August 11th, 1881: foundations laid for 237ft high San Jose Electric Light Tower.
January 28th, 1887: foundations laid for 1,063ft high Eiffel tower.
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for a brief and literally shining moment early in the days of human-harnessed electricity, the future of municipal lighting was glowing orbs suspended high above cities — towers, resembling oil derricks, capped with 4 to 6 arc lamps with a candlepower of 2,000 to 6,000 each. These manmade moons made the ultimate promise to the people below them: that they would never again be in the dark.
More on Moonlight Towers at The Atlantic and Low Tech Magazine.