Founded in 1884, the Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO) operates as a regulated electric utility serving more than 50,000 customers primarily throughout the rural countryside in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. The unit also provides electricity to nearly 40 wholesale customers in multiple industries, including forest products, tourism and small manufacturing. __Encouraged by the boom in Michigan's copper country the Houghton County Traction Company was started in 1900. It was the only true interurban line in the Upper Peninsula. All rail operations ended on May 21, 1932 with the loss of business in the depth of the great depression (excerpted from http://www.pasty.com/copperrange/traction.htm, accessed March 2011). The Peninsula Electric Light and Power Company was formed in 1891 and was the first entity outside of the mining companies to supply power to consumers. In 1902 it was renamed and reincorporated as the Houghton County Electric Light Company.