This signal lamp was originally placed on the Nickel Plate Railroad in Ohio, where John Ludwig, a young U.S. Navy veteran, worked as a fireman. John later moved to Florida, where he raised his five children. After retiring from Bell South, he and his wife came to Monterey and became charter members of the Monterey Depot Historical Society. A cousin of John's discovered the discarded lamp, and the society arranged to recover and restore it. The Ludwig Lamp stands as a tribute to John Ludwig for his many contributions to Monterey and the surrounding community.