From candlelight to electricity

History - Newark

From candlelight to electricity

The following was printed in October 1990 as part of the We Remember series in the Courier-Gazette.

By Theresa Colacino

When Newark was first settled, the major fuel was wood, and lighting came from oil and candles. The introduction of petroleum products later furnished fuel for kerosene lamps. From this small beginning has come a profound change in the way people live and work. Newark's first century and a half depended upon muscle power and resources which were, for the most part, available locally.

Most of the homes of the early settlers were illuminated by candles. Children were not allowed to light or touch the candles for fear of starting a fire. Parents had to escort their children to their bedrooms and in the morning, when it was dark, a child had to wait for a parent to come with the candlelight.

One of the first ordinances passed in 1885, according to the local newspaper, was "Lighted candles or lamps used in work shops or buildings are to be kept in candlesticks or stands not liable to take fire when lighted."

Later kerosene lamps were in use and because these lamps had glass shades, they were safer than candles. These lamps were not only safer but also gave more light, but not enough to read or sew by. As a result everyone went to bed early.

Newark was in the first stages of settlement when gas lighting was invented in 1790. More than a century passed before the Newark Gas Light and Fuel Co. was founded in 1899.

In houses equipped with gas, the gas lamps on the first floor hung from the ceiling and in order to light them, a cord underneath the lamp was pulled down to lower it, then a wick had to be lit with a match. These wicks were so delicate that they would break very easily. To raise the lamps back in position, the lamp was pushed up very gently. When a child was sent to the store to purchase these wicks, which was quite often, parents informed them not to run but to walk very slowly to prevent them from breaking.

In the bedrooms, there were gas pipes protruding through the floor to the side wall and there was a lamp on each of these pipes. Parents, with small children, removed the lamps and sealed the pipes to prevent gas leaks. The children took turns dressing or undressing in the kitchen and then were led to their bedrooms with a kerosene lamp.

Gas lighting was then considered to be an inferior form of illumination compared with the new electric lights which bagan to appear in 1878. The first lights were in operation in 1888.

By 1889, a contract was in effect between the Village and the electric company to provide 40 arc lamps on a moonlight schedule. This meant the lights were not in use on 115 nights during the year when the almanac stated there would be a moon. It was a great night when the lights were turned on the street for the first time. When in use, the lamps were turned off at midnight. Newarkites were very happy to see the kerosene street lamps replaced by the electric lights. In the early days, gas was made by roasting coal in a retort over an open oven fire.

When the service became insufficient, local people got together to organize the Newark Light, Heat and Power Co. A brick building was erected on West Union St. On the west side of the building was a huge motor that was used for the manufacturing of electricity. Underground pipes were installed in the village and through these pipes steam heat was furnished to heat the business places. The company also furnished power for manufacturing plants. The electric supply was very reasonable, costing the businessman $1 per month for heat and water. Coal was used to power the steam engines for the manufacturing of electricity. After a bitter fight, the new company got the street lighting contract away from the old company and later the new company bought out the old company.

Around 1908, the business was sold to a Philadelphia syndicate. In 1910, the electric and gas companies were merged. In the meantime, the Newark Power Plant was organized and gas pipes were laid in the streets and a new plant built.

In 1920 the Newark Power plant was sold to the Empire Gas Co. on a 99-year lease. The company then stopped furnishing heat to the business places. Businessmen had to have furnaces installed which used coal to heat their place of business. Finally electricity came in general use and many residents started installing it.

My father, Gregory, had electricity installed June 1924 costing $150, which included the wiring and fixtures in every room of the house, including the cellar. The electrician worked alone.

In 1926, the New York State Electric & Gas Corp. purchased the plant. It was proven that towns and villages in the area could be better and more economically served by large plants rather than by small plants. Gas in Newark came from a large central plant located in Geneva. This plant has long been shut down, supplanted by natural gas pipes through transcontinental pipelines from producing fields in the South and Southwest.

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