Reddy in April – 1946, 1956 & 1956

Our old pal Reddy Kilowatt hasn't made an appearance on the blog circuit since the holidays. Let's correct that revolting oversight with a look at a few of his April appearances through the years, as well as a current sighting from right in Lorain County – specifically Grafton.

Reddy is ready to do some wiring in this ad that ran on April 10, 1946 in the Lorain Journal.

Ten years later in this handsome ad that ran on April 16, 1956, Reddy encouraged Lorain Countians to enjoy the benefits of electric cooking, with a generous $95 wiring allowance. 

I'm assuming Reddy wanted people to switch from natural gas and not a potbellied stove. Anyway, I'll bet this offer showed ol' Speedy Gas Flame who's the boss. Mess with Reddy and his corporate bosses at Ohio Edison, and the sparks will fly!

Lastly, having already convinced consumers to get their homes wired, and to cook with electricity, Reddy pushed that most important (to me, anyway) electrical luxury: air conditioning. This ad (with an air conditioner that resembled, well, a simple box) ran on April 11, 1966.

So what's Reddy doing in 2026?

He's still hard at work – in Grafton, apparently. I received the following photo recently from contributor Tom Janus. 

Tom wrote, "This spring I have been driving around Grafton and Elyria and found some interesting things.  From your website, I know you’re a fan of the character "Reddy Kilowatt" used by electric companies. I was in Grafton in March and found this unique truck trailer parked near the railroad switch house. I think it contains a mobile generator that can be taken to a neighborhood that has a power outage. It's probably from the 1950s-60s. The faded lettering reads "Central Illinois Public Service Company."

"I also took a picture of the switch house, water tower and a building with a railroad mural.  Grafton is a historically significant town for its railroad history and the site of the first Spitzer automobile dealership."

Thanks for sharing, Tom!