According to the Marshall Municipal Utilities website, on July 3, 1894, a special election was called by the common council to vote on the sale of $25,000 in bonds for the purpose of establishing a water works and electric light utility. The resolution passed by a 190 to 117 vote. Marshall’s first power plant was constructed at a cost of $24,340. By early December of 1894, the waterworks was in operation and on Dec. 21, the first lights were turned on using electricity generated from a Ball steam engine with a belted dynamo. Thus, was borne a municipal electric and water utility which eventually became Marshall Municipal Utilities.

The mid-’70s brought about several changes to Marshall Utilities. On Nov. 9, 1976, the utilities commission signed a contract to purchase power from Heartland Consumers Power District (HCPD) to meet its growing need for electricity. 1976 also marked the end of providing steam heating service to the downtown area. A new 8,000 sq. ft. vehicle storage facility was constructed in 1977. Steady commercial growth during the 1980s along with a new corn processing plant, created the need for an expansion at the Erie Road substation and the construction of a new 1 million gallon water tower near the street department garage which was completed in 1988.

Several improvements were made to Marshall Utilities during the 1990s beginning with the demolition of the power plant which was no longer being used. A new warehouse was constructed on the power plant site in 1993. MMU’s office building was demolished in 1993 and a new office building was completed in October of 1994. Two new substations were also added in 1994 along with a new 115 kV transmission and fiber loop connecting all MMU substations. Construction began on a new water treatment facility in September of 1997, which was completed in July of 1999. In 2006, the North 7th Street substation was constructed to meet the growing needs of our industrial customers and in 2007 a new substation was constructed near our water filtration plant to accept a new transmission feed into Marshall and a newly developed 18.6 MW wind farm south of town.

The photograph featured this week from the Lyon County Museum’s collection is a real photo postcard of the power plant in Marshall taken in 1909.

The Lyon County Historical Society (LCHS) is a nonprofit, member-supported organization. LCHS operates the Lyon County Museum at 301 West Lyon Street in Marshall. The Lyon County Museum is open year-round to visitors. To contact us, visit our website: www.lyoncomuseum.org, call: 507-537-6580, email: director@lyoncomuseum.org, or on our Facebook page.