Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1922-11-24

Perhaps before entering into the
merits and demerits of the cost of
power and lights it would be better
to give a description of the various
generating plants and transmission
lines of the Idaho Power company in
order to make clearer the company's
of view.
Herewith is a description of the
various plants as set forth by the
company:
The Swan Falls Power Plant is To-
Gated on the Snake River, about thirty
five miles southwest of Boise, between
Ada and Owyhee counties.
1t had it's origin in the days of the
heavy mining activity in the Silver
City district some twenty odd miles
south, when the famous Trade Dollar
mine, the Florida Mountain and the
old War Eagle were heavy producers.
Power was needed for greater econ
ony in the mining process, and the
fuels were difficult to get because OF
the long distances from source. The
Trade Dollar Consolidated Mining &
Milling company, which owned the
Trade Dollar mine, conceived a plan
Falls and commenced construction in
1900. At this time the development
of water powers was in it's infancy,
and the working out of the plans was
fraught with many problems new to
the developers. The work of initial
development was completed in 1901,
after the construction of a rock filled
crib dam and a small building which
housed the original installation of
turbines and generators producing
about 1900 horsepower, and the build
ing of a $4,000 volt transmission line
to the Silver City country, the first
high tension transmission line in
southern Idaho Until about 1906, the
development was used solely for the
mining purposes, when the Swan Falls
Power company was formed, composed
of the same people who were inter-
ested in the mining, which increased
the capacity of the plant by about
24O0 horsepower and constructed the
$4,000 volt line from the plant tc
Nampa, Caldwell and Pierce Park, for
the purpose not only of supplying the
public service but also power for the
interurban traction line between Boise
and Caldwell. in 1910. additional ca
pacity of about 1900 horsepower was
installed
In 1911, the system of plant and
lines was purchased by the Idaho
Railway, Light & Power company,
which, in 1918, installed an additional
capacity Of about $500 horsepower and
constructed the $4,000 volt transmits
sion line from the plant to the Gem
Irrigation District and to the Wilson
Irrigation District for their sole SER
vices.
In 1916, when the Idaho Power COM
pany assumed ownership of the en-
tire project, plant and lines, II found
the plant in part obsolescent and IN
adequate to meet the demands II must
serve, which were largely in the BOISE
and Payette territories, where the ex-
listing power possibilities and deyei-
opments were slight as compared Win
the Dotentialities in the Twin rams
section. In that same year, in order
10 help out the situation, the 4fvVV
volt Transmission line from the pian'
70 connect with the Great shoshons
system az q point north Of crapdYie"'
was constructed thvs nffoFdins aa-
ditionai means Of power supply % 'Ns
vest end.
ln 1917 a transmission iipe of 2-'YY
volts vas constructed rom iHe aAfe'
'iiy district ~ tbe pemminF m'N''
floui eleven miles north
ln iels fhe uencleni VoriF oi iN'
original lusialpfone Neie fep'f''
NNi A. lnel place Rel' iNf'''''' p.
n0R polis esuosi4F HNqN
IHfepoNAf of noNp pN'Nf
NWDg ipaQ s0e lg.l inf Ma'N ''''
f'' a'Hqa' foliN'f lN0QN'iiH''.N '.
i'NH NN0 fAH NfIH "0N H
flf .ei IN N aIaN Nf
NNI .II l0U..NIt NII