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DECATUR, like other
cities, had its first sight of an electric light when the Barnum &
Bailey circus visited the city, about 1880. It was one of the
big hits of the circus. This city was one of the pioneers in the
introduction of electricity. It not only was the first in
having electric street cars, but was among the first to have
electric lights. In the early '80s the use of electricity was
largely experimental for several years, but it was such a novelty
that folks were willing to experiment. "At last the electric light
has made its appearance in Decatur," said a newspaper item Jan. 14,
1883. "Credit for its introduction belongs to Orendorff
and Doyle and Sullivan of the Commercial block.
For several days an expert has been in the city setting up the
generator and making the necessary connections with the lamp which
was placed in the Sullivan saloon. Trial was made last night
and everything worked splendidly. The light was very
brilliant, making the gas jets appear as sickly as a tallow candle
in comparison. Each lamp costs $60. The generator costs
$600. A Fuller generator, operated by a Chicago expert, was used.
A three horse power machine was manipulated by Fred Litterer.
The newspapers stressed the fact that the light could be seen for a
distance of six blocks, and a great crowd of people was there all
evening to view the novel illumination. Mr. Doyle stated that
it was his intention to make the electric light in the Commercial
block a permanent thing. The Commercial block is still standing,
block 3ast of Short, on the north side of Eldorado. In 1883 the
Decatur Electric Light Co. got a franchise, and a plant was
installed by the Fort Wayne Jenney Electric company in a one-story
building on Wabash avenue. Only are lights were used then.
A few were installed in stores, but they were noisy, difficult to
regulate and uncertain. S. T. Trowbridge was president and
J. R. Mosser secretary of the Decatur Electric Light company.
Its franchise was granted Oct. 1, 1883. The office was at the
Trowbridge home, 207 West William. Dr. Trowbridge
leased the building on Wabash avenue for the plant. A fifty horse
power engine was installed. Wires were run along the railroad
east, and on North Franklin street south to the city park. In
October Kaufman and Bachrach arranged for a
demonstration of Brush electric light, other business men joining
them. "The time is near at hand when our people will demand
the electric light:, they said. In reporting the demonstration a
newspaper said:
- "Establishments of Kaufman & Bachrach, O. E.
Curtis & Company, L. L. Ferris & Co., Louis Fleury,
were brightly lighted by the new process. The generative
machine was installed in H. W. Hill's place, Main and Church
streets. The lamp at Fleury's lit up the old square for
a considerable distance. Inside, the two are lights made the
room light as day." At Cheap Charley's (Kaufman &
Bachrach) there was one light inside and another outside. This
demonstration continued until after a fair in the tabernacle and the
light was used in the tabernacle. It gave promoters of the
fair an added attraction. "More music and more electric light
tonight," they advertised. - Merchants also advertised the
novelty. "The Newest Thing in Light" was the way Otto
Curtis headed his jewelry store ad. For a time it appeared as
if Dr. Trowbridge's company were going to have opposition,
for another company was formed and was granted a right of way
through the streets. Incorporation papers were issued in
October to the Citizens Electric Light and Power company, capital
stock $25,000. Incorporators were John Ullrich, James
MIllikin, H. Shlaudeman, W. C. Jones C. P.
Housum, W. F. Busher, and W. L. Oakes. This
company however, later gave up the field to Dr. Trowbridge, who was
getting his plant ready for operation. J. M. Clokey took
over the Wabash avenue plant in 1884 and ran it for two years.1
If name had had anything to do with it, the
business should have been a success, for it was conducted under the
imposing title of the Decatur Jenney Electric Light and Power
company. However, Mr. Clokey was kept busy answering
protests from customers whose lights wouldn't function properly, and
he breathed a sigh of relief when in about two years he had the
opportunity to sell out the plant to the Decatur Gas Light and Coke
company, which afterwards became the Decatur Gas and Electric
company. By 1885 electricity was being experimented with the
street lighting, and again Decatur was ready to get in the front row
in installing it. Not to be outdone by Danville, which,
according to report, was preparing to erect light towers, Decatur
prepared to do likewise. Contract was made Oct. 17, 1885, with the
Fort Wayne Jenney Electric company to install eight steel electric
light towers, 125 feet high, and the equipment to run them.
These towers were placed at various points about the city, and at
the time lighted up the entire city. On each tower were five
lamps. The lights in these towers were turned on for the first
time Feb. 21, 1886. Decatur was one of very few cities to have
such lights, and visitors to the city, as well as local citizens,
considered them a wonder.2
The equipment for running the lights was installed at the
waterworks. For the installation of these towers and equipment
the city paid $19,034.76. As the city grew there was demand from
outlying streets for lights. To meet the demand, one light was
taken off each tower, and these single lights were installed at
outlying street intersections. Later another light was taken
from each tower for the same purposes leaving only three lamps on
the towers. As time went on these became unsatisfactory, and
the drop lights at street corners were more and more in demand.
By 1895 the city had more than 100 arc lights on the streets.
Finally, in 1910, the towers were removed, arc lights having been
installed all over the city. In later years the city substituted
incandescent lamps for the arc lights, completing the change in
1924. Naturally with the introduction of electricity for lighting
the city, the old gas lamps, which had done duty since 1868, were
removed. There still remain in Decatur today several of the
old iron posts which supported the lamps in the days when gas was
used and the lamplighter lighted the lamps each night. One is
at South Main and Macon, another at North and Union, and a
third at William and Mercer streets. By 1887 incandescent lights
were coming into use. Frank Shlaudeman had set up a
small experimental plant at the Brewery. That year W. B. Burke
was sent to Decatur by the Edison Engineering company of Chicago to
install an incandescent light machine at the plant of the Decatur
Gas Light and Coke company. He remained in Decatur as
superintendent of the plant. It was a "300 light (each 16
candle power) plant", and was put into operation Feb. 2, 1888.
Just by way of comparison, a conservative estimate of incandescents
in use in Decatur today is 350,000, many of them much more than 16
candle power. After the street car system in Decatur had been
electrified, R. F. Piatt started in the light business,
installing a generator in the car line's power house on East North
street. He was bought out later by the Municipal Electric
company, incorporated in 1892. J. H. Culver was
president of the Municipal Electric Company, and associated with him
were E. E. Gibson and J. M. Willard. This
company located a power house at Edward street and the Wabash
railroad, and it was in use in 1893. Additions soon were
necessary, due to increase in the demand for electric current.
This company later became the Culver Electric company, and in 1898
it was consolidated with the Decatur Gas Light and Coke company and
the Decatur Electric company. The following year its property
was purchased by the McKinley interests, which eventually sold to
the Illinois Power and Light corporation. THE
TELEPHONE Decatur had its first telephone service in 1879.
It was another novelty, and as usual citizens were experimenting
with this new convenience. Ever since Alexander G. Bell had
exhibited his new contraption, called the telephone, in 1876 at the
Centennial exposition in Philadelphia, where it had proved to be one
of the big attractions (at 5 cents per), people all over the country
had been experimenting with this "talkie" business. The small
boy with his tin can, covered with tightly stretched skin, and his
piece of string, was as busy as his elders. Students at Yale
university constructed telephone lines from one dormitory to
another. Lowber Burrows, on his return from a visit to
Yale, brought home a telephone instrument and set up a line from his
home to the J. E. Bering house a half block away. The first real
telephone line in Decatur was put up by James W. Haworth
connecting the downtown office of the Haworth company, at South Park
and Water streets, with the factory on Cerro Gordo street. It
was a nice days wonder, but as usual there were skeptics. "What
will that ----- fool do next?" scoffed many a bystander as the line
was put up. Newspaper announcement was made by J. H. Hutchins
of the Western Union Telegraph company Aug. 20, 1879, that a
telephone exchange would be established in the near future. It
was expected the line would be in operation in thirty days, and
subscribers were being secured. In October the installation of
the line was completed. It was a while before folks understood
just how to make a telephone call. In announcing the
completion of the line, the following statement was made in the
newspaper: "Many have the impression that in communicating through
this telephone exchange the message has first to be give to Mr.
Getty (Western Union telegraph agent), who then repeats it to the
party with whom you wish to communicate, but this is not so.
For instance, if the editor of The Review wishes to communicate with
the Republican office, he would notify Mr. Getty of his
desire. Mr. Getty notifies the Republican office of The
Review's wish, and then connects to the two office with each other
on his 'universal switch', and we proceed to talk to each other to
our hearts' content, and Mr. Getty has no knowledge whatever of what
we are talking about. No. 1 on the first Bell telephone exchange
was the grocery and bakery of Heilman, Imboden & Co.,
211 North Water street. F. D. Bartholemew was No. 2.
No. 3 was Sheriff W. W. Foster; No. 4, David Martin, and No.
5, C. P. Housum's residence. Subscriber's names and
numbers were printed on a card, to be hung on the wall. By
1883 Decatur had 200 telephone subscribers. From the time of the
first telephone until 1893 the Bell Telephone company had the field
to itself. Then a rival company appeared. In 1893 the
Citizens Mutual Telephone company was incorporated and put up
telephone lines. Its first officers were: President - G. W.
Scovill
Vice President -- Orlando T. Kirk
Secretary - Treasurer -- John G. Harvey. J. N. Donahey
was the manager at first. Later C. S. Hankins became
manager. The office was Room 33, Arcade office building. The
company was reorganized in 1899 as the Macon County Telephone
company, with H. M. Whitmer as president, John Van Gundy
as vice-president, W. P. Shade as treasurer and A. L.
McNabb as secretary. In 1907 reorganization again took place,
and the company became the Decatur Home Telephone company, with J.
W. Collins as president, Allen G. Hawley
vice-president, Philip E. Kuhl treasurer, and Charles B.
Cheadle secretary. The company in 1908 erected a building
in the 200 Block North Main street. This company installed the
first automatic dial telephone system in Decatur in 1909. In 1917
the Decatur Home Telephone company was merged with the Central Union
Telephone company, now known as the Illinois Bell Telephone company.
That company now has 13,000 local telephones and talking with either
coast is easier than talking to one another in Decatur was
forty-five years ago. --------------------------------
1.
The first home in Decatur to be lighted with
electricity was the home of J. M. Clokey, 247 East Wood
street. At that time incandescent bulbs were known, but not
yet come into use generally. The bulbs were very expensive,
costing $9 a dozen. Mr. Clokey
decided to give a surprise to Mrs. Clokey's guests, one night
when she entertained her Cooking club. He had an electrician
rig up temporary wiring on the first floor of the home, installing
40 or 50 light bulbs. When the lights were turned on, the
first floor was a blaze of glory such as the guests had never seen
before. They were astonished and delighted.
Among the guests on that occasion were J. K.
Warren and B. K. Durfee of the Decatur Gas Light company.
They agreed that the lighting was wonderful, but impractical.
Mr. Clokey later sold the light plant to the Gas Light company, of
which the two gentlemen named were officers.
2. Erection
of the towers brought a fresh cause for worry on the part of mothers
a of small boys. The youngsters considered it a great sport to
climb the towers. Sometimes they got up too high, and couldn't
get down without help.
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