The first commercial lighting station in St Louis began generating electricity in 1881 with the creation of the Brush Electric Association. In the 20 years that followed, more than 30 St. Louis companies began operating generators, installing poles and soliciting customers. The formation of the "Union Company"—later Union Electric Company on May 20, 1902—brought order to the chaos of multiple generators and overlapping power lines. Starting with 2,000 customers, a handful of employees and generation capacity of six megawatts, the new company was faced with a daunting challenge: electrification of an event of international significance—the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. Better known as the St. Louis World's Fair, the exposition opened in 1904—its eight large "palaces" and grounds blazing with light. The nation's first broad-scale demonstration of power boosted the then-tiny electric industry and prompted more people to install electric wiring in their homes.
The Palace of Electricity's electric lights awed spectators at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis.
The Ashley Plant, which was needed to serve St. Louis' growing needs, treated millions of World's Fair visitors to the most brilliantly lighted exposition ever staged. Illuminating the fair was a dramatic turning point in the history of the electric industry. In 1904, Union Electric Company completed construction of the Ashley Plant (right), providing steam heat for many downtown St. Louis buildings. The 36,000-kilowatt plant was originally coal-fired and then converted to oil in 1972. It was the main source of electricity in St. Louis for years.