2000 South Central Ave, Marshfield, WI 54449

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History


Marshfield Utilities originated in 1904 when the City of Marshfield purchased the generating facilities from Mr. W. H. Upham. A city ordinance had been passed in 1892 authorizing C.E. Gray, Jr. & Co. to operate and maintain the waterworks. The company was given 60 days to comply with the conditions but when he failed to do so, it was then granted to Mr. Upham. In August 1892, he incorporated and named it the Water Works, Electric Light and Power Company. After the City of Marshfield purchased the utility from Upham, W.D. Connor took the City to Circuit Court declaring the sale null and void because the purchase was done without the vote of the people. Connor won but the City fought back and the case went to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court declared the purchase valid and the sale was approved.

At the time this utility was purchased, very little electricity was being used and very few homes had appliances, resulting in a low demand for electricity. Most of this was used during the early evening hours when lights constituted the major portion. As the use of electricity grew, the plant itself had to increase in size to keep up with the growth and in 1915, a 500 KW Corliss engine was added to the original plant.

Marshfield Electric & Water

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