Owen used his editorial page to argue for a single tower of arc lights, inspired by electric lighting he had seen in San Francisco in 1879. The city approved his plan in June 1881. He was also an early member of the First Unitarian Church on St. James Park.
Questions people ask
What newspaper did Owen run?
The San Jose Mercury, forerunner of The Mercury News.
Did his tower work?
Not as planned: it lit the sky more than the streets, but it became a symbol of the city.