Basin Electric original incorporator Harry A. Pinkerton
Pinkerton attended Bliss Electrical School and was a World War I veteran.
Basin Electric Power Cooperative
- October 21, 2011
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| Harry A. Pinkerton |
Harry Alexander Pinkerton was born May 30, 1896, in Northville, SD, to Alice and William A. Pinkerton. He had a twin brother Bill (William G.). He graduated from Central High School in Aberdeen, SD, and attended Bliss Electrical School in Washington, DC. He entered the service on April 9, 1917, serving in the Army during World War I. He sailed on Aug. 7, 1917. He was a Wagoner, Company B, First Ammunition Train, First Division, American Expeditionary Forces and was at the battles of Flanders, Chateau Thierry, Soissons, Cantigny, St. Mihiel and Argonnc. He was discharged May 4, 1919, as a 2nd Lieutenant.
After his discharge, he came back to Washington and worked for a while. He was impressed that while in Washington, President Woodrow Wilson taught a Sunday school class at the church he attended.
He married his wife, Clarbelle, on June 14, 1922. They had one son named Dick and a daughter named Marjorie Claire. He started at Spink Electric Cooperative*, Redfield, SD, in August 1947 as the resident engineer. He worked closely with the Rural Electric Administration field engineer and became the manager on May 15, 1950, and served until 1963. It was during his time at Spink that he became an incorporator of Basin Electric. He died March 22, 1982.
*Spink Electric consolidated with Northern Electric, Bath, SD, on May 1, 1997, and the combined cooperative retained the Northern Electric Cooperative name.
On May 5, 1961, 69 people from several states gathered at the Patterson Hotel in Bismarck, ND, to sign Articles of Incorporation for Basin Electric. Their names are on a brass plaque immediately outside of the main entrance to the Headquarters building. Kathi Risch, Basin Electric senior staff writer/editor, has been seeking information about the original incorporators and compiling these profiles.
In the next several months, prior to the cooperative’s 50th anniversary celebration to be held at the 2011 annual meeting on Nov. 9, Risch will share what she has uncovered. If you have information you would like to share about a Basin Electric original incorporator and you haven’t been contacted, please call Risch at 701-557-5606 or send information, photo scans, etc. to krisch@bepc.com.
See all the original incorporators profiled to date.
Headquarters
1717 East Interstate Avenue
Bismarck, ND 58503-0564 USA
Phone: 701.223.0441
Basin Electric Power Cooperative will provide cost-effective wholesale energy along with products and services that support and unite rural America.
