Alumni
Moment of History: Power Pole Setting Through the Years
In honor of National Lineworker Appreciation Day on April 18, we’re taking a look back at the early days of power in Los Angeles. Electrical service in L.A. actually predates the name Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. Line workers for the Bureau of Power and Light – along with other companies – helped usher in the era of electrical light beginning in the early 1900s. The name “Department of Water and Power” was created in 1937, when the City’s Bureau of Power and Light merged with the City’s Bureau of Water Works and Supply. Over the years, the way in which power poles were installed has changed as technology evolved. These photos show how it was done before large crane rigs and helicopters.
This photo from the early 1900’s depicts workers from the Los Angeles Bureau of Power and Light setting a new pole using a horse-drawn pole-setting wagon. Note the two line workers high up on the existing and new poles.
By the 1930’s, pole setting had become a little more industrialized. One of the earliest and most successful production 4x4s trucks (as seen here) was the FWD Model B. This 3-ton truck was in production from 1912 through the 1920s. Refurbished versions of the truck were still in operation until 1939. The Model B was a benchmark in the growth and development of four-wheel drive and also came to symbolize power pole installation in the early days of the Power System.
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