The Implementation
"The REA Guide" - 1937, The REA Guide: An Outline for Rural Highlines
With REA funding, the PEC began electrifying the Hill Country in 1939 using LCRA power. The Hill Country’s limestone and unpredictable climate made installation difficult but also created many New Deal jobs.
Line construction - 1937, REA Pamphlet
The PEC taught people to wire their homes and use electricity through REA guidebooks.
Farmer wiring his home - 1937, REA Home Electrification Guide Pamphlet
"Wiring Your Farm and Home." - 1937, REA Home Electrification Guide Pamphlet
However, some residents did not know how to access or use electricity.
Resident letters to Johnson - 1939, Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library.
Electricity usage story - February 20, 2023, Hill Country resident, Jim McCarty, was interviewed by author
Beginning in 1939, Hill Country families finally had access to modern conveniences, including lights, electric stoves, and washing machines.
Advertised REA benefits - 1937, Rural Electrification Administration
"Low Cost Electricity: Pedernales Electric Co-op" - PEC Headquarters, photo taken by author March 4, 2023
"Pedernales Electric Cooperative, Inc. Meter No. 1" - Energized October 31, 1939, PEC Archives
Johnson's daughter, Luci, on electrification efforts - October 25, 2021, The Honor Your Home Town Initiative