A publication of the Virginia, Maryland & Delaware Association of Electric Cooperatives
During Cooperative Living’s seventh decade — from 2006 through 2016 — smartphones replaced flip phones, social media transformed communication and high-speed internet became an essential part of everyday life. As the world became smarter and more connected, so did the electric industry.
Celebrating the sixth decade of Cooperative Living July 2026 by Laura Emery, Staff Writer In celebration of Cooperative Living’s 80th anniversary, each issue this year spotlights one of the eight decades since this publication — first published in October 1946 — began...
During the magazine’s fifth decade, from 1986 to 1996, rural America continued to transform. Farms remained central, but new industries emerged.
The magazine’s fourth decade, from 1976 to 1986, was defined by challenge and change.
By the mid-1960s, Rural Virginia — the original title of this magazine — had settled into its stride. The publication’s third decade, 1966 to 1976, unfolded against the backdrop of a nation in flux.
The second decade of Cooperative Living (then called Rural Virginia), spanning 1956 to 1966, reflected a noticeable shift from its early years.
The magazine’s first decade (1946-1956) unfolded during the years just after World War II, a time when rural electrification was transforming life across Virginia.
