the same base. North Tryon electricity was now standard. Frank Dixon, who lilvied at the Corner, ran the light plant for Charles Ives for many cars.

y Charles Ives continued to expand the distribution lines as the demand for electric power continued to grow. In 1920 Charles pur- chased the steam boiler and engine that had been used at the Tryon Woolen Mills before they burned. It is interesting to note that the Woolen Mills were built and operated by the Stanfield family on the northeast branch of the Tryon River. Stanfields had relocated to Truro, NS, a few years before the Tryon mill burned. Charles installed the steam boiler at the Lower Mill, built a large brick smoke stack, hooked up the steam engine to drive a newly acquired 60 cycle generator, and began generating a consistent supply of power to his customers from dusk to midnight and on Monday, from 8 a.m. to noon for household washing machines. The saw and shingle mill continued to operate, and all the sawdust and waste products were used to fuel the steam boiler.1

The distribution network continued to grow and soon North Tryon was supplying power to Augustine Cove, Cape Traverse, Carleton, and Albany, and eventually Borden. Mrs. Mary Robinson relates the story of her husband, A]. Robinson, returning home late at night in 1929 from the Baptist World Alliance meetings in Toronto and seeing the house, for the first time, all lit up like a castle on the hill. They had wired the house for electricity when it was constructed in 1921 and then waited 8 years for the North Tryon lines to reach them!16

The North Tryon Electric Company was incorporated in 1931 by brothers Charles and George Ives, their sisters Elizabeth Cochrane and Georgina Bacon, and Georgina’s son Charles Bacon. The company was sold on November 20 of that year to Sterling Lord and his father-in—law, Hedley Muttart. Sterling Lord had worked for Charles Ives for a number of years and had installed most of the transmission lines. A 60 horse power diesel powered generator was installed in 1932 to supple- ment the water and steam driven generators and all night service was establishednjohn Muttart worked with Sterling at the plant. It was his job to stoke the fire during the night and he remembered this job well. He was seeing Adelaide Pooley at the time and some nights he found it very difficult to stay awake after a night of courting! Norman Wood also worked at the plant. Lord and Muttart sold the company back to the Ives on February 9, 1932.18

Charles Ives installed a 40 kw plant at his Upper Mills in 1933. The 40 kw plant was able to act either as an electric motor, driving the Grist Mill using electricity from the Lower Mill or as a water powered generator, feeding electricity into the transmission system. Jack Leard recalls that the 40 kw generator at the UpperM ills was occasionally called upon to supply all the electricity to the transmission system when the Lower Mill was shut down for maintenance and repairs.19 The steam boiler and engine which had powered the Upper Grist Mill were no

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