Gibson EMC - From 1936 to Now
More than 3,500 people attended Gibson EMC’s Annual Members’ Meeting in 1949.
Gibson Electric Membership Corporation was formed in August of 1936. Before this time, electricity was enjoyed only by people who lived in cities large enough to support the infrastructure needed to supply power to their homes and businesses. Most rural residents, like those in Northwest Tennessee, could not secure electric service from existing electrical distributors at a price they could afford.
In 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration, which made federal funds available to provide electric power to those people living in rural areas. At that time, most rural residents were farmers.
Power companies showed little interest at first, forcing leaders of farm organizations to form nonprofit electric cooperatives. Member-owned rural electric cooperatives, including Gibson Electric Membership Corporation, were created all over the country.
Initially, Gibson EMC was formed in Gibson County and was called Gibson County Electric Membership Corp. Today, Gibson EMC serves 35,000 customer-owners over 2,900 miles of electric line in Crockett, Dyer, Gibson, Haywood, Lake, Lauderdale, Madison and Obion counties.
