- - Electric Light - -
TOULON - On June 6, 1892, the board of trustees granted to Miles A. Fuller a franchise to construct and maintain an electric lighting plant, the life of said franchise to be twenty-five years. Mr. Fuller and his associates went to work almost immediately upon the plant and the result was that on the evening of December 25, 1892, the town of Toulon was lighted for the first time by electricity. Some years later the business was incorporated under the name of the
Toulon Light and Power Company. The power-house was located on Franklin street between Main and Vine, and the company not only furnished power for the purpose of light to the people of Toulon but also furnished power for pumping water for municipal waterworks.
WYOMING - On April 7, 1890, an ordinance was passed by the village board granting a franchise to R.C. Jordan & Company to light the town of Wyoming with electricity. It seems that the recipients of this favour failed to do anything under the provisions of the franchise, and on July 6, 1892, another ordinance relating to the subject was passed, giving to E.B. Hillman & Company, of Peoria, authority "
to construct, maintain, and operate an electric light and power plant," fixing the rates to be charged by the firm, and containing provisions for the purchase of the plant by the village. Soon after the passage of the ordinance, Mr. Hillman and his associates began the construction of a power-house just west of the Rock Island Railroad station, setting poles and running wires through the streets, and before the close of the year Wyoming was rejoicing in the fact that it had an electric lighting system in operation.
On November 6, 1912, the company was reorganized and incorporated for fifty years, under the name of the Stark County Power Company, with a capital stock of $20,000, held by Edwin B. Hillman, Adele S. Hillman and Edgar P. Reeder. This company also furnished power to the towns of Castleton and Bradford.
LAFAYETTE - I am uncertain of the year but an article in 1915 puts it as
"some years ago" the village board granted to Jesse A. Atherton a franchise to build, equip and operate an electric light plant. Mr. Atherton built the plant and conducted it for some time when he sold out to some parties in Galva IL.
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