What is a Halloween party without costumes? Here is a photograph of a party at the REA (Rural Electrification Association) in Colman in 1961. Some of the people in this photo include Robert V. Lee (second from the left first front row) and Darlene Lee (dressed as a witch, second from the left in the second row).
The Rural Electrification Administration (REA), a government agency, provided capital through loans to establish utility cooperatives that installed power lines from the existing grid structure to the farm. Rural power cooperatives brought new life to rural America. They provide electricity, telephones and other 20th century technologies to farms, ranches and rural communities. Rural electrification changed life on farms in South Dakota, especially those involved in dairy and poultry production. Many farms in South Dakota did not have electricity until the 1950's and used wind energy, stationary engines and tractors to generate needed power.