TAPCO: The Arizona Power Company in the Verde Valley

Items

• Buildings and Homes at TAPCO In Clarkdale, Arizona.
  Homes and buildings located at The Arizona Power Company (TAPCO) in Clarkdale, Arizona, with the field and hills in the background. The large tank was used to hold oil that came in by rail and the smaller tanks held water.
• Construction of TAPCO; Lumber & Railroad Cars
  Construction of The Arizona Power Company (TAPCO) in Clarkdale, Arizona. The power plant utilized the Verde River for its source of water. This plant was built due to the increased need of electricity for the copper mining operations in Jerome, the smelter in Clarkdale, Arizona and the growing population.
• Construction of TAPCO Concrete Forms
  Construction of the concrete forms for the steam power plant; The Arizona Power Company (TAPCO) in Clarkdale, Arizona. This plant was built due to the increased need of electricity for the copper mining operations in Jerome, the smelter in Clarkdale, Arizona and the growing population.
• Reddy Kilowatt Central Arizona Light and Power Company Ad
  Image of the Central Arizona Light and Power Company advertisement sign. This cartoon character was used nationwide by electric companies in the early to mid 20th century C.E. It is a stick figure made of lighting bolts coming out of an electrical outlet, with an outlet for an ear and a light bulb for a nose. It was a fun way for the electric companies to educate the public about electricity and promote the companies product.
• Transmission Lines Around Jerome and Clarkdale
  Map that shows the 45000 volt electrical transmission lines and secondary lines from the TAPCO steam power plant to the surrounding areas in 1917. It also shows the many mines that were in operation at the time: Great Verde Extension, Jerome Del Monte, Decatur Copper Co, Jerome Copper Co., Green Monster, Monster Chief, Jerome St. Louis, Copper Chief, Jerome Portland, Shea Copper Co., Grand Island, Pittsburg Jerome, Verde Venture Apex, Verde Central, Calumet & Jerome Verde Combination, Cleopatra Copper Co. Boston Jerome, Verde Grande, United Verde, Arkansas & Arizona, Jerome Daisy, Jerome Superior, and Jerome Victor.
• Sketch of Location of The Arizona Power Company’s Generating Plants
  Hand drawn map of The Arizona Power Company’s Generating Plants and Electric Lines for Irving Power Plant, Childs Power Plant and TAPCO. This map shows the power lines running to Clarkdale, Jerome, Poland Junction and Prescott.
• TAPCO Steam-Electric Station Exterior Images
  Image of a page with multiply images of the exterior of Tapco steam electric station; sub & switching station, transformer bay, railroad siding, operators village and substation. This was part of the power grid that in conjunction with Irving and Childs Power Plants were able to supply 45,000 volts that ran through the transmission main lines.
• TAPCO Sign Being Hung on Main St. in Clarkdale, Arizona
  The mounting of the sign for the TAPCO office located on Main Street in Clarkdale, Arizona. Tapco was instrumental to expand electric power in the Verde Valley. Bringing modern conveniences of the early 20th century that were formally only available to larger cities.
• Worn Water Wheels Advertisement
  Advertisement of the D.J. Murray Manufacturing Company that was located in Wausau, Wisconsin, for the repair of worn water wheels. This is they type of water wheel used to move water. As the wheel would wear, it would be less effective.
• TAPCO Steam Turbine
  Interior of TAPCO steam power plant steam turbine with six men. This is where the super heated steam would enter the turbine, turning the rotor blades to produce electricity.
• Electric Meters
  Image of electric meters with two men inspecting them. These were General Electric meters that measured kilowatt usage so the electric company could accurately bill users for the amount of electricity they used.
• Construction of TAPCO
  Image of the construction of TAPCO with stacks of pipes. Each boiler required about 4,000 feet of 3 1/4" carbon steel pipe to convert the purified river water into superheated steam.
• Construction of TAPCO: Rebar and Wooden Forms
  Image of rebar, and wooden forms prepared for concrete pouring of TAPCO. Rebar is short for "reinforcing bars", the method of using rebar for construction first began in the mid-nineteenth century C.E. in Europe and then began to be used in the U.S. in the late nineteenth century to early twentieth century. Rebar reinforced the concrete so it could endure far more weight without stressing or cracking the concrete. It is rebar that allowed for buildings to build up, instead of only out, and has a greater longevity.
• TAPCO Boiler Doors
  Close up of cast iron boiler doors, with a sign that says (Boyler), this is inside the TAPCO steam power plant. The boilers burned crude oil and the exhaust was vented out the flue to the smoke stack.
• Exterior of TAPCO
  Black and white image of TAPCO steam power plant exterior with smoke stack, power lines and transformers.
• Interior of the TAPCO Power Plant
  Image of the interior of TAPCO tanks, pipes, valves of the oil feed pumps, and part of the operation of steam power plant.
• TAPCO Boilers
  Boilers inside TAPCO with two men standing in the foreground. Babcock & Wilcox Stirling type water tube boilers that burned Pacific 400 oil, referred to as "California Crude".
• Wheeler Condenser
  Two men, on either side of the Wheeler condenser, a component of the steam power plant for The Arizona Power Company (TAPCO) in Clarkdale, Arizona. This is during the construction period in 1917. The power plant utilized the Verde River for its source of water. This plant was built due to the increased need of electricity for the copper mining operations in Jerome, Arizona and the growing population.
• TAPCO Power Plant Arial View
  Arial view of TAPCO, that was owned and operated by The Arizona Power Company on the Verde River located in Clarkdale, Arizona.
• United Verde Copper Company Smelter, Clarkdale, Arizona
  Image of the United Verde Copper Company Smelter in Clarkdale, Arizona, at the base of the Mingus Mountain range. It was powered by the TAPCO steam power plant only a few miles up the river from the smelter. United Verde Copper Company was owned by William H. Clark.
• United Verde Copper Company. Jerome, Arizona.
  Image of the United Verde Copper Company smelter operation in Jerome, Arizona. There are company houses on the side of the mountain, railroad tracks, rail cars and lumber. Owned by William A. Clark a Senator from Montana.
• Fossil Creek Road
  Black and white photograph of a dirt and rocky road with two vehicles parked downhill with several men standing around with boulders on the side of the road. This is an image of early access to the Irving Childs Power Plant that operated on Fossil Creek between modern day Camp Verde and Pine, Strawberry, Arizona
• TAPCO Smoke Stack
  View of The Arizona Power Company steam power plant in operation. Located on the Verde River, Clarkdale, AZ.