Wiktor Wise
Life in rural America before electric companies was marked by grueling hours of work, where the labor of the entire family was required to accomplish everyday tasks. Without electricity, simple chores like washing clothes, milking cows, and hauling water from wells could take hours. Food preservation was a constant challenge, and meat and vegetables had to be canned, smoked, or fermented to last through the winter. The introduction of electricity to rural areas in the 1930s, led by the Rural Electrification Administration (REA), transformed the lives of farming communities, improving efficiency and comfort and reducing the pressure to abandon farming for city life.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year | Early 1900s |
| Power Sources | Horses, windmills, gasoline engines, wood |
| Water Source | Wells |
| Toilet | Outhouse |
| Lighting | Kerosene lamps |
| Food Storage | Iceboxes, cellars, meat smoking, canning |
| Clothing | Dried outside or in the attic |
| Milking | By hand |
| Washing | By hand or with gasoline-powered washing machines |
| Cooking | On a wood-burning stove |
| Heating | Wood stove |
| Refrigeration | Ice harvested from frozen lakes |
| Entertainment | Reading, schoolwork, mending clothing, entertaining neighbours |
| Electricity Access | Only 1 in 10 farms had electricity by 1930 |
| Rural Electrification | Rural Electrification Administration (REA) created in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Impact of Electrification | Improved illumination, reduced smoke inhalation, saved time on chores, made rural life more attractive, enabled expansion of industries |
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What You'll Learn
Manual labour
Life on a farm before electricity was introduced involved a lot of manual labour. Farm families and their hired hands, along with horses, were responsible for generating the power required to perform everyday tasks.
A United States Department of Agriculture study from 1919 found that rural families spent 10 hours a week simply hauling water from wells and springs. Water was pumped from a well and had to be hauled, bucket by bucket, to the house or barn. Wood for heating and cooking had to be cut and split by hand. Cows were milked by hand, which could take up to two hours for 20 cows, twice a day. Cleaning the house was also done by hand, using a broom, rug beater, and scrub brush.
Food preservation was a constant and monotonous chore. In the absence of refrigerators, rural families had to be inventive to keep food fresh. Some would put butter in a bucket and lower it into the well in the summer, while others harvested ice in the winter from frozen lakes to keep food cold in iceboxes. Meat was smoked, and vegetables were stored in cool root cellars during the winter.
The introduction of electricity to rural areas significantly reduced the manual labour required for these daily tasks. Electric lights replaced kerosene lamps, improving illumination and reducing smoke inhalation. Electric washing machines saved hours of manual labour, and electric pumps eliminated the need for hauling water.
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Food preservation
One common technique was drying or dehydration, which involved drying both vegetables and meat to extend their shelf life. This method has been used for thousands of years, dating back to 12,000 BC. Root cellars, underground storage spaces, were also utilized to keep root crops such as potatoes, turnips, and beets fresh. These cool underground shelters provided an ideal environment for storing these crops in barrels or crates lined with straw.
Pickling was another popular preservation method. Spices and vinegars were mixed and poured over vegetables like cucumbers, cabbage, tomatoes, and green beans to prevent spoilage. The process of pickling not only enhanced the flavour of the food but also provided essential vitamins and minerals during the nutrient-deficient winter season.
In addition to drying and pickling, smoking, curing, salting, and jugging were also employed to preserve meat. Jugging involved stewing meat, usually game or fish, in a sealed earthenware jug with brine or gravy. Red wine or the animal's own blood was sometimes added for extra flavour and preservation. These methods required significant time and labour, highlighting the arduous nature of food preservation in pre-electricity rural communities.
The introduction of electric companies and the subsequent availability of refrigeration brought about a significant improvement in food preservation. Refrigeration retards food spoilage by slowing down the growth of microorganisms and enzymes that cause food to rot. This advancement not only reduced the tedious labour of traditional preservation methods but also enhanced the diets of many individuals in rural areas.
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Sanitation
Before electricity reached rural areas, sanitation was a significant issue. The lack of running water and modern plumbing meant that basic sanitation practices were challenging. The toilet was often an outhouse in the yard, and water had to be hauled bucket by bucket from a well or an outside source. This water was then heated on a stove and used for bathing and cleaning.
The process of doing laundry was also arduous and time-consuming. Clothes were scrubbed by hand on a scrubbing board and then put through a wringer to remove excess water. They were then hung outside to dry, or in attics during the winter months. However, due to the cold, clothes often froze instead of drying.
The absence of electric pumps and washing machines meant that basic household chores required a lot of physical labour and time. Milking cows by hand, for example, could take up to two hours for 20 cows, and this had to be done twice a day.
The introduction of electricity to rural areas brought about significant improvements in sanitation and overall health. Electric pumps provided running water to homes, and washing machines reduced the time and effort required for laundry. The availability of electric lights also meant that kerosene lamps were no longer needed, reducing smoke inhalation and improving indoor air quality.
The Rural Electrification Administration (REA), established in 1935, played a crucial role in bringing electricity to rural communities. Through low-interest loans and cooperative efforts, rural areas gained access to the benefits of modern sanitation and improved living standards.
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Lighting
Farm families had little time for leisure, working from sunrise to sunset. After dark, they would gather around the lamp on the kitchen table or in the parlour to socialise, sing, play cards, or listen to the phonograph or radio. Radios were expensive and powered by batteries, so listening to them was a special occasion.
The introduction of electricity to rural areas brought significant changes to lighting. Electric lights replaced kerosene lamps, improving nighttime illumination and reducing smoke inhalation, benefiting overall health. This transformation was made possible by the Rural Electrification Administration (REA), established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935. The REA provided loans and technical assistance to rural communities, who played a crucial role in organising cooperatives, signing up customers, and demonstrating responsible borrowing practices to the government.
The process of electrifying rural areas faced initial resistance from private utility companies, who deemed it unprofitable due to the high costs of building infrastructure in sparsely populated regions. However, with government subsidies and the formation of cooperatives, the electrification of rural areas became a reality, improving the efficiency of work and the comforts of home life.
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Economic impact
The economic impact of electrifying rural areas was significant, transforming the lives of rural communities and boosting productivity in agriculture.
Before the arrival of electricity, rural economies were almost entirely dependent on agriculture. Tasks were labour-intensive and time-consuming, requiring the work of entire families and hired help. Without electricity, water had to be hauled from wells, cows were milked by hand, and washing was done by hand or with the help of a gasoline-powered washing machine. Lighting was provided by kerosene or gas lanterns, which produced less light and required regular maintenance.
The introduction of electricity brought numerous benefits to farms and rural homes. Electric milking parlours and refrigerated storage tanks reduced losses due to spoilage, while electric heat lamps and watering systems improved egg production. Electric lighting improved visibility and reduced smoke inhalation, improving overall health. Washing machines saved countless hours of housework, freeing up time for other tasks. These improvements made rural life more attractive, reducing the incentive to move to cities.
However, the spread of electrification to rural areas faced significant challenges due to the high costs of connecting remote farms to the grid. Utility companies were reluctant to serve rural customers, arguing that farmers were unprofitable due to their low electricity consumption and the high costs of building transmission lines to sparsely populated areas. As a result, electricity costs for rural customers were often significantly higher than for urban customers.
The situation began to change after 1935, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration (REA). The REA offered low-interest government loans for constructing power lines in rural areas, which were borrowed primarily by nonprofit electric cooperatives. These cooperatives were formed by groups of rural residents who organised themselves to bring electricity to their communities. By 1953, more than 90% of U.S. farms had electricity, and today, almost all farms have electric service.
The economic impact of electrification extended beyond agriculture, as factories and businesses were now more inclined to locate in areas with readily available electric power. The formation of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA) in 1942 provided a unified voice for cooperatives and helped represent their interests in Washington, D.C. The legacy of these efforts is still felt today, with hundreds of rural cooperatives providing power and other essential services to their members.
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Frequently asked questions
Before the arrival of electric companies, toilets in rural areas were typically outhouses located in the yard.
In the absence of refrigerators, people in rural areas had to find alternative ways to preserve food. Common methods included canning meat and vegetables, smoking meat, and fermenting cabbage to make sauerkraut. Additionally, they would store vegetables in cool root cellars during the winter months.
Obtaining water was a time-consuming and labor-intensive task. People had to haul water bucket by bucket from wells and springs, often spending many hours a week on this chore.
Before electricity, the labour of the entire farm family, including their hired hands, horses, and windmills, provided the power needed to accomplish everyday tasks. Additionally, stationary gasoline engines were occasionally used to operate specific equipment like washing machines and pumps.
