HURON — NorthWestern Energy celebrated a century of providing electric and natural gas service to South Dakota and Nebraska customers where the company began, in Huron,  Thursday evening, at the new Dakota Events CompleX on the South Dakota State Fairgrounds.

Northwestern Public Service was founded in 1923, bringing together two South Dakota and two Nebraska energy companies, and made its headquarters in Huron for decades.

Today, Huron remains the hub of how the company — now NorthWestern Energy —  operates.

More than 100 employees call Huron home, dedicated to the community they service.

“It is honor to hold NorthWestern Energy’s board of directors meeting in the community where the company started and celebrate the milestone with the Huron community,” NorthWestern Energy President and CEO Brian Bird said.

He added that NorthWestern Energy is proud to begin its second century of providing safe, reliable energy service for its customers in South Dakota and Nebraska.

A landscape painting by South Dakota artist John C. Green depicting a NorthWestern Energy lineman making a repair along a rural road was unveiled at the celebration.