rural America

When Rural America Waited for Power

Life on the Farm Before Electricity As late as the mid-1930s, nearly nine out of every ten rural homes in America still lived without electric service. While cities across the nation were rapidly modernizing with electric lights, appliances, and industrial growth, much of rural America remained in conditions that had changed little for generations. Farm families depended on manual labor …

Rural Electrification

How Rural Electrification Transformed U.S. Farms

Life Before Electricity on the Farm In the early 1930s, life in rural America looked vastly different from city living. Roughly nine out of ten rural homes were without electric power, leaving farm families to rely on daylight for nearly every task. Work began at sunrise and ended when the light faded. Without electricity, homes were illuminated by kerosene lanterns, …