Pam, Try using a search engine like HotBot or MetaCrawler and looking for "electricity + history" or maybe electric/power companies. http://www.metacrawler.com http://www.metacrawler.com You could also look in history books at your library. I have a relative who was head electrician at the VA State Penitentiary about 1910. I figured he probably had something to do with the electric chair as well as fixing the wiring in the penitentiary. I imagine an electrician in 1897 would have been running electric wires into people's houses and businesses plus repairs. Hope this helps. Edith It did show his occupation to be that of an electrician.  So what was an electrician in 1897?  His home was among the first to have electricity in Minneapolis.  But what is an 1897 electrician?