The Early Years

The Roseau Electric Cooperative came into existence after an earlier attempt to organize in 1938 had failed. A handful of progressive farmers revived the movement in the summer of 1940 and on July 18th approximately 250 people were present for the Cooperative's organizational meeting held at the Courthouse in Roseau. At the incorporation meeting Henry Jensen of Roseau was elected president; Albert S. Brandt, Vice-President and Jalmer Wellen, Secretary-Treasurer. The directors were Erick Roseen, Pencer; Ernest Klema, Roseau; Frank Bialke, Greenbush; Kenneth Parduhn, Warroad; A. L. Dolney, Greenbush and William Wilson, Greenbush.

Henry Jensen served in the dual capacity of president of the board, plus project coordinator and was the driving force from the start. REA officials in Washington approved a loan of $218,000 for line construction on August 14, 1941, and actual construction on the line began the following January. The board united forces with North Star of Baudette and Border Electric of International Falls to build the Border Counties generating plant in Warroad. REA officials rejected contractor bids for being too high so local farmers were hired to do the line construction with Cooperative equipment.

In the spring of 1943 all work on the project was suspended by the US Government because of the war, but work was resumed in the spring of 1944. Forrest Ammerman, eventual line superintendent, and August Bourque, eventual general manager, were hired in May of that year as the first full time employees of the Cooperative. In November, 1944, Roy Bloom of Warroad, was the first member of the Roseau Electric Cooperative to have his farm energized. 289 more services were energized that year.

After the war, yellow southern pine poles were almost impossible to get so Roseau obtained permission from REA to use native cedar poles from Canada. Some of these poles are still in use today.

The Cooperative's headquarters was originally in a "cubbyhole" in the courthouse and was moved to the Helgeson building in 1941. Later the office was maintained in the Flagstad building until being moved to its present location in 1949.

The small Border Counties generating plant in Warroad was retired in 1956. Roseau has purchased power and been a member of the Minnkota Power Cooperative, Grand Forks, since that time.

The original general manager was August Bourque, who served in that capacity until his death in 1955. He was succeeded by Meridith Haslerud whose 32 year career was highlighted by securing a $250,000 loan for Marvin Window after their fire in 1961, and his efforts that provided central station power to the Northwest Angle in the fall of 1973. Mr. Haslerud died in December, 1987.

The Cooperataive is currently managed by Michael Adams, has 28 full time employees, and maintains 6,700 services and 2,220 miles of line.