 To counter this, Lexington put forth an effort to stay at the forefront of modern technology in an effort to attract a diverse light industrial and commercial base.For instance, the city was the first in Kentucky to have street lights, one of the first with a police force, and strict regulations on agriculture within the city.Lexington was also proud to boast its urban sewer system and its network of sidewalks, all of this by the early 1880s.