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Electric Light Experiment

First electric lights in Akron were truly spectacular. Citizens were told in 1881 that beams from this 208 ft. tower at Howard and Market and a shorter one atop Buchtel College would "light up the entire city."

In 1872 an important step was taken and Akron decided to provide lighted streets. This did not happen without much confusion among the city council. They first authorized gas lights, shortly thereafter combined gas and oil lights, then gave in totally to the oil lighting. In 1880 Akron boldly jumped forward as the very first of the smaller cities to attempt electric street lighting.  Arrangements were made with Cleveland's  Brush Electric Light Company, and the necessary equipment was purchased after the mast system was adopted. A central mast, composed of gradually tapering boiler iron, 208 feet in height above the surface of the ground, was erected at the intersection of Howard and Market streets, from the head of which was suspended four lamps of 4,000 candle power each. A wooden mast of about fifty feet in height elevated upon the dome of Buchtel College and furnished with four equally powerful lamps.

 This turned out to be a complete failure. People too close to the lights complained of too much light, while the rest of the town seemed darker than ever. Slowly a better system was worked out, and by 1885, electric street lighting was a reality.

Looking east on Market Street from Howard to Main in 1880. Here is an excellent view of the Empire House, the Academy of Music and a portion of the 200 foot light mast which was intended to light the entire city.

Photograph Archives. Cuyahoga Falls Library, Cuyahoga Falls, OH.

Adapted from:

Knepper, George W. Akron: City at the Summit. Tulsa, OK: Continental Heritage
     Press, Inc, 1981.

Lane, Samuel A. Fifty Years and Over, The History of Summit County. Beacon
     Job Department, 1892.