"Electric City" book review - The proposal by Edison & Ford to turn Muscle Shoals into a Utopia

[BamaNation]

‘Electric City’ Review: Bright Lights, Big River - WSJ ($$$)

In the 1920s, Thomas Edison and Henry Ford dreamed of turning Muscle Shoals, Ala., into a dam-powered workers’ utopia.

The link above is to the WSJ book review ($$$) but I thought it might be of some interest to Shoals-area fans. I grew up a stone's throw from the dam, love the story behind how it was built, have actually taken a tour under the dam to see its operations, and still love driving across it whenever I'm in the Shoals.

At one time Wilson Dam was the world's largest lock and dam (and is still the largest east of the Rockies in the US) and it's always amazing to watch large barges move into, up/down, and through the lock. I have often imagined what the Shoals would have been had Ford & Edison's project actually happened - for better or worse.

I haven't read the book yet but have it on order to deliver next week.

You can order here if you're interested: Electric City: The Lost History of Ford and Edison’s American Utopia


EDIT: I found another (free) book review

 

[dtgreg]

The link above is to the WSJ book review ($$$) but I thought it might be of some interest to Shoals-area fans. I grew up a stone's throw from the dam, love the story behind how it was built, have actually taken a tour under the dam to see its operations, and still love driving across it whenever I'm in the Shoals.

At one time Wilson Dam was the world's largest lock and dam (and is still the largest east of the Rockies in the US) and it's always amazing to watch large barges move into, up/down, and through the lock. I have often imagined what the Shoals would have been had Ford & Edison's project actually happened - for better or worse.

I haven't read the book yet but have it on order to deliver next week.

You can order here if you're interested: Electric City: The Lost History of Ford and Edison’s American Utopia


EDIT: I found another (free) book review

View attachment 21706

Man, did you push me down the rabbit hole. What a wonderful book and author! A subject near and dear. Lillienthal was definitely not the first visionary. Spectacular suggestion!