While Anderson South Carolina is most notably known as “The Electric City” the mastermind behind the invention is a story worth telling. While the invention of electricity itself was invented by Thomas Edison for direct current; and Nicola Telsa for alternating current. Anderson was faced with expensive coal and freight costs in order to provide energy for the county. William Whitner graduated from South Carolina University with a major in engineering. Whitner maintained his passion in engineering emphasizing on water and power.
After his experiments in 1890 at the Tribble Steam Plant his invention was on the horizon to provide affordable power by hydroelectricity. Unsupported by Anderson Water, Light and Power Co., Whitner had a total capital expense budget of less than $5,000. The Tribble Steam Plant achieved a milestone to provide Anderson county with electricity to 75 street lights. After a short period of three years, Whitner sought out his success and turned to Nicola Telsa. Whitner was inspired by Europe’s experiments with waterfalls transmitting power.
Whitner knew Anderson county maintained an abundance of large bodies of water. After the conclusion of Whitner’s research he concluded that the location of the hydroelectric plant would be stationed at Portman Shoals alone the Seneca river. However, Whitner lacked the support of county and utility company and built a smaller scale plant at another location of McFall’s Grist Mill and Cotton Gin. With the combination of the generator and copper wire at the Tribble Steam Plant six miles of electricity was successfully generated on May 1, 1895 and from that era Anderson South Carolina was most notably known as “The Electric City”.
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