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With all of the new Christmas Decorations Ideas being developed today, this true to life recollection of the first Indoor Christmas Light set made in the United States by Ralph E. Morris, is a refreshing Christmas History lesson. Enjoy!
This “Real” recollection of how the USA Electric Indoor Christmas Lights was invented is told by Dale Morris. I was told this story firsthand by the inventor, my Grandfather, Ralph E. Morris of Laconia, New Hampshire in the year of 1911. It was the Christmas of 1910 and my father was only about 3 years old and at that time there were only candles on the Christmas trees to light them. Now, as youngsters are not the most careful of individuals, my father had lost a small toy under the Christmas Tree while he was playing. As a young child, he reached under the tree to retrieve the toy as the candles were burning on the tree. He accidentally burned the hair on his head and almost set the tree on fire. Fortunately, the tree did not catch fire. It was then that my Grandfather decided there would never be another lite candle on the Christmas Tree.
At the time Mr. Morris was employed by the New England Telephone Company which used small light bulbs with wooden bases in the switchboards. He was able to purchase a number of them and the following year (1911) in September, he began soldering Replacement Christmas Light Bulbs together about a foot apart in long strings. After he had completed the strings, he fastened pieces of different colored crepe papers (red, green, yellow, and blue) around this small wooden ball he had to make the shape of a globe which was then put around each of the light bulbs and fastened them on with a rubber band. He made enough of the Holiday Lights and Decorative Party Lights to trim the tree with as well as go around the walls of the double parlor so that it made quite the display of lights. He had kept what he was doing quite a secret to the rest of the family which had been forbidden to go into the parlors, since what he was doing was to be a big surprise.
When Christmas Eve arrived, he gathered the family by the door to the parlor where on a table he had wired with Power Strips and Power Protection Supplies that was to be thrown at his command. The lights were lowered in the rest of the house and at his word, Aunt May threw the switch that turned on all the lights. Everyone was in awe at the sight of the lights, and that was the beginning of the Electric Christmas Outdoor Lights as we know them today.
There may have been other Electric Indoor Christmas Light inventors. I have heard somewhere in Germany earlier, but Grandpa Morris had never heard of them so this was his invention here in America. My father, Leavitt F. Morris who was Travel Editor of the Christian Science Monitor of Boston had also written the story many years ago for the Monitor.
Select for more information on Christmas Lights and Holiday Lights history.
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