This community has its own municipal electric utility and has since 1894. When purchased from a neighboring investor-owned utility (1894) the Hingham Municipal Lighting Plant invested in new poles upon upgrading its system by installing square chestnut ones. These poles as told by former employees were intended to last lifetimes. Indeed they did, the last was removed sometime in the late 1970s or so.

Please refer to: http://www.hmlp.com/AboutUs/History.asp

for additional historical information that I provided for the utility and its centennial celebration while employed there.