MT. PLEASANT'S FIRST STREET LAMPS

The picture above is of a street lantern that stands in the Relic Home Front Hall.  It was one of the five original lanterns  that lit Mt. Pleasant Main Street between 1889 and 1893. 

Mount Pleasant’s First Street Lights

The December 4, 1889 city record shows that Councilman Syndergaard moved that coal oil street lamps be placed as follows: “One at Hans Nielsen’s corner, one at N.S. Nielsen’s corner, one at Peel’s corner, one at the Co-op corner, and one at Church Square”.
Five coal oil lamps, which were said to add “a dignified appearance to the city. It was then very common for the people to carry lanterns.”

July 9, 1893, the city granted to Wm. Zabriskie, the first Electric Light franchise. Associated with him were August Lundberg, Jonas H. Ericksen, Rasmus Anderson, Leonard Jordan and J.H. Seeley. This venture led to electric poles being placed down the center of Main Street. (Mt. Pleasant Book, Hilda Madsen Longsdorf ; pgs. 167 - 171)