By David Dary

For The Transcript

Many old-timers in the Oklahoma remember when candles, kerosene lamps and the flickering flames of fireplaces were the only means of lighting their homes at night. Such methods of lighting were still in common use in some rural areas half a century ago.

As the land run of 1889 was occurring, new inventions were being developed in the east that would bring electric lights to Oklahoma. Sir Joseph Swann in England and Thomas A. Edison on America’s east coast invented the first electric incandescent lamps during the 1870s.

In 1887, two years before the unassigned lands were opened to settlement, Nikola Tesla, an associate of Edison, introduced a system for alternating current generators that allowed for improved transmission of electricity.

After Oklahoma City, Guthrie and other towns were established, community leaders knew their towns should have electric lights to be progressive and attract residents.

The Oklahoma Ditch and Power Co. was formed in Oklahoma City. A ditch six miles long was dug from the North Canadian River (now called the Oklahoma River). It was 32 feet wide and ten feet deep with a fall of 32 feet from the river. The idea was to let the water generate electric power at a power plant constructed at Robinson and Frisco streets.

The gates were opened on Christmas Eve 1890 and the water flowed. A few light bulbs at the plant burned brightly, but the sandy banks of the ditch absorbed the river water faster than the river could keep it filled. The project was soon abandoned.

The company that tried waterpower joined with Oklahoma City Light Power Co. to build a steam driven electric power plant. It was not constructed until 1892. The steam system worked but the companies lacked sufficient funds to expand the plant size.

By 1900, Oklahoma City had a population of about 10,000. Oklahoma City Light & Power Co. provided service for 89 street arc lamps, 120 commercial arc lamps, 700 incandescent lamps in homes and 200 horsepower of electric motors. Businesses had meters but residents had a flat monthly rate. The company went into receivership.

In 1902 the Oklahoma City Light & Power Co. changed hands and was incorporated as the Oklahoma Gas & Electric Co. It received its first franchise from the city council early in 1902. With additional funds, OG&E; began to enlarge its power facilities and extend electric lines.

Before the improvements were completed, the company on Saturday nights cut all residential service because of the heavy demand of businesses in downtown Oklahoma City.

In 1902, OG&E; had 1,400 customers and over 76 miles of lines, but by 1905 there were 4,500 customers receiving service over 227 miles of lines. The company’s efficiency resulted in a 15 percent reduction of rates. By1910, when Oklahoma City’s population

exceeded 50,000, OG&E; began expanding outside of the city.

Meantime, other cities and towns in Oklahoma including Perry, Ponca City and Cherokee had electric power plants. The one in Cherokee in Garfield County was built early in the 1900s by Mayor A. J. Titus who laid out the town. Some of the plants were privately owned, but others were owned by local municipalities.

In Oklahoma City some residents believed that if a flat iron was placed on top the electric meter box, the meter would run slower and the bill would be less. When meter readers visited homes where this was tried, they were delayed by housewives running to

the meter to remove flat irons before letting the meter readers inside. Reading the meters took longer than usual.

In northeast Oklahoma, electric power plants were established in several communities before statehood including the Tulsa Water, Light and Power Co. Starting in 1913 small companies reorganized into the Public Service Company of Oklahoma (OPS). Soon it was providing electric service to much of northeastern Oklahoma. Today the OPS service area includes much of northeast, southeast and southwest Oklahoma with Tulsa as headquarters.

In Oklahoma City, headquarters for Oklahoma Gas & Electric, the company continued to expand its service areas. In 1917, OG&E; acquired the electric power systems in Norman and El Reno and installed transmission lines from Oklahoma City. OG&E; also acquired

the Enid Electric and Gas Co. expanding service into northwest Oklahoma.

Between 1917 and 1930, OG&E; purchased many other electric systems and soon served Chandler, Muskogee, Shawnee, Ardmore, Ada, Durant, Sapulpa, Holdenville, Seminole and others in western Arkansas.

In 1928, OG&E; sold all of its gas properties. Because the company’s name was so well known it did not remove the word “gas” from its name.

By the early 1930s Oklahoma power companies were expanding their service into rural areas even before President Franklin Roosevelt convinced Congress to establish the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) in 1935. OG&E; acquired Western Light and Power Co. in 1936 adding service to Woodward, Wakita and other communities in northwest Oklahoma.

In 1971, OG&E; and OPS swapped a few service territories to the benefit of both companies. Also in the 70s, power plants began to shift from natural gas to low-sulphur Wyoming coal to fuel their operations.

Today, Oklahoma, Gas & Electric, the Public Service Company of Oklahoma, 35 municipal owned electric plants, and 28 member owned non-profit rural electric cooperatives provide electric power across Oklahoma.