Jefferson County Online A part of the IAGenWeb and USGenWeb Projects Gas-Light Company

This company was organized October 17, 1876, with the following-named gentlemen as the original incorporators: James F. Wilson, John DeGalleford, William Horigan, C. W. Slagle, C. C. Ziegler, M. A. McCoid, W. B. Murray, A. S. Jordan, J. E. Roth, Joseph R. McCrackin, John A. Spielman, Thomas Bell and Robert McElhinny. The capital stock of the company is $30,000, in shares of $100 each, of which $6,500 was taken by the above-named incorporators -- five shares each, the remainder of the stock to be held by the corporation for the extinguishment of such debts as may arise from time to time, and in all subsequent issues of stock, the original shareholders have a prior right in the purchase of the same. The corporation is to continue twenty years, and the indebtedness is limited to $20,000.

The contract for the erection of the works was made October 30, 1876, with J. DeGalleford & Co., who were to complete the same in ninety days, but owing to the inclement winter and other unavoidable causes, they were not finished until September 5, 1877, on which day the first gas-jet in the city of Fairfield was lighted. The works are located near the western boundary of the city, at the crossing of First South and Seventh West streets, and contain two benches of two retorts each, which can be increased to three, and one bench of one retort, with a gas-holder of 12,000 cubic feet capacity. Four miles of wrought-iron mains have been laid, the largest size four inches in diameter, with forty-six lamp posts in operation, and over ninety private consumers supplied at $3 per 1,000 cubic feet. The works are complete in all their appointments, and no city in the State can boast of a better quality of gas or the article supplied at so low a price.

The present officers are: J. F. Wilson, President; A. S. Jordan, Vice President; W. W. McCrackin, Treasurer, and Joseph R. McCrackin, Secretary. But one change has been made in the Board of officers since the organization, W. W. McCrackin succeeding W. B. Murray as Treasurer at the last annual meeting for the election of officers.