science · 30 September 1882 · 142 years ago
In 1882, the world's first hydroelectric power plant in the U.S. was opened on the Fox River, in Appleton, Wisc. Powered by a water wheel, a single dynamo provided 12.5 kilowatts enough for 180 lights, of ten candlepower each. Appleton paper manufacturer H.F. Rogers, had been inspired by Thomas Edison's plans for a steam-powered electricity production station in New York. He had financial support from a personal friend of Edison's and two other men, all from Appleton. Rogers began building the power plant at his riverside paper mill during the summer of 1882. Later known as the Appleton Edison Light Company, it produced produced enough electricity to light Rogers' home, the plant itself, and a nearby building.
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