The Southwest News was published and mailed to STEMC members from 1950-2003. It is an interesting history of your electric cooperative and how far we have come in the past 70 years.
April 1950 July 1950 August 1950
August 1959 August 1960 August 1961 August 1962 August 1963 August 1964
August 1965 August 1966 August 1967 August 1968 August 1969 August 1970
August 1971 August 1972 August 1973 August 1974 August 1965 August 1976
August 1977 August 1978 August 1979 August 1980 August 1981 August 1982
August 1983 August 1984 August 1985 August 1986 August 1987 August 1988
August 2004 August 2005 August 2006 August 2007 August 2008 August 2009
August 2010 August 2011 August 2012 August 2013 August 2014 August 2015
August 2016 August 2017 August 2018 August 2019 August 2020
RURAL BEGINNINGS
During the early and middle 1930′s, there virtually was no electric service in rural areas. In 1936, a group of rural citizens from Madison, Tipton and Haywood Counties met in Jackson, Tennessee in order to develop a plan for “getting electricity” for their homes and farms and for those of their neighbors. The business was incorporated on July 1, 1936. A temporary Board of Trustees was elected for the purpose of obtaining a charter for a new electric cooperative from the State of Tennessee.
In October of 1936, the charter was received, and shortly thereafter, the fledgling cooperative applied to the Rural Electrification Administration for a loan in the amount of $290,000 to begin construction of electric lines. The first construction contract was awarded in January, 1937.
Southwest soon purchased the West Tennessee Power and Light Company, which added 125 miles of line and 1,280 customers. This purchase included Mason, Stanton, Munford, Atoka, Brighton, Covington, Gallaway, Whiteville, Mercer, Pinson and Henderson.
Growth was steady until World War II, during which time all materials were in short supply, as was the labor supply. However, growth accelerated rapidly after the war’s end, and has continued at an almost steady pace to the current time.

