Household Electric Lighting

In 1848, Moses Farmer 1844 had the first home to be illuminated electrically. But Farmer did not take his experiments much farther; a reliable way of generating power did not yet exist. As Thomas Edison garnered accolades, Farmer gained a spurt of fame for inventing the "ticker," an electrical device that printed Morse code.

Only one thing kept Farmer from lighting up American homes: reliable electricity.