The determination of these Board members did not stop there. After building the lines and establishing the rates for the cooperative, the date of August 11, 1938 was chosen for the inauguration and electrification of the first line of Lamar EMC. And who better to dedicate REA project 75 than President Franklin Delano Roosevelt himself. The Board made a special trip to Washington and personally invited the President to come to Barnesville, GA and flip the switch that would energize the newly formed cooperative and much to everyone's surprise and delight, FDR accepted.

On August 11, 1938 at Gordon Military College's Sumner's Field, and estimated 40,000 people heard President Roosevelt dedicate Lamar EMC.

"Electricity is a modern necessity of life and ought to be found in every village, every home, and every farm in every part of the United States. The dedication of this Rural Electrification Administration project in Georgia is a symbol of the progress we are making - and we are not going to stop."

Along with progress came growth and over the years, Lamar EMC expanded to include five additional counties including Bibb, Coweta, Crawford, Meriwether and Spalding. Because of the cooperative's nine county service territory, the need for LEMC to have a regional presence was important. After 66 years of reliable and affordable service to its members, Lamar EMC changed its name to Southern Rivers Energy on January 1st, 2005 in order to better reflect the size and scope of the cooperative.

For more about the name change, check out our FAQs on the Customer Service page.