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A
quick
overview
of
commercial
electricity
began
when
Thomas
Edison
produced
an
electric
dynamo
producing
direct
current
in
1879.
The
first
company
was
the
California
Electric
Light
Company
producing
electricity
for
24
lights.
In
1886
William
Stanley
produced
alternating
current
in
Great
Barrington,
Mass.
Buffalo,
New
York
was
the
first
city
to
receive
electric
power
on
a
large
scale.
For
a
time
comparison,
the
Statue
of
Liberty
was
dedicated
in
1886.
With
that
said,
the
first
recorded
use
of
an
electric
power
plant
in
the
Keys
as
one
might
guess
was
in
Key
West.
In
1889,
John
J.
Philbrick
established
an
electric
plant
followed
by
William
Curry
Son's
in
1897
who
in
addition
to
their
own
use,
offer
power
to
a
few
customers.
Electric
street
car
service
were
offered
in
1900;
however,
it
was
1906
before
it
was
in
full
operation.
The
Stone
&
Webster
Corporation
bought
both
electric
companies
in
1909
when
it
also
purchased
the
street
car
company.
Therefore,
the
tiny
city
of
Key
West
was
not
far
behind
the
rest
of
the
nation
in
offering
electric
service.
Unincorporated
Monroe
County
was
a
little
slower.
Years
after
most
of
Florida
had
public
service
electricity,
the
Upper
Keys
had
none.
Henry
Flagler
had
used
commercial
dynamos
to
produce
direct
current
electricity
at
some
of
his
railroad
construction
sites.
The
need
for
electric
power
was
needed
on
Key
Vaca
when
Flagler moved
the
headquarters
for
the
Key
West
Extension
there
from
Miami
to
complete
the
track
to
Key
West
in
1908.
The
plant
was
thought
to
be
located
about
where
the
present
(2000)
Chamber
of
Commerce
building
is
but
actually
was
located
at
the
end
of
the
"wye"
dock
located
on
today's
33rd
Street.
Railroad
houses
rented
for
$15
a
month
with
electric
power
included.
The
plant
was
closed
in
1916
when
the
railroad
closed
its
Marathon
headquarters.
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Perhaps
the
first
home
electricity
other
than
batteries
consisted
of
a
few
random,
personal
gasoline
power
plants.
One
of
the
more
popular
home
power
plants
in
the
early
days
was
the
"homelite"
unit.
Commercial
operations
such
as
the
Bill
Thompson
docks
in
Marathon
used
larger
electric
generators.
This
became
essential
as
it
was
not
practical
to
continue
using
block
ice
for
larger
operations.
Another
group
use
of
private
electric
generators
was
the
"Millionaires
Club"
on
Upper
Matecumbe
Key.
This
exclusive
club
was
built
in
the
1920s
by
eleven
members
of
the
New
York
Cotton
Exchange.
Bertram
Pinder
assisted
by
his
two
brothers
were
the
caretakers
for
12
years.
The
club
house
was
a
two
and
a
half
story
building,
but
most
of
the
members
built
separate
houses
nearby.
The
club,
the
member's
houses
and
the
three
Pinder
families
shared
electricity
from
a
common
generator.
The
three
Pinders
operated
and
maintained
the
generators.
A
real
attempt
to
provide
an
Upper
Keys
community
with
this
not-so-new
invention
of
electricity
was
made
by
H.
S.
"Mac"
McKenzie
in
Tavernier.
Mac
came
from
Miami
in
1928
and
began
constructing
what
was
to
become
a
small
business
center.
Along
with
bulk
oil
storage
tanks,
he
built
a
gas
station
and
added
iceboxes
on
the
sides
of
his
delivery
truck
to
deliver
both
ice
and
gas.
In
addition,
he
built
an
icehouse,
drug
store,
theater,
hardware
store,
lumber
yard
and
auto
repair
garage.
Behind
his
drug
store,
he,
in
conjunction
with
Florida
Power
and
Light
(FP&L),
put
in
a
50-hp
diesel
generator
and
installed
electric
lines
to
those
homes
that
chose
electric
service.
Mac's
daughter
Joanne
remembers
the
generator
being
named
"Old
Hessie."
Her
uncle,
Austin
Reese,
operated
the
plant.
In
the
beginning,
the
hours
of
electric
service
changed
depending
upon
the
season
of
the
year.
An
example
of
typical
daily
service:
5:00
a.m.
to
10:00
a.m.
and
5:00
p.m.
to
10:00
p.m.
On
Saturdays,
Mac
would
leave
the
electricity
on
until
midnight.
Power
lines
ran
along
the
highway
from
about
MM
90.5
(the
Gieger
packing
house)
to
MM
92
(the
Albury
houses).
This
was
not
enough
hours
for
food
refrigeration,
so
most
homes
used
kerosene
refrigerators
and
life
wasn't
half
bad.
A
few
later
later,
Alonzo
Cothron
constructed
the
small
electric
system
in
Matecumbe.
Like
the
Tavernier
unit,
he
only
provided
electricity
during
essential
hours.
Eventually
the
Tavernier
plant
served
about
37
customers
and
Matecumbe
about
22
customers.
Marathon
is
reported
to
have
had
a
similar
operation.
Another
early
private
power
plant
was
installed
for
the
Caribbee
Colony
on
southern
Upper
Matecumbe
Key
in
the
early
1930s.
George
Merrick
of
Coral
Gables
development
fame
was
trying
to
recover
from
his
financial
losses
that
resulted
from
the
real
estate
bust
of
1926.
He
built
the
large
resort
complete
with
restaurant,
cottages
and
marina.
It
was
known
for
its
electrically
lit
outdoor
dance
floor
and
its
extremely
large
thatched
roof
chickee
hut
built
by
the
Seminole
Indians.
Excursion
trains
came
in
the
morning
and
departed
in
the
evenings
from
the
Matecumbe
siding.
The
1935
hurricane
destroyed
the
Caribbee
Colony.
The
Key
West
Citizen
dated
July
20,
1937
contains
an
article
about
Preston
Pinder,
property
owner
of
the
plant's
future
site,
and
Sheldon
Stone,
both
of
Matecumbe,
traveling
to
Key
West
on
matters
of
a
county
authorized
electric
power
and
light
franchise.
On
May
11,
1935,
President
Franklin
Roosevelt
created
the
Rural
Electrification
Administration
(REA)
and
the
next
year
Congress
passed
the
Rural
Electrification
Act.
Back
in
the
Keys,
the
1935
hurricane
wiped
out
40
miles
of
the
railroad.
The
state
acquired
the
railroad’s
right-of-way
and
concrete
bridges
to
build
the
two-lane
Overseas
Highway
eliminating
the
ferry
boats.
Officially
opened
in
1938,
all
of
the
Keys
were
then
easily
accessible
by
vehicles.
More
people
came
to
the
Keys
which
brought
on
a
growth
in
population
and
electric
demand.
Born
partly
of
dreams,
necessity
and
visionary
genius,
the
Florida
Keys
Electric
Cooperative
Association,
Inc.
(FKECA)
was
certified
by
the
Florida
Secretary
of
State
on
January
22,
1940
with
an
office
address
of
the
"Marathon
Grocery,
Marathon,
Florida."
It
had
its
first
board
meeting
four
days
later
and
John
A.
Russell
of
Islamorada
was
elected
chairperson.
Of
the
nine
incorporators,
one
was
from
Stock
Island
-
Alton
Park,
two
from
Marathon
-
A.
E.
Woodburn
and
William
A.
Parrish;
one
from
Islamorada
-
John
A.
Russell;
two
from
Tavernier
-
Samuel
Lund
and
Ellie
Lowe;
three
from
Rock
Harbor
-
C.
B.
McPherson,
Ed
Lauringer
and
T.
Jenkins
Curry.
The
FKECA
benefited
from
the
REA
that
offered
federally
financed
electric
distribution
systems
for
rural
communities.
The
Florida
Keys
certainly
met
this
requirement!
The
articles
required
300
memberships
to
begin
operation.
A
membership
cost
$5
each.
It
was
easy
to
convince
the
commercial
operations
but
residences
were
were
more
difficult.
Parrish
purchased
20
additional
memberships
to
round
out
the
needed
300.
The
paperwork
was
done;
therefore,
a
physical
electrical
network
began.
By
the
way,
a
membership
still
costs
$5.
The
Electric
Cooperative
purchased
the
holdings
of
FP&L
and
McKenzie
for
$6,230
on
November
5,
1941.
It
also
purchased
land,
constructed
a
plant
in
Tavernier
and
with
transformers
and
electric
wire
went
on
line
December
1,
1942.
Captain
Roy
Tracy,
husband
of
nurse
Frances
Tracy,
"the
Angel
of
the
Keys,"
helped
install
the
engines
for
the
generators.
Captain
Eugene
Lowe,
William
"Spud"
Albury
and
Austin
Reese
were
some
of
the
first
equipment
operators.
Alonzo
Cothron
installed
the
first
electric
lines.
However,
the
timing
was
not
the
best,
it
being
1940.
Across
the
big
pond,
Germany
had
invaded
Czechoslovakia,
Poland,
Bohemia,
Moravia,
France,
Norway,
Denmark,
Holland,
Belgium
and
Luxembourg.
We
all
know
what
happened
on
December
7,
1941.
The
entire
industrial
capacity
of
the
United
States
became
occupied
with
World
War
II
on
three
continents.
Various
rationing
concepts
for
war
essential
goods
were
created.
World
War
II
produced
several
good
changes
for
the
Keys.
First,
the
Navy
in
Key
West
needed
a
water
pipeline
and
an
improved
and
shorter
highway.
At
that
time
the
highway
followed
the
Card
Sound
route
which
was
seven
miles
longer
than
the
present
US
1
route.
The
highway
and
the
water
pipeline
were
built
and
installed
along
this
shorter
route.
The
highway
length
was
also
reduced
by
10
miles
in
the
Lower
Keys
for
a
total
shortening
of
17
miles.
President
Roosevelt
had
formed
several
dollar-a-year
civilian
advisory
groups
to
assist
in
the
control
and
distribution
of
war-essential
resources
that
included
electric
components.
One
of
these
dollar-a-year
men
was
Charles
E.
Wilson,
president
of
General
Electric,
a
builder
of
electric
transformers.
Wilson's
dollar-a-year
job
was
serving
on
the
War
Production
Board,
which
in
effect,
controlled
the
use
of
war
critical
materials.
Wilson
was
in
the
Upper
Keys
in
1942
on
a
fishing
vacation.
One
of
his
fishing
guides
was
Captain
Eugene
Lowe
of
Tavernier,
who
thought
he
had
just
another
big
shot
on
a
fishing
trip.
Mr.
Wilson
had
a
great
day
landing
a
large
tarpon,
which
called
for
a
celebration.
Sometime
during
the
celebration,
Captain
Lowe
mentioned
how
badly
the
community
needed
electrical
transformers
for
the
local
electric
system.
Mr.
Wilson
quickly
replied,
"How
many
do
you
need?"
After
thinking
for
a
moment
and
not
wanting
to
appear
greedy,
Capt.
Lowe
said,
"Oh,
we
could
use
at
least
six."
They
say
that
only
a
couple
of
weeks
passed
before
the
transformers
arrived.
IN
1946,
Capt.
Lowe
was
elected
to
the
Board.
Captain
Cliff
Carpenter,
also
a
fishing
guide
for
Charles
Wilson,
recalls
Wilson
having
to
come
to
the
rescue
again
for
additional
copper
electrical
wire.
Generators
without
wires
to
distribute
their
electricity
were
useless.
The
FKEC
was
physically
divided
into
two
major
parts,
the
Upper
and
Middle
Keys.
It
acquired
two
portable
"circus"
type
portable
generators
and
installed
one
by
the
Sundry
Store
and
the
other
by
the
Overseas
Lounge
in
Marathon.
When
the
transformers
were
acquired
they
could
provide
better
power
distribution
for
most
of
Marathon.
By
1943,
most
who
wanted
electricity
in
Marathon
had
it
provided.
Harry
L.
Martin
was
the
first
Tavernier
plant
manager
and
Warren
Bland
was
the
first
superintendent.
From
this
evolved
the
system
we
have
today
which
has
served
us
well.
Perhaps
Charles
Wilson
left
some
of
General
Electric's
motto
“Progress
Is
Our
Most
Important
Product”
in
the
Keys
from
his
wartime
fishing
trips.
Therefore,
by
1944
the
Upper
Keys
had
highway,
postal,
telephone,
water
and
electric
services.
Growth
in
the
Keys
responded
to
the
wartime
additions
of
the
better,
shorter
highway,
water
pipeline
and
electric
system.
Finally
the
war
was
over
and
the
economy
was
boosted.
Tourists
flocked
to
the
Keys
and
some
remained
as
residents.
In
1947
the
FKECA
extended
electric
service
to
the
Anglers
Club
and
house
in
between
on
North
Key
Largo.
In
1951,
Coral
Shores
School
opened
to
cope
with
the
growing
communities.
The
Upper
Keys
opened
its
first
medical
clinic
staffed
by
Dr.
Harvey
Cohn
and
his
nurse/wife
Dorothy
in
1953.
An
airport
was
built
at
Ocean
Reef
in
1956.
FKECA
had
to
expand
also
to
accommodate
this
greater
demand
for
electricity.
Rather
than
install
more
and
larger
electric
generators,
FKECA
at
Tavernier
instead
installed
an
electric
transmission
line
to
the
Homestead
City
Electric
System
in
1957.
The
following
year
FKECA
contracted
with
FP&L
to
purchase
electricity
wholesale,
as
it
does
today.
The
sound
and
odor
of
the
diesel
generators
disappeared.
This
was
was
not
possible
at
Marathon;
therefore,
the
power
plant
was
enlarged.
In
1953,
the
FKEC
built
a
modern
concrete
power
plant
capable
of
expansion
as
demand
increased.
Alonzo
Cothron
did
the
work.
By
1960,
the
Marathon
facility
could
provide
11,000
kw
from
its
plant.
It
operated
faithfully
through
Hurricane
Donna
which
destroyed
much
of
the
outside
facilities;
however,
the
diesel
generators
were
running
as
each
portion
of
poles,
transformers
and
lines
were
restored.
The
next
major
grid
expansion
was
in
1981
when
transmission
lines
were
installed
between
Tavernier
and
Marathon.
This
combined
the
two
separate
facilities
into
one
and
Marathon
could
use
the
purchased
power
from
Florida
Power
&
Light
at
Homestead.
After
nearly
4
decades
of
constant
operation,
the
diesels
at
Marathon
could
shut
down
and
be
used
only
for
emergencies.
To
provide
additional
flexibility,
in
1987
transmission
lines
were
installed
to
connect
the
electrical
grid
to
Keys
Energy
in
Key
West.
The
entire
Keys
were
now
electrically
interconnected.
On
June
19,
2004
the
Marathon
power
generation
station
was
named
and
dedicated
to
Charles
A.
Russell
who
began
there
as
an
"oil
wiper"
in
1961,
advanced
to
the
Chief
Operations
Officer
for
FKEC
in
1988
and
had
recently
passed
away.
The
FKEC
electrical
grid
served
the
Upper
Keys
quickly
after
many
of
the
electrical
power
poles
near
Homestead
were
destroyed
during
Hurricane
Andrew.
The
Charles
A.
Russell
Generator
Facility
can
be
brought
onto
line
within
20
minutes
if
and
when
needed
in
the
future.
The
generators
are
operated
at
least
weekly
to
insure
proper
operation.
The
tie
line
to
Keys
Energy
Service
in
Key
West
is
also
available
and
vice
versa.
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