People
Name: Union Electric
Profession: Merchant
Born/Started: Apr. 20, 1902
Description: Union Electric Company was founded on May 20, 1902 with only a few employees and 2,000 customers. The World’s Fair in 1904 allowed for the company to expand tremendously and expose millions of people to brilliant lighting display. Many of them had never seen electric lights before. In 1913 Union Electric began using hydroelectric power, buying power generated by the new Keokuk Dam which allowed UE to expand into rural areas. The company then built a second hyro-electric dam on the Osage River in Central Missouri. This dam was completed in 1933 and forms the Lake of the Ozarks. After WWII, the company bought out other electric companies and was able to service 24,000 square miles, including portions of Illinois and Iowa. Five more plants were built in the 60’s and 70’s to help the company service even more customers.-the Meramec Plant, Taum Sauk Plant, Sioux Plant, Labadie Plant, and Rush Island Plant. Union Electric and CIPSCO Incorporated, parent of Central Illinois Public Service Company, merged in December 1997, creating Ameren Corporation. Ameren is the parent of Union Electric -- now AmerenUE -- and Central Illinois Public Service company -- now AmerenCIPS. [St. Louis Portrait, p. 234, http://www.ameren.com/]
Reference
Saint Louis Portrait
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