EREC Celebrates 75 Years At Annual Meeting

April 27, 2014

Escambia River Electric Cooperative members held their 75th Annual Meeting Saturday at Northview High School.

In 1937, the first meeting was held to organize Escambia River Electric Cooperative, Inc. at the  Oak Grove Community House. By lamplight, several prominent community leaders laid out the  blueprints for the formation and operation of EREC.

After Congress passed the Rural Electrification Act of 1936, which made loans available for  the establishment of rural electric cooperatives, widespread rural electrification began. The
formation of cooperatives in other parts of the country stimulated the interest of local leaders  such as C. R. Walker, E. H. Lundy, J. L. Robbins and County Agent J. G. Hudson. They
continued to move forward with their plans even though they were often met with opposition and  skepticism.

On March 10, 1939, Escambia River Electric Cooperative, Inc. was born when the incorporators met at the American National Bank building in Pensacola to pass the bylaws, which would
establish the cooperative and make their dream a reality. The cooperative’s first month of  operation brought them 88 members. Since that time, the cooperative has grown to serve
approximately 10,000 members in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties with over 1,800 miles of  energized line.

Pictured top:  The group Highway Home performs just before the start of the Escambia River Electric Cooperative 75th Annual Meeting Saturday afternoon at Northview High School. Pictured inset: EREC members register to vote for trustees. Pictured below top: Hundreds of EREC members attended the event. Pictured below middle: Children of EREC members win prizes. Pictured bottom: The Northview High School FFA offered BBQ lunch plates to attendees. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

One Response to “EREC Celebrates 75 Years At Annual Meeting”

  1. rosa lee pugh-miller on April 28th, 2014 3:52 pm

    i remember when we received electricity in Barreneau Park, everyone was so careful to turn the lights off and not use too much elec