, which many of our long time members still call us. What many dont recall or know though is that the REA was created so investor owned utilities could get low interest loans if they built lines out into the rural areas. Unfortunately, the investor owned utilities declined to take part since they would not make enough money building miles of line for a few farmers. That is when farmers decided to take matters in their own hands by getting legislation passed to form cooperatives, a business structure in which the farmers paid $5 for membership and a share of democratic ownership in the venture. In Waupaca County this started in 1937 with thirteen men who wanted electricity. They met at country schools, churches and kitchen tables and formed their own cooperative. They then went to the REA and secured loans, and formed what later became Central Wisconsin Electric Cooperative. Things of course did not go without a hitch. When Wisconsin Power and Light heard a cooperative was being formed, they decided they better have some meetings to convince farmers that they (WPL) would build a line to their farms, if the farmers would just quit this Cooperative nonsense. The response from Pete Johnson was to hell with you. WPL then started building lines called Spite Lines, where they would start building a line without any intention of finishing it, thus allowing WPL to claim the territory from the cooperative by filing with the state making it illegal for the coop to build lines. Another hurdle was WWII, when copper supplies were needed for the war effort, which slowed the cooperatives progress, although the investor-owned utilities used their power and clout to secure materials the coop couldnt. Not to be deterred, these brave men carried on, with, I am sure, adequate motivation from their wives who wanted an iron, washing machine, water pump and radio. On May 6, 1937, Waupaca Electric Cooperative was incorporated and the real work began. Easements had to be secured from farmers, and new members signed up. Finally, on October 3, 1939, the first section of line was energized without much fanfare, because they were more concerned about what was yet to be done than stopping to celebrate. Sounds like a pretty dedicated bunch. First 13 members of Waupaca Electric Cooperative were: P.M. Johnson, Iola KM Sannes, Scandinavia William Selmer, Iola Ed Leer, Iola Erick Solberg, Iola Charles Winter, Big Falls Merton Lombard, Manawa HC Schmidt, Iola AC Rasmussen, Ogdensburg PN Egeland, Ogdensburg CW Zietlow, Iola Albert Eisner, Manawa Almo Larson, Farmington.

Waupaca Electric Cooperative merged with Marathon Portage Electric Cooperative in 1948 to form Central Wisconsin Electric Cooperative. The following narrative relates how Marathon Portage Electric Cooperative was formed. Marathon Portage Electric Cooperative was incorporated on October 1, 1940, three years after Waupaca Electric Cooperative. It would be a very tough beginning for the new cooperative and it would test the resolve of those nine original members. The first order of business was to accept those nine pioneers as members of the cooperative and to make them Directors of the new entity. Discussion was then held to start planning the new system, setting up the territory and applying to the REA for approval of funds. The new cooperative also discussed whether a merger with Waupaca Electric right away would kick start the cooperative, but the REA response was that Waupaca Electric Cooperative had enough to do and there were enough farms in Marathon and Portage to ensure success alone. This ended the discussion on a merger, but the lack of a merger would haunt the Cooperative over the next few years. The REA approved $190,000 in loan funds in 1941 and work began to secure an office and engineer the system, but as in life, timing is everything. The war broke out. On February 10, 1942 the REA sent a letter to the Cooperative telling them all new projects will be abandoned because of the war effort. The Cooperative would have to wait and it would cost the Coop dearly. Wisconsin Public Service Corp (WPS), an investor-owned utility, began building lines in the Coop territory skimming off the areas most profitable. The Cooperative was powerless to stop them and the coops service territory was gutted. Finally, in 1944, the War Production Board granted approval to the Cooperative to build 115 miles of line serving 299 members. WPS held a conference in which they asked the Coop to abandon their plan, the Coop declined. WPS then offered to sell the Coop the lines they built in the Coops area. They offered a price the Coop accepted, but it would have to be approved by the State Commission.

Again WPS pulled a fast one on the Coop by informing all the farmers the hearing was about WPS abandoning the lines to their farms, a decision which the Commission certainly would not approve. WPS also had promised that the Coop could build lines through territory it pilfered saying it would no longer hamper the Co-ops program. Of course, WPS changed their mind and kept building spite lines in the Cooperatives area. One such line was built by Frank Klemans farm. Frank was one of the original members of the Marathon Portage Electric Cooperative in 1940, and served as the President of the Cooperative since 1940. On December 3, 1945 he reluctantly and sadly tendered his resignation because; he could not be a member and would be served by WPS. The Marathon Portage Electric Cooperative would miss his dedication, leadership, and loyalty. He expressed his hope that WPS would sell the line to the Cooperative someday. Finally, on December 12, 1945, Frank Kleman presided (although not as a member) over a small celebration energizing the very first section of line of Marathon Portage Electric Cooperative. The next year, the directors voted to merge with Waupaca Electric Cooperative to start the consolidation in 1948 forming Central Wisconsin Electric Cooperative. It is truly amazing that Marathon Portage Electric Cooperative survived the war and the shenanigans of WPS. It took loyalty, perseverance, and a vision to a better future for those original members to succeed. We are greatly indebted to those men and others who shared in the trials and successes to get us here today. Original nine members of Marathon Portage Electric Cooperative were: Frank Kleman, Hatley John Essex, Custer Harry Kluck, Wittenberg Frank Wlasek, Knowlton Chas Dallman, Mosinee Harvey Woodward, Schofield Max Kawleski, Stevens Point Leo Zynda, Hatley Walter Cychosz, Custer