Building Electrical District #3

Electrical District #3 brought electricity into the homes of the Maricopa-Casa Grande valley in 1930.

In September of 1930 work had already begun on the high power extension lines that would serve the newly organized Electrical District #3. This enterprise served all of west Casa Grande and the community of Maricopa.

Sixty workers, divided into three groups, built the extension line, according to District Director J. L. Rowland (Maricopa resident). One group worked on building the power substation that was located 18 miles south of Maricopa. The second group worked on the extension line that began at the main extension line north of Maricopa and the north side of Gila River. The third group of men started at the power substation and constructed an extension line that ran several miles to the west beyond Hidden Valley. Completion goal was October of 1930.

The contractors for the construction of the power substation and extension lines were Arizona Edison Company and the Salt River Valley Water Users’ Association. The Department of the Interior in Washington on August 13, 1930, approved the contract for this project.  The estimated cost was $500,000, which included the construction of the substation and installation of all line extensions.  These power lines would supply farmers in Districts 3 and 4 with power at $19 per kilowatt year and would service a combined total of 200,000 acres of land. District #3 included all lands south and west of Casa Grande, including Maricopa. District #4 included Picacho, Eloy and Toltec districts and Casa Grande south of the railroad tracks. 

Photo courtesy of Maricopa Historical Society

Editor’s note:  Maricopa factoids are a regular feature on InMaricopa.com. They are provided by the Maricopa Historical Society, a branch of the Friends of the Maricopa Public Library. Most of the photos and information come from “Reflections of a Desert Town” by author and historical society chairperson Patricia Brock. 

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