Artwork by Michael
   
   

 Right before Wabash became the first electrically lit city, farmers had a idea that corn would grow at night as well as day with the light from the courthouse. If that were true they would have some big corn. If corn could get bigger every farmer would get very rich.

       Around this time a German scientist named Dr. Seimens tried to prove that plants could live with light instead of sunlight. He placed a tulip bud in a pot in a room full of light in somewhat 40 minutes the bud burst. {It was just ready to burst}. Everyone believed him until today.        



     Artwork by Derek
On March 31,1880, the Mayor's wife was sitting on their porch a few blocks away when they turned on the lights on the courthouse.  She said she could read her newspaper.

                 Artwork by Meredith
  "Peter Hipskind, an employee of the Hill Grocery, was the victim of misplaced confidence. Tuesday night, while the preliminary test was in progress the lights had been shut off for an instant. Peter, accompanied by his lady-love, had turned to go home. He had thoughtlessly placed his arm about the waist of the fair one, when the lights suddenly flamed into brilliancy, covering the couple with confusion and creating a general laugh among the two hundred people who were present."
Taken from the Wabash Plain Dealer of April 1, 1880.



     At 8 o’clock at night on the 31st of March in 1880, Wabash, IN. became the first electrically lighted city in Indiana. Some people thought this was good because their crops needed sunlight to grow and the light would provide it at night. Other people thought that it wasn't good because they wouldn't be able to sleep at night. But the biggest problem was that their chickens wouldn't lay eggs in the day and now wouldn't lay them at night because of the light.

           

                             
     Artwork by Wyatt
The Chicken Picture

                               Artwork by Rollen


 One reporter said, "At a distance of a square we could very distinctly read nonpareil print, at four squares we could read ordinary display advertising.... we could also readily ascertain the time of night from the watch, the hands being visible without the strain of eyes." This same reporter continued," When we left we remained upon the platform of the train to note the power of the light from a greater distance. At from three to four miles we could easily distinguish the face of our watch held at a reasonable distance from our faces." The test was a success.
This web site was created by the 2004-2005 fourth grade Quest class of the Metropolitan School District of Wabash County, Indiana.
Page by Michael, Connor, Rollen, Wyatt, Meredith, and  Derek