Electricity for the City of Attalla - Attalla, AL - Alabama Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

The Electricity for the City of Attalla marker is not the typical marker on a pole. It is a bronze plaque mounted on a brick base at the east corner of the intersection of 5th Avenue NW and 4th Street NW. The marker gives a brief history of the founding of today's Alabama Power Company. There is no indication on the plaque as to who placed it or when it was placed.

Marker Name: Electricity for the City of Attalla Marker Type: Urban Addtional Information:: In the fall of 1902, Captain William Patrick Lay, of Gadsden, began construction of a small hydro electric generating plant at the site of Wessen Mill on Big Wills Creek, just southwest of Attalla. The plant was constructed, in Lay’s words. “First to supply the City of Attalla with electricity; second, to pump water into a tall stand pipe which would furnish Attalla with water; and third, to demonstrate the possibilities and economy of hydro electric power for which I had been contending for a number of years preceding.” When the plant was completed, a line was strung from the 75-horsepower turbine driven generator over the mountain to a light on a pole in the heart of Attalla. Captain Lay himself threw the switch, bringing electricity to the community. Four years later, on December 4th, 196, Captain Lay organized the Alabama Power Company. Drawing on the success of his experiment at Big Wills Creek, Captain Lay focused attention on an ambitious plan to develop a high dam and power plant at Lock 12 on the Coosa River. Lock 12 dam, now called Lay Dam was the first large scale hydro plant built by Alabama Power Company and along with subsequent hydro and steam generarting plants, became the foundation on which the Southern Company system of integrated power companies is based. When Alabama Power Company reorganized in 1912 and acquired the Attalla system, it discovered that in order to enlist the support of Attalla in the Big Wills Creek project, Captain Lay had agreed to provide the city with free electricity for lighting. That agreement transferred to Alabama Power Company and to this day, schools and other city buildings have two meters – one for free lights and another for billed service. Date Dedicated / Placed: Unknown Marker Number: None

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Date Logged Log User Rating   11/05/2023 ckirbee visited it