Springfield Gas Light Co. - 1920's-1930's dated Massachusetts Utility Stock Certificate

Stock printed by C.S. Axtell Co., Springfield, Mass. Nice vignette of a large tank. Rare!!

The Springfield Gas Light Company, founded in 1847 by James Brewer, Albert Morgan, and Henry Clay, revolutionized urban convenience in Springfield, Massachusetts. On January 26, 1849, they illuminated the town with their inaugural gas street light at the corner of State and Main Streets, a significant technological advancement over candles and whale oil lamps. The company initially produced gas from coal at its plant on Water Street (now Columbus Avenue) but later transitioned to a water gas plant around 1894. Beyond city limits, the “Springfield Gas Machine,” a self-contained gas-generating unit, offered an innovative lighting solution for rural homes and businesses. This product became a notable achievement of the Gilbert & Barker Manufacturing Company before electricity became widely available in the early 20th century.

Over the decades, the company underwent transformations and eventually became part of larger utility systems. A catastrophic explosion in February 1923 at its central location, caused by leaking purifiers, resulted in three fatalities and over 100 injuries. This incident led to public demands for the plant’s removal from the city center. Consequently, the company’s assets and service territory were integrated into other entities. In 1974, the Springfield gas company merged with others to form Bay State Gas, which was later acquired by Columbia Energy Group. In 2020, Columbia Gas of Massachusetts was sold to Eversource Energy, which now serves the greater Springfield area with natural gas. While the original company has ceased to exist, its legacy lives on in the region’s gas infrastructure, which continues to undergo upgrades for safety and reliability by modern utilities.