It's December! Thanksgiving has passed and it is time to break out the holiday decor including those outdoor Christmas lights. Did you know that the history of the outdoor Christmas lights dates back to 100 years right here in Denver?!
It was Christmas Eve 1914 and young David Jonathan Sturgeon was too ill to come downstairs to see the family tree. To make night a little brighter for his sick grandson, pioneering electrician D.D. Sturgeon dipped some clear light bulbs in green and red paint and strung them on primitive electric lines over an evergreen tree in the front yard.
The effect pleased not only the boy, but also the entire city of Denver. People came by horse-drawn carriages from miles away to see the brilliant, glowing tree. The Denver Post carried the story, which became the first written record of electric outdoor Christmas lights in Colorado.
Years later, when Denver decided to decorate the City & County Building with lights, D.D. Sturgeon was hired as a consultant. Today, the City & County Building lighting display is considered to be the largest single holiday spectacle in Colorado with tens of thousands of LED lights. It is just one of many light shows that brighten the skies over Denver during the holiday season.
photo and info by visitdenver.com
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