SCIENCETECH · HISTORICAL MARKER

Electric Light Tower

Science & Tech
5
Completed in 1881 at the intersection of Market and Santa Clara Streets, the 237-foot electric light tower was the largest single source of electric light in the country. Conceived by J.J. Owen, founder of the San Jose Mercury News, it was designed to illuminate the entire downtown. The tower drew tremendous national and international publicity, though local reactions were mixed, and it remained in operation until a storm blew it over in 1915.
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San Jose, California · United States
San Jose, California
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