Community and Informative Series
From the March 2008 issue of Alabama Living magazine

Article reprinted and revise by Kay Marshall

As with most anything of importance that has touched our lives, in this case the electric power porvided by Tombigbee Electric Cooperative, it is nice to revisit history and recall how it began and see how it has progressed. It helps us a sense of belonging and pride and allows us to revisit the impetus and vision of those who took a great idea and brought it to life to the benefit of others.
If you will, let us go back in time and once again look back at how and why our cooperative was formed.

In 1918, during the first Great War, Congress adjusted daylight savings time to conserve energy in times of crisis and to conserve resources for the war effort. During World War II, the United States observed daylight savings time year-round from 1942, to 1945 for the same reason. With energy - and particularly electrical energy - a focal point during his presidency, Franklin D. Roosevelt created, in 1935, the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). The following year, by act of Congress, the agency took on permanent life. REA’s goal was to provide electric power to rural America, but its method was to be indirect.

Functioning as a loan agency, the REA provided financing for the effort. The actual implementation was to be done by local people through cooperatives, which they organized for this purpose.
In 1935, only eleven percent of the rural homes in America had central station service. Almost one thousand rural electric cooperatives, which owe their existence to the REA, have electrified nearly the entire rural area of the United States. This accomplishment, more than any other one factor, closed the cultural gap that existed between rural and urban life during this era.
By 1942 the NRECA (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association) was founded to overcome World War II shortages of electric construction materials, to obtain insurance coverage for newly constructed rural electric cooperatives, and to lessen wholesale power problems.

Since those early days, NRECA has championed consumer-owned cooperatives on energy concerns as well as rural community and economic development. They now have nearly 1,000 member cooperatives that serve 36 million people in 47 states; one of which is Tombigbee Electric Cooperative.
Tombigbee Electric Cooperative arose from a need for electrical power by local citizens living in the rural areas of Marion, Lamar, and portions of Fayette Counties who could not get electrical service.

On May 12, 1941, Tombigbee Electric was incorporated in Vernon, Alabama. Nine men from Marion County and Lamar County were the incorporators. These men were John A. Mixon, Robert L. Pennington, Hezzie T. Matthews, Jessie H. Cole, Alonzo A. Prater, George P. Loden, Arthur Voce, Romie Webb, and James L. Smith.
The first board meeting of the Cooperative was held May 20, 1941, and these men worked long and hard to secure the necessary number of applications for the Cooperative to be formed. Numerous trips were made to Montgomery at their own expense.

People living in the rural regions of Marion and Lamar Counties had tried

unsuccessfully to get electricity. It was felt that those in rural Marion and Lamar County were too poor to afford electric bills as they were typically farmers who went to bed early and could not possibly use enough electricity to be profitable.Committed to making a difference, our cooperative’s founders joined forces and went house to house getting memberships. With enough members signed up for service, they went to Montgomery and organized Tombigbee Electrical Cooperative on May 12, 1941.
Construction began but was halted when World War II erupted on December 7, 1941. At war’s end, construction was restarted, and on February 12, 1946, the first lines were energized for twenty-two consumers on the road from Guin to Sulligent.
Rural electrification programs, over the years, have earned recognition as one of the nation’s great success stories. What is particularly unique about co-ops is their “Can Do” spirit. They are truly an example of democracy in action since every member-owner has a vote and a voice concerning co-operative matters. There are 1,000 electric cooperatives in the United States. Sixty years ago when electric co-ops first appeared it was said that they would never succeed; but, obviously, the will of people to join together to bring electricity to remote and rural areas was greatly underestimated and proved them wrong.

TEC’s home office was built in 1950 and suffered damage during the tornado of 1974. Reconstruction made her better than ever. Two new warehouses were added to the building complex and the co-op now has five bucket trucks to service our customers. Advancements are made each year toward economic development potential, and the cooperative is proud to be an on-going part of our communities by way of education and volunteerism. Our employees are well-trained and eager to make your experience with us a great one.

We take pride in our heritage and as we advance toward the future we shall remember our past.

Co·op·er·a·tive: (n.) An organization that is owned
or managed jointly by those who use its services.

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