J. L. Bonar bought Gough's interest in early 1897. The office was located in a small building on East Front Street, just west of John Berg's present office. George Zinser was in charge of the light plant or a number of years. Elmer H. Gray came to El Paso in 1901, his father having purchased the light plant from Bonar and Adams. He served as manager until April 1, 1912, when the plant was bought by the McKinley system. Elmer was retained as local manager in charge of construction of fifty miles of high tension lines which connected Hudson, El Paso, Gridley, Meadows and Chenoa to the main power house in Bloomington. The line later was extended to Lexington. Mr. Gray moved to Jacksonville in 1916.
Electric power was limited in time, as well as volume, under local management. Lights were turned on at 6 p. m. and off at midnight until 1912, and it was not until May of that year that daytime service was
The middle block, West Front Street, about 1900.
available. Until some time after the electric lights came, motors were operated by water power for grinding coffee, spice and similar chores. Curtiss and Williams operated the press for their Saturday Review with a water motor, and Dr. J. M. Fishburn operated the equipment in his dental office with a similar motor.
Current from Bloomington became available March 8, 1913 for daytime use, with night service supplied by the local plant for a week before it was dismantled. The company continued to be known as the El Paso Light & Power Co. until February, 1924.
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