CWEP's Longtime Tradition of Lighting Up Carthage for the Holidays

Carthage, MO – Thursday, December 4th, 2025 — Carthage Water & Electric Plant has helped illuminate the Carthage holiday season for nearly 100 years, beginning with the first courthouse lighting display in 1926. Early accounts describe strands of colored bulbs stretching from the corners of the square to the courthouse tower, creating a spectacular “Christmas crown” that quickly became a regional attraction.

By the late 1930s, the city expanded its holiday lighting to the new Main Street Water Tower, where more than 1,000 bulbs were used to create a signature display visible from miles away. Newspapers of the time described the tower as a “blazing parachute” and a “brilliant spectacle,” drawing families from all around to admire the annual transformation.

Although both the courthouse and tower went dark during World War II, decorations returned in 1949. The tower lighting, however, eventually faded out through the years and remained unlit for many years, until a group of community leaders revived the tradition in the early 1990s.

A committee led by Marty Lown (Coachlight), Marge Housh (CWEP), Jerry Simmons (CWEP), and Kathlene Moore Gilpin, with contributions from Teri Heckmaster and Dorothy Ann Walker Greenwood, worked together to restore the tower’s iconic holiday look. Using the tower’s original lighting plans, CWEP employees installed the display during downtime, and the Lown family funded the project in honor of Marty’s father, Buster Lown, a longtime CWEP employee. Their dedication ensured that the water tower once again appeared “exactly like it was in the beginning.”

This week, CWEP crews continued that legacy as they completed the 2025 lighting of the Main Street Water Tower, officially concluding the light displays constructed by CWEP for the Carthage’s holiday season. This work honors nearly a century of tradition and the many hands, past and present, who have kept the city shining for all to see.

In addition to these longtime displays, CWEP introduced Sparkle in the Park in 2021, transforming Carthage Central Park into a vibrant holiday destination filled with thousands of lights and festive decorations for all to enjoy. The lighting ceremony has quickly become a cherished community gathering and a new chapter in Carthage’s holiday story.

From the courthouse lights of the 1920s to the restored water tower and today’s citywide displays, CWEP remains committed to bringing joy, beauty, and togetherness to Carthage community throughout the holiday season.