Wabash - The First Electrically Lighted City

When thinking about electricity, have you ever thought what is the first entire city to be lit by electricity? Well, Wabash, Indiana has that claim to fame to be the first electrically lighted city in the world. On March 31, 1880, 8 pm, they got their '15 minutes of fame'... well, back then it was more like their few months of fame. News traveled much slower in them days.

It all started during the winter of 1879-80 when the City Council and some interested town folks heard about a Mr. Charles Brush from Cleveland, Ohio who was working on electric lighting, called The Brush Lights. Mr. Brush was looking for a test city, and Wabash was interested. After an arrangement was made, on Feb 2, the order by the city to 'earmark' $100 to let the light is tested here.

To set up for the test, 4 3,000 candle-powered lamps of regular design of the time were hung from the flagstaff at the Courthouse, and then covered by a galvanized iron shield. Two telegraph wires were then laid on the roof of the Courthouse and to the basement where the Brush dynamo Machine was to generate the power to the 4 lamps.

To test the dynamo, it was driven by an old 6 to 8 horse-powered threshing steam machine on wheels, by the west wall of the building, on the lawn. The power from the small engine made is able to light the lamp at a distance under 4000 feet.

People from all over the area cam to see the amazing feat. They came from neighboring states. According to the plan, at 8:00 in the evening the Court House bell sounded as the signal to start. At a flip of a switch, the light was blinding and could be seen everywhere in the surrounding area. A newspaper could be read clearly on the other side of town.

Tourism picked up rapidly as word of the news spread. Hotels were packed of people who came to see the light. Passenger trains would stop in town and allow the folks 5 minutes to see the light before heading on their way.

In March of 1880, the city council passed a motion to pay Daniel worth to care for and attend to the new electric light for $400 a year. Now be reminded, this was in 1880 terms. As the electric light became more popular and more used around the country, more companies making the lights popped up. Therefore, as time went on, Wabash invested in different lighting as it came around.