How Charles Brush Illuminated a City and Changed America Forever

Cleveland, Ohio. From the flickering flames of ancient torches, to the gas lamps of the 1800s, humanity has always sought ways to banish the darkness that covers our nights. The 1800s was a time when electricity was a new and mysterious force, and people were still trying to figure out a way to use its power. And this is where an idea was born, one that led to the dream of a future in the glow of electric light. And this was even before Thomas Edison's invention of the lightbulb.

TIMELINE
1802: Now, in 1802, the esteemed Humphrey Davy conducted some experiments at the Royal Institution, creating the most potent electrical battery known at the time.
1867: With his uncle's encouragement, Brush chose the University of Michigan for his higher education, enrolling in the fall of 1867 to study mining engineering.
1876: In 1876, Brush started a new project and ended up securing support from the Wedding Supply Company in Cleveland to design his dynamo.
1879: In 1879, Brush's experiment to light a Cleveland park with arc lighting was a success.
1880: In 1880, Brush traveled to Wabash, Indiana, and was contracted to install a free two-week experiment to light the entire town.
1889: In 1889, Brush Electric Company, a company he started in the year he earned his PhD, was acquired by Thompson-Houston Electric Company.

WHY THIS MATTERS
The story of Cleveland is a reminder that the events that shaped America didn't always happen in the biggest cities. What unfolded here left marks on the community that are still visible today. The full story is more complicated, and more human, than the version most people know.

Episode 140 | Hometown History | Hosted by Shane Waters

Hometown History explores forgotten stories from small-town America. The overlooked events, hidden triumphs, and buried tragedies that shaped the country we live in. New episodes every Tuesday. Find every episode at mythsandmalice.com/hometown-history

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