Lighting the Streets, Alleys, and Parks of the Smoky City, 1816–1930

Abstract

ABSTRACT During the nineteenth century, Pittsburgh transitioned from a city offering minimal services to one providing services largely through networked infrastructures. Among these were street lights fueled by coal gas produced by manufactured gas plants and distributed by pipelines and later by electrical lines. Because of fuel and construction costs, manufactured gas provision was expensive and uneven, and gas networks were confined to business sectors and affluent neighborhoods. To provide light to poorly served or dark areas such as alleys, parks, and suburbs, off-grid stand-alone lamps fueled by gasoline and naphtha byproducts of petroleum distillation often supplied illumination. Pittsburgh was one of the first large cities to utilize these stand-alone gasoline street lamps. This article will discuss the history of Pittsburgh street lighting, emphasizing the role played by gas and gas products.