Hydroelectricity was not invented by a single individual, but rather evolved through a series of key engineering breakthroughs in the nineteenth century. The world's first hydroelectric power scheme was developed by William Armstrong in 1878 at Cragside in Northumberland, England, to power an arc lamp. Shortly thereafter, in 1882, the world's first commercial hydroelectric plant began supplying electricity to multiple homes and businesses in Appleton, Wisconsin, laying the foundation for modern electrical grid systems.