Wabash Indiana - The First Electrically Lighted City in the World

nobody@flickr.com (Tom_Brown 6117) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 09:15:55 -0700

At 8:00 P.M on the night of Wednesday, March 31, 1880 the lights came on from the top of the courthouse. That night gave the people of Wabash something to be proud of. Wabash had bought 4 lights from the Brush Electric Light Company of Cleveland, Ohio.

The news appeared in the Wabash Plain Dealer on April second. There was a relighting ceremony 99 years later.

The night that the lights were first used was a test to see if the brush electric lights would really light a large outdoor area. Many people came to Wabash to see if they would work. Many of these visitors were reporters.

A threshing machine steam engine was used to generate the electricity. Wires led to the four lights on the top of the courthouse. Some of the people in the crowd doubted that the lights would work. At 8:00 PM the chimes on the courthouse clock started ringing. That signaled that it was time to turn on the lights. When the lights first came on everyone was very quiet and then they cheered. THE TEST WAS SUCCESSFUL!

Some people were surprised at how bright it was with the lights on that night. While it was still dark, one young man had placed his arm around his girlfriend's waist. When the lights came on, everyone saw them and they were a little embarrassed.

The mayor's wife said they could read the paper on their porch three or four blocks away. One reporter said it was light enough to see the face of his watch when he was on a train three miles out of Wabash.

Mr. James Waldo, the telegraph operator, was busy sending special telegrams that night. The reporters were sending messages to their home towns. The next morning Wabash was in the news in these towns: New York, Cleveland, Chicago, Cinncinati, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, and other cities with leading daily newspapers around the country.

That is the story of how Wabash came to be known as the "First Electrically Lighted City".
Source: Wabash, Indiana City History

I'm not going to be able to submit a NEW image for today's challenge, but I did rework one from the archives... Indiana is lucky to have some of the most beautiful architecture reflected in its County Court Houses... this is just one example... for our Daily challenge: Public Buildings

Project 365: Day 262

Wabash County Courthouse

nobody@flickr.com (Tom_Brown 6117) — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 09:52:15 -0800

Tom_Brown 6117 posted a photo:

The County Seat of Wabash County, Indiana... Wabash, sits on the banks of the Wabash River approximately 70 miles NE of Indianapolis.

Uploads from Tom_Brown 6117, tagged wabashcounty

Wabash Indiana - The First Electrically Lighted City in the World

Wabash County Courthouse