Moonlight tower

A moonlight tower or moontower is a lighting structure designed to illuminate areas of a town or city at night.

[2] A single tower cast light from six carbon arc lamps, illuminating a 1,500-foot (460 m) radius brightly enough to read a watch.

[3] In 1993, the city of Austin dismantled the towers and restored every bolt, turnbuckle, and guy-wire as part of a $1.3 million project, the completion of which was celebrated in 1995 with a citywide festival.

[8] In 1883, Minneapolis, Minnesota, built a single 275-foot (84 m) tall "electric mast" in the Gateway District to eliminate the need for 150 gas lamps in the area, at a cost of $500.

After the Minneapolis City Council voted to remove the tower in 1892, its copper ball sat in the window of a local saloon.

One set of towers illuminated a section of the Mississippi River levee, aiding in loading and unloading ships at night in the busy port.

[11] In 1881, a 237-foot (72 m)-tall[12] tower was erected spanning the intersection of Santa Clara and Market streets in San Jose, California, making it the first city west of the Rocky Mountains to be illuminated by electric light.