Kentucky Electrical Lamp Company
Encyclopedia
Kentucky Electrical Lamp Company
Founded in 1899, The Kentucky Electrical Lamp Company began operations at 817 Lewis Street (later renamed J. R. Miller Blvd., in the 1980s) in Owensboro, Kentucky
. The building was also home to the Kentucky Radio Corporation which later became known as Ken-Rad and from 1921 to 2006 served as home to Smith Machine and Supply, Inc. The building was torn down in 2007 and the property was reclaimed as an Owensboro city park.
The company was sold to Roy Burlew in 1918 who also founded the Kentucky Radio Corporation later known as Ken-Rad, Burlew grew the company significantly as the lamp plant continued to grow, Burlew expanded into the manufacturing of vacuum tube
s for radios in 1922. Within seven years of purchasing the company it had expanded with plants in Bowling Green, Kentucky
and Tell City
and Huntingburg, Indiana
.
In 1943, Burlew sold the lamp division which he acquired in 1918 for $55,000 to the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in exchange of 35,000 shares of that company's stock valued at $1,600,000. In 1945 Burlew sold the remainder of the company- the tube division, to General Electric
and became GE's primary tube making facility.
The company was a pioneer in the development and manufacturing of incandescent light bulb
s. The manufacturing company supplied the light bulbs for the first Major League Baseball
game played at night. The game was played on May 24, 1935, between the Cincinnati Reds
and the Philadelphia Phillies
at Cincinnati's Crosley Field
.
Founded in 1899, The Kentucky Electrical Lamp Company began operations at 817 Lewis Street (later renamed J. R. Miller Blvd., in the 1980s) in Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro, Kentucky
Owensboro is the fourth largest city by population in the U.S. state of Kentucky. It is the county seat of Daviess County. It is located on U.S. Route 60 about southeast of Evansville, Indiana, and is the principal city of the Owensboro, Kentucky, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's...
. The building was also home to the Kentucky Radio Corporation which later became known as Ken-Rad and from 1921 to 2006 served as home to Smith Machine and Supply, Inc. The building was torn down in 2007 and the property was reclaimed as an Owensboro city park.
The company was sold to Roy Burlew in 1918 who also founded the Kentucky Radio Corporation later known as Ken-Rad, Burlew grew the company significantly as the lamp plant continued to grow, Burlew expanded into the manufacturing of vacuum tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
s for radios in 1922. Within seven years of purchasing the company it had expanded with plants in Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green, Kentucky
Bowling Green is the third-most populous city in the state of Kentucky after Louisville and Lexington, with a population of 58,067 as of the 2010 Census. It is the county seat of Warren County and the principal city of the Bowling Green, Kentucky Metropolitan Statistical Area with an estimated 2009...
and Tell City
Tell City, Indiana
Tell City is a city in Troy Township, Perry County, Indiana, along the Ohio River, Indiana's southern border. The population was 7,272 at the 2010 census. The city is the county seat of Perry County.-History:...
and Huntingburg, Indiana
Huntingburg, Indiana
-Notable people:* Baseball pitcher Alex Graman was born in Huntingburg.* Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Mitch Stetter was born and raised in Huntingburg.* Retired professional basketball player Don Buse was born in Huntingburg.* Gordon St...
.
In 1943, Burlew sold the lamp division which he acquired in 1918 for $55,000 to the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in exchange of 35,000 shares of that company's stock valued at $1,600,000. In 1945 Burlew sold the remainder of the company- the tube division, to General Electric
General Electric
General Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
and became GE's primary tube making facility.
The company was a pioneer in the development and manufacturing of incandescent light bulb
Incandescent light bulb
The incandescent light bulb, incandescent lamp or incandescent light globe makes light by heating a metal filament wire to a high temperature until it glows. The hot filament is protected from air by a glass bulb that is filled with inert gas or evacuated. In a halogen lamp, a chemical process...
s. The manufacturing company supplied the light bulbs for the first Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
game played at night. The game was played on May 24, 1935, between the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
and the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
at Cincinnati's Crosley Field
Crosley Field
Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League...
.