Brush Electric Illuminating Company facts for kids
The Brush Electric Illuminating Company was a business in Manhattan, New York City, during the late 1800s. This company played a big part in bringing electric light to the city.
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Bringing Light to New York City
A Bright Idea for Manhattan
In April 1881, the Brush Electric Illuminating Company made an offer, called a "bid," to the city's gas commissioners. They wanted to provide electric lighting for a large area of Manhattan. This area included famous streets like Broadway and Fifth Avenue, stretching from 14th Street to 34th Street. It also covered all the smaller streets in between, as well as popular public spaces like Union Square and Madison Square. At that time, most city lights were gas lamps, so electric lights were a new and exciting idea!
How the City Got Its Lights
The New York City Board of Aldermen, which was like the city's council or law-making group, decided to give the lighting contract to the Brush Company. This decision was made even though the New York City Mayor, William Russell Grace, tried to stop it with a "veto." A veto is when a mayor or president rejects a law or decision. However, the Board of Aldermen voted again and approved the contract anyway.
The new electric lighting system was quite advanced for its time. It used two separate electrical circuits. One circuit was designed to light up the large public squares, like Union Square and Madison Square, with very powerful lamps. The other circuit was for the lamps placed along the city streets, lighting the way for people walking or riding.
Tall Towers and Bright Lamps
For the squares, the plan was to have a special light elevated very high, about 208 feet (which is taller than a 20-story building!). These lights were placed on fancy poles, sometimes called "moonlight towers" because they shone so brightly, almost like the moon. These tall lights helped illuminate a wide area, making the squares much safer and brighter at night. The street lamps were placed at regular distances along the sidewalks, bringing modern electric light to the bustling streets of New York City.
