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    § Charles A. Spaulding
 A History of Hartford - 153 pg transcript now available on-line!
    § Katherine Minshall - Early History of Hartford and Lawrence 12 pgs.
    § Eli Fayette Ruggles Recollections of A Busy Life - circa 1904


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Hartford Light and Power Company

Picture and history submitted by Larry Blyly - March 2005


William Anderson came from Warren, Ohio to Lawrence in 1859. After operating two different mills on Brush Creek, he bought a saw mill on the Paw Paw River North of Hartford in 1868. It was unique in that it incorporated 2 vertical shaft turbines instead of the usual horizontal shaft "water wheel." There were two sets of saws. Anderson removed one set and installed a grist mill in its place. In 1897, he turned the property over to his sons, Ed and Julian Anderson. In 1900, the other set of saws was removed and an electric light plant put in its place. The 40kw D.C. generator furnished Hartford with its first electric lights and was used until a new electric plant was built. The building was abandoned and finally demolished in 1933. The foundations, "mill pond," and dam still exist.

Information for this web site was gathered from personal interviews, newspaper articles, scrapbooks, personal photo albums, and other documented materials - many available to the public at the Hartford Public Library or Van Buren County Historical Museum.  Please report any typographical errors, updated information, or incorrectly stated information to the webmaster for correction.  Reprinting for personal and instructional purposes is permitted, however, unauthorized commercial reprinting of this information or unauthorized linking to photos-pictures on this site is strictly prohibited without written permission from the webmaster. 



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Pearls In Our Past - Hartford Michigan© 
A Pictorial History of Hartford, Michigan
 Emma Thornburg Sefcik,
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Copyright © 2000 - All rights reserved.

Revised: August 02, 2008