Menlo Park, New Jersey. The first power line for Thomas Alva Edison’s streetlights is buried and connected in time for November 2nd, Election Day. Edison, a staunch Republican, issues instructions: “If Garfield is elected, turn everything on; if not, don’t turn it on.” The numbers sway Garfield, and the lights are turned on. A mile of bulbs, glowing with the incandescence of bamboo filaments, illuminate the entire street, from the station to the barn behind Edison’s house. They remain lit until midnight. It is the first time incandescent light bulbs are used to celebrate the victory of a presidential candidate.
