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The hot, sultry days of summer just keep hanging around; we’re right in the midst of Dog Days, the presidential campaign is hot, utilities are off the roof and tires are sticking to the hot tar on the highway.

Everywhere, people are asking, how did people way back when survive?

If Mr. J.C. Harden was still around, he could set us straight on that question. And, he would tell us that it was just as hot back before current came to rural Pike County in 1937 as it is now.

Mr. Harden of the Shiloh Community dreamed of having current and the conveniences that would come with it.

But, but he realized that current wasn’t coming to rural South Alabama, by itself. So, he got out in the countryside talking about current and what it would mean to the farming community. He put down his plow and went to a town meeting to find out more about bringing current to country folks. He asked questions and more questions.

Out of that meeting came hope that current would one day be reality. 

Harden knew hope would not bring current to farm folks. But he also knew that sharecroppers and tenant farmers couldn’t afford electricity. So, he concentrated on painted houses where people of better means lived.

Four to five customer per mile was the “magic” number to get current to rural Pike County. Membership was five dollars. For many families, that had just as soon be five million dollars.

Harden went on a crusade to convince farm families that change in rural life would come with the flip of a switch. Others joined as current crusaders.

And what a “glorious” day it would be when current came to the Shiloh community in 1937.

In the year 2024, it would be difficult, almost impossible, to even begin to imagine what life would have been like before “current” came and how difficult life would be.

Harden said they were too poor to own an icebox, but he would splurge about once a month and buy a block of ice. Otherwise, they depended on the well to cool their milk.

Without any way to keep food cool that was left from the day’s meal, it went straight into the slop bucket to be fed to the hogs the next afternoon. 

“That’s where hogs got their salt– from the slop bucket,” Harden said.

Pumps and outhouses were commonplace among country folks.  

“And, at night, we brought out the slop jars and the chambers,” Harden said. “We didn’t know what an inconvenience that was because everybody was in the same condition.

Harden recalled the early opportity to experience a modern convenience that he and his wife, Gladys.

After taking over the womanly chores after his wife had a baby. He was ready to pull out the pocket book when a washing machine salesman came knocking on the door.

Harden said back in those day, a woman had to stay in the bed nine days after having a baby. He remembered that long time bending over a washtub.

So, Harden happily unloaded a gasoline, kick start wringer washing machine on the back porch.

Without any way to keep food cool that was left from the day’s meal, it went straight into the slop bucket to be fed to the hogs the next afternoon. 

“Those was hard times, but we didn’t know it.”

About a year after Harden and other men canvassed the county for membership into the rural electric company, the switch was flipped and life changed for the better.

The lines had been run; houses had been wired and the customers were anxiously waiting for the lines to come on.

One day, around dinner time, all of a sudden, a light came on. Harden said he just hollered and hollered. The children ran around the house from room to room turning on the lights,” Harden said.

One neighbor rang up another, “You got current?! You got current?!”

“I’ve got it! Oh, I’ve got it!”

Harden said that the happiest day of his life for small things,”

Just as quickly as the switch was flipped, life became better.

People could stay up later at night because so they could read, they had cold milk in the refrigerator. For the first time, th slop bucket was empty because the leftovers went in the refrigerator.

Harden said hogs were the only ones that didn’t benefit when current came to the country.”