I was born in 1940. The electric and phone lines stopped at my Grandfathers house. He and his neighbors donated the right-of-way and set the poles and the REA hooked them up. Anyone higher up the mountain than him used kerosine lamps or candles.
I can remember during the war how he woudl ride his horse off into the night to deliver a phone message about someones son or husband in the service. He had to go on horsebace because you couldn't get a car up some of those roads in the daytime, never mind in the dark.
My uncle ran a general store using kerosine lamps. You pumped the number of gallons of gasoline you wanted (IF you had the requisite cupons) up into the reservior by hand to measure it ond then let gravity drain it into the cars tank.
Yeah, I remember those days all right. Sugar Daddys and Hadacol and Nehi Grape and Grand Old Opry on Saturday night.

troll