Tesla Electric Light and Manufacturing

Based at the site where 1571-1579 Irving Street now stands, on Irving Street between Coach and Elizabeth,[1] Rahway, New Jersey, Tesla Electric Light and Manufacturing Company was started in December 1884 after the inventor Nikola Tesla left Thomas Edison's employment following a disagreement over payment.

Tesla designed an arc lamp with automatic adjustment and a fail-switch as well as improved dynamos.

[3] By 1886 he had installed a central station based system in Rahway lighting streets as well as a few factory buildings.

[4] By the fall of 1886 they had formed the Union County Electric Light & Manufacturing Company spelling the end for Tesla Electric Light and Manufacturing and leaving Tesla penniless.

Tesla even lost control of the patents he had generated since he had assigned them to the company in lieu of stock.