History

In 1939, a group of rural farmers and homeowners from Baldwin, Jones, and Putnam counties began the effort to bring electricity to rural middle Georgia. Tri-County Electric Membership Corporation was officially chartered on December 28, 1939. The members of the cooperatives' first board of directors were W.H. Roberts, W.B. Williams, Mrs. George Stallings, J.P. Blasengame, M.E. Webb, Frank L. Denham, W.J. Beall, W.C. Evans, and T.W. Scott.

According to Myrtice Roberts, a Tri-County EMC employee for twenty-seven years, "People were so excited about getting electricity that they were eager to cut their own right-of-way and help pull the wires."

Signing up the new members was only the beginning. Getting the poles and wire to the new members' homes proved a challenge. While trucks transported poles and other materials to the construction site, the actual work of digging holes, setting poles, and pulling up the wire was done by hand. Bucket trucks would not arrive on the scene for another twenty years. In places where trucks would not go, ingenuity and hard work were the only vehicles left. Often, mules were used to pull poles through densely wooded or swampy areas.

On September 12, 1940, forty miles of line were energized, and 273 Tri-County members experienced electric service for the first time. At the end of World War II, Tri-County's linemen had cleared right-of-way for and built 325 miles of line, all by hand, serving 751 rural homes and businesses. The average customer used 139 kilowatt-hours per month and paid an average bill of $4.76. The cooperative had nine full-time and seven part-time employees.

But for the members, the fascination was suddenly and finally having electric power. Many rural residents vividly remember this moment and consider it one of the most significant events during their lives.

Claude Comer, who served the cooperative for forty years, spoke of turning on the power for the first time. "You ought to have seen the expression on people's faces when their lights first came on."

In 1959, Tri-County EMC constructed a new headquarters office on Highway 129 S in Gray. The cooperative also purchased property on Highway 44 in Eatonton to serve as a North District Office. Later, property was purchased in Eatonton on Recreation Road adjacent to the Putnam Law Enforcement Center. In 2000, a new customer service and payment center was constructed at this site. In 2001, Tri-County completed a new headquarters office in Gray on the site of the existing headquarters building and operations center.

The area served by Tri-County EMC continues to enjoy vibrant growth. From 1980 to 2000, the number of accounts served by the cooperative more than doubled. The development of Lake Sinclair and Lake Oconee attracted new residents and subsequently drew commercial and retail businesses to Putnam and Baldwin counties. The appeal of all of the communities within the Tri-County service area continues to keep growth rates well above three percent each year.

The cooperative continues to offer opportunity through electric energy to the member owners served by Tri-County EMC. A dedication to cooperative principles and a commitment to responsible corporate citizenship keeps Tri-County's directors and employees resolved to community involvement, leadership, and economic development. Work toward greater reliability and affordable rates continues to pay dividends for the cooperative's members. While the challenges faced by a modern utility are often different from those of Tri-County's first linemen in 1939, the simple principles of getting the lights on, keeping the lights on, and keeping power bills as low as possible drive the efforts of Tri-County EMC, now and in the future.