Little is known about the history of electricity in Letcher.
The Northwestern Public Service Company received an easement in 1916,
but they did not provide electricity until 1923.
The Rural Electrification Association lines were energized in this half of the county in April of 1948. Some of the farms in the Letcher community are now being serviced through REA. The Lloyd Edwards' was the first farm, located northwest of Letcher to have lights.
LETCHER TELEPHONES
Most of the Letcher telephone lines were built in the early 1900's. The early telephone office was on the south side of Main Street until it was moved to the Samis house. Harry Askew drove up and down the roads checking the lines and kept the telephones in repair.
The phones were the old crank style that were mounted on the wall. Each home had a different ring, such as two long rings or a short long short. Often there were 1- or 11 people on the line, so everyone listened to everyone else's conversations. If you wanted to call someone on a different line, you phoned Central and they would connect you. A long general ring would call everyone to the phone to them him of an emergency, a meeting, etcetera. The cost was about $13.00 a year.
Verle Skinner, Nel Crippen, and Mrs. Hank Tapken were some of the telephone operators. On March 10, 1949, the Harry Samis family moved into the Letcher Telephone office to take over the operating duties. Shirley Samis had been the chief operator for some time and Mrs. Samis would take over as relief operator.
The phones were reorganized in 1948 and 1949. Albert and Gene Latza repaired many of the bad lines after the sleet storm of March 30, 1949.
The Letcher Telephone Company was purchased on October 24, 1957, by the Sanborn Telephone Cooperative. Construction in the Letcher area was started in September of 1959, with dial conversion.
Between 1971 and 1973, one-party service and direct calling were established.
Now all the lines are buried.
WATER AND SEWAGE SYSTEM
In December of 1965, initial plans were made at a meeting to have a well, water tower, and distribution facilities plus sewage collection and treatment facilities, including a lagoon northeast of town. The system was financed by a $166,180 loan from F. H. A. and a $128,570 federal grant and $10,830 granted thorough the Department of Interior for the sewage treatment facilities.
At a special election October 18, 1966 bonds were approved by a vote of 114 favorable votes to 31 against.
Construction is expected to be completed in November of 1987 and soon a complete water and sewer system for the town of Letcher, which has a population of 300 persons, will be finished.
Presently, residents of Letcher are using private shallow wells and septic tanks. Some of the residents are not so fortunate and they had to haul water in and out and also use the outside toilets.
William Irving was the mayor, Virginia Druse the town clerk, Earl Marler was treasurer, and trustees were Glenn Lucid and Leroy Northrup at the time the new water and sewer system was installed.