Moonlight Towers of the Past

Moonlight Towers were lighting structures designed to light up large areas of a city at night. The towers were equipped with powerful Arc Lamps, which were the earliest form of electrical municipal lighting. Moonlight Towers were the predecessor to street lamps. The tower lamps could throw light for greater distances, roughly a 1,500 foot radius, from a 300 foot tall tower, which allowed them to illuminate several city blocks. It is said, that during the 1880s, many U.S. cities, and some European cities, constructed Moonlight Tower grid systems to light up designated areas of the city.

Arc Lamps, also known as "Electric Candles", had a distinctive bright white light and emitted a unique buzzing sound. Throughout the night, as the arc lamps burned, they would shed small shreds of burning ash as the carbon electrodes quickly burned. It is said, that the electrodes needed to be replaced often. Due to the height of the towers, a counter-balanced "dumbwaiter" elevator was designed as part of the tower, to more easily service the carbon electrodes. Tower keepers often lived in an Old World house at the base of the towers, similar to Light House keepers.

Apparently, when the AC (alternating current) electrical grid was fully built-out in the United States and Europe, cities switched to the smaller and more numerous street light, and phased out the Moonlight Towers. Despite higher costs, and more on-going maintenance and construction, cities were convinced to abandon the efficient and low-cost Moonlight Towers, and began the process of converting the population to the more expensive AC (alternating current) systems.

It was around the same time that all cities with highly practical and low maintenance electric street car systems, began to phase out the electric trams as they were purchased by big automotive, big oil, and big rubber (tires) companies. Which began the world's reliance on cars, gas, oil, and out of pocket costs for car owners for their maintenance.

Detroit, Michigan was known as the only city to have lit their entire city with exclusively Moonlight Towers. Over 100 towers, approxiamtely 1,400 feet apart, were able to light up 21 square miles of the city. This was inaugurated in 1882. Approximately 20 years later, Detroit decided, for reasons we can only imagine, to eliminate all the towers from the city. Along with their electric tram system. The towers were dismantled and sold to Austin, Texas, and then re-constructed in their city centers. Today, Austin, Texas is known as the only city to still have active Moonlight Towers.

Perhaps, one day, we will be given the opportunity to re-introduce many of the Old World ways, like the Moonlight Towers and the electric street cars, that once adorned Old World cities.

Soundtrack Credits:

https://www.bensound.com/royal....ty-free-music/track/

https://www.bensound.com/royal....ty-free-music/track/

https://www.bensound.com/royal....ty-free-music/track/

https://www.videezy.com/arts-a....nd-culture/11872-ext

https://www.videezy.com/abstra....ct/38962-film-leader