MAIN: All the work on Main Street over the past few months has sent us looking in our archives for past projects on the thoroughfare.
We found this story on a streetlight project in the Oct. 20, 1941, edition of The Era.
“If you drop a dime on Main street tonight, you won’t need the aid of a flashlight to find it,” the story read.
“The city’s new streetlights, arching gracefully above the thoroughfare and throwing more light than the old type of lamp, will come ably to your assistance.
“Workers on the new city street light project, plotted under a new contract between the city and Bradford Electric company last spring, have completed the Main street changeover and have virtually finished the standardization of lighting on East Main street as well.
“Aiming to make uniform and improve the street lights on all main travel arteries in the city, the project will be carried on to High, Congress and West Washington streets, Jackson and Seaward avenues and Interstate parkway, according to City Engineer J. Henry Quirk.
“Only on Main street and in two small adjoining areas are the pendant type lights being used, replacing the former boulevard type of light, which occupied the same section. Congress street, from Main to East Corydon streets, and the Public Square are included, in addition to Main street.
“The old standards have been retained. The old globes and caps, which stood upright, throwing a shadow, have been replaced by an additional pole, which arches over the street and suspends the globe in inverted form, leaving it free to shine in all directions.
The old standards were about 16 feet high. The present lights are about 22 feet above the street, Six-hundred watt bulbs in the old Main street lights have been replaced by 1,000-watt bulbs. Containing a new type of reflector, the new lights diffuse the light more evenly, it is said.
Of the total 621 street lights in the city, 65 are of the underground-fed type, using the standard.”
New streetlights are planned for the current streetscape project, too. Judging by the work done so far, we think the finished project will really beautify the city’s downtown.
