The first automatically operated wind turbine generator, installed in 1888, served to power a Cleveland mansion for two decades without failure. This device originated from the workshop of Charles Francis Brush, an engineer whose developments in arc lighting provided the foundational infrastructure for public illumination systems across major cities in the late 19th century.
Early Electrical Experimentation
Born in 1849 in Euclid, Ohio, Brush demonstrated an early aptitude for scientific inquiry. By age 12, he had constructed static electricity machines on his family farm. He attended Central High School in Cleveland, where he built his inaugural arc light and delivered a graduation oration on the conservation of force. He pursued higher education at the University of Michigan, graduating in 1869 with a focus on mining engineering, and later completed a PhD at Case Western Reserve University in 1880.
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In 1876, Brush secured backing to develop an improved electrical generator. His design, which diverged significantly from the existing Zénobe Gramme model, proved superior in tests conducted by the Franklin Institute in 1878. His lighting systems, characterized by automatic regulation and extended carbon life, were installed in cities including New York, San Francisco, and Baltimore. By 1879, he founded the Anglo-American Brush Electric Light Corporation in London, and in 1880, he established the Brush Electric Company in the United States.
Diversification and Later Work
Brush faced competition from the Thomson-Houston Electric Company and the incandescent lighting systems introduced by Thomas Edison. In 1882, his company provided equipment for a hydroelectric plant at St. Anthony Falls. Following the 1889 acquisition of his company by Thomson-Houston, he exited the electric industry. In his later years, he experimented with kinetic gravitation theories and, in 1926, developed a piezo-electric featherweight stylus.
Fast facts
- Born: 1849, Euclid, Ohio
- Died: 1929, Cleveland, Ohio
- Education: University of Michigan; Case Western Reserve University
- Edison Medal: 1913
- Rumford Prize: 1899
- Franklin Medal: 1928
- National Inventors Hall of Fame: 2006
- Burial: Lake View Cemetery, Cleveland
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of Brush's arc light system?
It provided reliable, automated public street lighting that remained functional well into the 20th century.
Did Brush continue working in the electrical industry after 1891?
No, he ceased involvement in the electric industry following the merger of his company into what became General Electric.
Achievements
- National Inventors Hall of Fame — 2006
- Educated at University of Michigan, Case Western Reserve University and East Technical High School
- Worked as patent inventor, entrepreneur and inventor
