Even without roots

On the border of our cabin property is this old, unconnected utility pole. It even has the old-style climbing bolts that follow in a step-wise fashion leading to the top. It’s much thinner and shorter than most present-day utility poles. Closer to the lake shore is another similar pole and I’m guessing that these two poles and several others carried the power that ran across the lake area before it was it was flooded by the Muskingum Watershed Conservancy District in the late 1930’s. If this is true, then these would have likely been part of the federal government’s REA (Rural Electrification Administration) electrification program in Belmont County.

In an effort to sell the American public on rural electrification, the REA chose Belmont County as the backdrop for a 1940 RKO movie in which, the Bill and Hazel Parkinson family farm was selected for its production. This 205 acre farm was located south of St. Clairsville in Warnock and the purpose was to demonstrate the benefits of bringing electrical power to the American farmer.

The film debuted at the long defunct Old Trail Theater in St. Clairsville on August 31, 1940. It was estimated that this film was later seen by over four million viewers in theaters across the country.

As for that old pole, I won't be taking it down anytime soon as, in some way, it has earned its place.

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