'Electrical Hall of Fame' Urged for Old Adams Plant

A committee of industrial leaders here has started work on a plan to convert the old Edward Dean Adams power plant on the upper river into an "electrical hall of fame."

The committee, organized by James G. Marshall, 88-year old retired Electro Metallurgical Co. works manager, decided at a meeting at Hotel Niagara Monday to make overtures to the federal and state governments, electrical equipment manufacturers and historical societies for help in making the old plant a permanent museum.

The Adams plant is to be taken out of service when the new power plant at Lewiston goes into operation in 1961.

First AC Transmission

It was from the Adams plant in 1895 that alternating current was first transmitted over a long distance. Power from the Adams plant was used to illuminate the new street lights in Buffalo — 25 miles away.

Martin J. Travers was named chairman of the executive committee that will push the project. Other members of the committee are R. Wolcott Hooker, senior vice president of Hooker Chemical Corp.; Walter Eggert, vice president of Moore Business Forms; Kenneth K. Burke, vice president of the Niagara Falls Gazette, and Mr. Marshall. John Daley of Kimberly-Clark Corp. will serve as secretary.

Land For Park

Mr. Marshall told the committee that there are 32 acres of land available at the Adams station site that would be "admirably suited to use as a public park." He suggested that a swimming pool and skating rink could be built on the site in connection with the museum.

"Our job," Mr. Marshall said, "is to interest the public in this proposal. There are many national monuments of less importance than the Adams plant."

He said that industries had to generate their own power in steam boilers before the Adams plant pioneered in transmitting alternating current.

The Adams plant, which has 21 generators of 4,000 kilowatt capacity, is credited with making Niagara Falls into an industrial city.

Used Tesla Invention

It was the first plant to employ Nikola Tesla's invention of the polyphase system of alternating current. The first generator at the Adams plant was designed and built by the Westinghouse Electric Corp. under the supervision of the company's founder — George Westinghouse.

Mr. Marshall suggested that pioneer Niagara Falls industries, such as Union Carbide Corp., Hooker, DuPont and Carborundum, should set up exhibits in the Adams museum to dramatize the importance of electricity in the citys development.

Mr. Hooker said that Niagara Falls "needs more things for tourists to see and do" in order to keep them here for longer stays. He noted that the Adams plant will have direct access to the Niagara Parkway, which is to be built in connection with the power project.

No Decision by NMP

No decision has been made on what will happen to the Adams plant when it is taken out of service, according to Niagara Mohawk Power Corp. which owns and operates it.

However, power company officials said that "some part of the switchyard will remain and that a substation will be built on the site to service the DuPont plant in Buffalo Ave."

The committee plans to contact federal and state officials, the state historian, Niagara Falls and Niagara County historical societies, the American Institute of Electrical Engineers, the State Power Authority and the Niagara Frontier State Park Commission for assistance in the project.

In addition to the executive committee, the "hall of fame committee also includes Joseph Baker, George Reeves, F. Leonard Bryant, Charles A. Clancy, William Church, William A. Doody, Arthur Kilin.

Also, Jack Munch, Edward H. Potthoff Jr., Harold Reagan, John Simonich, Theodore Saunders, Jeraul E. Wenger Sr., Joseph Weber, Ralph House and Richard Cary.