Continuing through the above years, the primary voltage throughout town was 2,400 volts. That was the case until the 1950s-60s when increased load necessitated additional substations and line-equipment upgrades to serve the growing town. During that time the town municipal utility gradually converted to 4,160 primary to meet these needs. An example of one of the 2,400 volt poles during 1936-1937 with a distribution transformer and related line gear is shown above.

The Hingham Light Plant manager stated in his 1936 year-end report: "The increase in use of electricity is approximately 7.5 percent. With returning prosperity, a very much larger increase can be expected in the future as people avail themselves of the great advantages of electric cooking and other electric appliances and this increase will mean still lower rates." During the following year an off-peak rate was introduced for electric water heaters. This opportunity allowed customers to purchase current for their water heaters at a much lower rate. A separate meter with an internal time switch turned the water heater off at 4pm and back on at 8pm. These were peak usage times and allowed the utility to reduce load and demand costs during those hours. In the near future a photo of one of the first meters utilized for this purpose in 1937 will be shown here on ICON.

Span wire street lights like the one shown were a familiar sight throughout Hingham. These had incandescent (filament) lightbulbs and "ruffled" radial wave reflectors. A few of them survived until they were taken down and replaced with high pressure sodium fixtures during a town-wide street lighting upgrade program in 1982. I have never seen any others here in the Boston area through the many years. The one in the photo has its edge bent to eliminate light trespass into a customer's bedroom window,

The shorter crossarm beneath was for the town's fire alarm system. These arms were painted white with black stenciling: "FIRE" on one side and "ALARM" on the other. Click "Next" for a close view of this pole with the spanwire street light.

During 1936 the Hingham Light Plant reported that 17 electric ranges were installed, along with one storage-type water heater along with 38 new buildings rewired, one old building wired and 12 buildings rewired.

Better times indeed were coming :-)

Check out that cool convertible!