Jim Binkley honors the trade even after retirement

Clark County REMC’s Wyatt Binkley first climbed at a lineman rodeo when he was 12 years old. Last year, he was on the team that finished first place overall at the inaugural Indiana Electric Cooperative Lineman Rodeo. He received a unique, handcrafted trophy for his efforts — one made by his father.

Jim Binkley, who worked in the industry for more than 40 years and has two sons now working as linemen, has contributed to linework in many different capacities. He has been inducted into the International Lineman Hall of Fame, and beyond his professional duties, has created trophies for lineman rodeos, retirement gifts and more.

He traces his passion for these types of projects back decades.

In 2003, the superintendent of Scottsburg Municipal Electric, Jim Satterly, was retiring. Binkley was asked to fill the position.

“I immediately had a problem,” Binkley said. “What should I give Mr. Satterly for his retirement? I was splitting wood when the solution appeared before me.”

Satterly had a tree contractor remove an old oak tree that was endangering a primary electrical line. Binkley took some of the wood home and was splitting it when he discovered a pair of “house knob insulators” embedded within the wood.

“I counted 40 tree rings back from the bark to the base of the insulator, and I knew then I had something to build from,” he said. “I counted the rest of the rings to establish the age of the tree and used it to create a story highlighting Mr. Satterly’s career at Scottsburg.”

Five years after crafting the wooden sculpture for Satterly, Binkley undertook a new project: building insulator keepsakes for the eighth annual American Public Power Association (APPA) Lineman Rodeo. He created 75.

“When I built the keepsake, I wanted to represent the year using pieces of wire the size of each number of the year and bend them in arches,” he said. Binkley received a standing ovation for his efforts at the evening’s banquet, and he said that he “considered it at the time the pinnacle of my lineman career, being honored by my peers.”

Binkley has tried to be intentional with his work — both as a lineman and a creator.

When the Indiana Municipal Electric Association later decided to create a state rodeo modeled after the APPA event, Binkley was asked to create trophies. He accepted, also coming up with the idea to have a traveling award to emphasize what he believes to be the most important event: the hurt man rescue.

Last year, Binkley was asked if he was interested in making the trophies for the first Indiana Electric Cooperative Lineman Rodeo. He agreed, and the awards he created were built “around a saddleback insulator pin and used a weathered piece of cross-arm. It seemed like a natural fit for a rodeo trophy,” he explained.

Binkley made the awards for the Indiana Electric Cooperative Lineman Rodeo again this year. Regardless of who wins, there is no doubt that Binkley’s handiwork is treasured by the linemen who are awarded his trophies — and Binkley is pleased to be able to pay tribute to their efforts. “I especially like honoring those stand-out linemen that are dedicated to our trade.”