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Hydro-Electric Power to the People
Hydropower has been used since ancient times to grind flour and perform other tasks. In the middle of 1774, French engineer Bernard Forest de Bélidor wrote Architecture Hydraulique which described hydraulic machines. -
The Worlds First
The world's first hydroelectric power was developed at Cragside in Northumberland, England created by William George Armstrong. It was used to power a single lamp in his art room. -
The Electric Generator
By 1881 the electrical generator was developed and could now be used with hydraulics. -
First Hydro-Electric Power Station
The first hydroelectric power station, the Vulcan Street Plant, started operating September 30, 1882, in Wisconsin, with an output of 12.5 kilowatts. -
Widespread Hydro-Electric Power
By 1889 there were 200 in the U.S. alone.