It
was an interesting couple of days for the Newton Falls Public Library staff,
when three patrons asked related questions. “Do you have any information about
the dam over the West Branch of the Mahoning River, such as who built it and
when?” “I was always told that the hydro-electric plant that was once located
on the West Branch of the Mahoning River was the first in the country. Is that
true?” “I’m interested in the viability of hydro-electric power. The old plant
in Warren powered motors, but did not actually supply electric for the city.
How about the plant in Newton Falls?”
Page 15 of
the History of Newton Falls noted that after river improvements were made in 1923,
Samuel Oviatt erected the first dam and built a sawmill at that location on the
river. In 1908, the Hydro-Electric Company power plant was built at the site .
. . “and the dam was reconstructed to be 60 feet long and provide an 18 foot
head [pp. 99-100].” After a hole was discovered in the spillway in 1988, the
dam was repaired that summer by community volunteers.
In reference
to the second question, the staff learned that “on September 30, 1882, the
world's first hydroelectric power plant began operation on the Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin.” In 1881, “Niagra Falls was the first of the American hydroelectric power sites developed for major generation and is still
a source of electric power today. The early hydroelectric plants were direct current
stations built to power arc and incandescent lighting during the period from
about 1880 to 1895.” Since the Newton
Falls Hydro-Electric Company power plant was built in 1908, it was not the
first.
The answer
the final question was also found in the History of Newton Falls. In 1908, [Newton
Falls] “city passed ordinance for perpetual franchise to Peerless Electric
[then purchased by Hydro-Electric Company] to supply electric service to the
village . . . [pp. 99-100].”
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