Pioneers

For the third time this year that mere weather has caused power outages in Chesterfield and St. Charles County, both communities that many living St. Louisians can remember as how far out you’d go for a trip camping and that many now call home.

Here in Downtown, we first ran electric lines in 1878 (first lighting Tony Faust’s), and buried them underground (with the water, natural gas, and steam lines) in 1897. Today, my building sits on two grids with nearby power plants and the office a half mile away even has backup generators. Living without electricity for more than a few minutes every decade seems quaint.

I guess reliable power needs to be added to the list of things-to-consider-when-home-shopping-that-realtors-ignore. Alongside the commute time to work and cultural institutions, distance to the nearest sushi bar, and access to potable water when the civilization collapses.