It’s a well-known part of Idaho history that Arco was the first city in the world to use electricity generated by a nuclear reactor. Less well-known is that Rupert High School, which opened in 1913, was the first fully electrified school in the United States.
In February 1913, the Rupert Pioneer Record called it the “only school building in the world heated exclusively with electricity and having no other provision for other heat.”
The electrification of the high school was made possible by the nearby Minidoka Dam. The dam’s primary purpose was irrigation, but they didn’t let that pent-up energy go to waste. The dam was completed in 1904 without any method of generating power. The power turbines came along in 1909-1910, making the surrounding area one of the first rural areas in the US to have power.
In February 1913, the Rupert Pioneer Record called it the “only school building in the world heated exclusively with electricity and having no other provision for other heat.”
The electrification of the high school was made possible by the nearby Minidoka Dam. The dam’s primary purpose was irrigation, but they didn’t let that pent-up energy go to waste. The dam was completed in 1904 without any method of generating power. The power turbines came along in 1909-1910, making the surrounding area one of the first rural areas in the US to have power.
The first turbines at the Minidoka Dam.
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