The changes that rural electrification made in the lives of Georgians is the subject of a large-scale exhibit at the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies at the University of Georgia.

“Power to the People! Rural Electrification in Georgia” includes an array of photographs, memorabilia and artifacts, letters, diaries and speeches, along with examples of early electric household appliances and farm equipment and even one of the first utility poles set by Jackson EMC with the REA emblem attached.

“Rural electrification, like the highway system, telephones and now the internet is so important, so integral to who we are and what we do that we take it for granted,” said exhibit curator Jill Severn. “But, for those who lived without electricity, the day the lights came on is a milestone right up there with birth, death, and marriage. Recent hurricanes on the Gulf Coast have reminded us how much we actually do depend on electricity and other basic services.”

The Russell Library develops exhibits that complement its collection strengths, and REA and rural development appear frequently in many of the Russell’s collections. Also, Senator Russell, the namesake of the library, served as the floor leader for the act that authorized the REA and was a lifelong supporter of the program.

This strong level of documentation for rural electrification and rural development in general provided a strong foundation for the exhibit’s content. To build on these strengths, library staff traveled the state, visiting with area electric cooperatives and interviewing people directly involved with the coming of REA and the establishment of electric membership cooperatives (EMCs) around Georgia. More than 100 organizations and individuals shared their collections, memories, and perspectives. At the center of the project are the memories and experiences of rural Georgians who lived through this major transition, one of the most important in modern times.

“To me, the great achievement of this exhibit is the sense of personal involvement by so many people in the development of rural electrification,” said Terry Kay, author of The Year the Lights Came On, who spoke at a private exhibit opening. “It is more than a history of technology; it is also a great telling of people at their best.”

Kay spent 16 years in public relations at a Georgia electric cooperative, in addition to growing up on a farm in rural Hart County before electricity. An entertaining storyteller, the acclaimed author recalled when electricity reached their home.

“The room was flooded with light unlike anything we could have imagined,” Kay said. “Nobody said anything, we just stood and looked at it. My sister began flipping the switch until a younger brother said, ‘Peggy better quit doing that, she’s going to wear out the batteries.’

“The REA is one of the most remarkable programs the federal government ever initiated. But it changed us,” Kay said, adding that news reports of contemporary events, such as hurricanes, always include information on how many people are without power.

“This exhibit is not about the technology of rural electrification alone, but also about the people who dreamed of having it and the people who struggled to provide it,” Severn said. “It is an exhibit about memories and reflections, about pageantry and politics, about strength and determination in the face of the hard times, about innovation and cooperation, of cooperation and common ground. As Georgians look to the future and imagine the challenges and opportunities that society will face, it is tempting to search for the next greatest thing, but as the history of rural electrification has demonstrated, technological advances alone rarely provide simple solutions to complex problems. It is people who have the power.”

Set against the backdrop of the Depression, visitors follow in the footsteps of those who worked to develop the REA, the formation of cooperatives and the education of consumers. A focal point is the recreation of an annual meeting, a highlight for the EMCs and their members each year. Complete with a stage featuring photos of some of the great entertainment provided over the years, a recreation of the new appliance shows that were a hallmark of most annual meetings, and an interactive area where visitors can write their memories about the coming of electricity.