Infrastructure

gas & electricity 

Fixing a street light on Luzerne Street, east of the Square, in 2018.

Acetylene lighting plant in the opera house block
fire affects knights of phythias hall, post office, drugstore, and hardware store
​january 9, 1900 nebraska state journal

"table rock to be lighted" - formation of the table rock electric company
​may 29, 1909, valentine democrat

lighting plant for table rock electric underway
​september 1909, nebraska state journal

"the busy drustore" now has electric fans
​july 21, 1916

table rock electric company sells vacuum cleaners
​august 5, 1921

The Community bank may have been located elsewhere in its short life, but it was located in the retail store part of the Lincoln Hotel Block, i.e., the building on the west side of the theater.

electric rates reduced
march 21, 1925

o. a. cooper sells lighting plant in table rock & humboldt to Nebraska gas & electric co.
​may 1, 1925

Karas & sons contrasts horse power then and now
june 13, 1930

35 years ago they started with "crude machinery driven by a horse" but now they will do all blacksmithing with electric power.

table rock electric christmas ad
december 22, 1955

consumers public power district touts "sit-down club" on washdays with
electric water heater, washer, dryer, and iron
​october 1957

electric dryer touted - "hanging's not good enough" for permanent press
​october 27, 1966

2017 - looking back

Larry Layden

Lloyd Vrtiska

Larry Layden recalls talking about wiring the Vrtiska home place with his brother-in-law Lloyd Vrtiska

​I asked Lloyd if he thought his 80-year-old house wiring could handle today's electrical load.

He said modern house wiring was 14 gauge, which could handle 15 amps. Some people would have 12 gauge, which would handle table saws and was good for 20 amps. His house was wired with 10 gauge, which is not even used today because it is too hard to work with. The reason his was so heavy was because it was wired for 24 volt D.C., which was supplied by rows of batteries and the farm generator.

The house was wired without wall outlets. Each room had a light bulb hanging from a cord emerging from the ceiling. His mom would take the bulb out and screw in an outlet to plug in her iron, etc.

​2020

On Luzerne Street

pot luck!

Hit pause to take a closer look!