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Salvation appeared imminent early in 1914 when two investors,Messrs. Waterman and Hildreth, <br /> announced plans to generate electricity for the town. Hildreth's name soon disappeared from <br /> references to the project; Fred Waterman apparently proceeded with the development on his <br /> own. Born in Vermont in 1848,Waterman moved first to Wisconsin and then, in 1898, to Elk <br /> River,where he became active in business and real estate development.13 <br /> The Sherburne Country Star News reported that Waterman's"proposition is along the line of <br /> municipal ownership of the lighting and power equipment."Apparently, the village was to install <br /> and maintain the power lines, and serve as a middleman between individual customers and <br /> Waterman,who would operate the power plant as a private enterprise.14 <br /> He intended to develop a 200-horsepower hydroelectric plant,using waterpower rights which he <br /> had purchased in 1910 at the former Upper Town milling area. Copies of his plans did not <br /> survive, but they apparently called for replacing the timber mill dam, which had been destroyed <br /> by high water in 1912. He proposed to furnish the town's electricity at a rate of six cents per <br /> kilowatt hour,with a fifteen-year exclusive franchise.15 <br /> Some residents were skeptical. The newspaper noted that"many local people look with <br /> pessimistic eyes upon any plan or attempt to secure the development of the [water] power."This <br /> did not, however, slow the newspaper's enthusiastic editorial crusade: <br /> Nature has been especially good to Elk River in providing water power close at hand, <br /> ready to be developed to provide all the electricity for lighting and power that will be <br /> needed for some time. At present this power is going to waste. . . . It is time for this <br /> condition to end. The people must get together and decide upon some plan to secure <br /> electricity. If not Elk River will soon find itself in the unique position of being the only <br /> town of any size in the northwest without electric lights and power.l6 <br /> The local business community recognized the importance of bringing electricity to Elk River. At <br /> the annual meeting of the Citizens Business League, shortly after plans for the power plant were <br /> announced, a committee was appointed to investigate the expense of wiring the town for <br /> electricity. After studying the matter,they concluded that the wiring would cost between$3,000 <br /> and $5,000. Waterman went before the committee in early July,proposing to furnish electricity <br /> to the village on an exclusive fifteen-year contract for six cents per kilowatt hour,with a daily <br /> minimum charge of ten dollars.17 <br /> He made a formal proposal to the Village Council on August 14, 1914. Consideration of the <br /> power plant, however,became tangled in a debate over the nearby Main Street Bridge,which <br /> 13"Ready to Install an Electric Plant";"Masonic Rites for Waterman,"Sherburne County Star News,January 20, <br /> 1921. <br /> 14"Ready to Install an Electric Plant." <br /> 15"The Waterman Electric Offer,"Sherburne County Star News,July 9, 1914;Elk River Municipal Utilities <br /> Commission Minutes,August 14, 1914;L.A.Dare,"Hydro Plant in 48th Year is Still Producing KW at Elk River," <br /> Sherburne County Star News,c. 1964. <br /> 16"Electricity." <br /> 17"To Investigate Electric Light Proposition,"Sherburne County Star News,March 15, 1914;"The Waterman <br /> Electric Offer." <br /> 75 <br />