Well, first off be real careful poking around in there. Get into the habit of using one hand only--you don't want to complete a circuit with your heart in the middle... "Sharpie" pens are used by some repair guys, you can push wires around with them (insulate ya from shocks) and you've got it handy for marking stuff.

On wiring--even just going back to the 60's--there should be some actual hardwire-type fuses (unless the whole service has been upgraded). They look like little sticks of dynamite with metal end caps. See any? Those must be replaced if blown, you can't "reset" them like a breaker. You can just check them for electrical continuity to see if they're blown. You may have some glass screw-in fuses, too. Is there another fuse box somewhere?

When you're trying to reset your mechanical breakers, make sure everything on the circuit is off or unplugged. Throw the breaker ALL the way off, and back to ALL the way on. Sometimes they're sticky.

Sounds like it would be worth the peace-of-mind (and safety) to have a pro come check it out. Having an outlet installed with heavy wiring prolly be about 200-250 bux. But you are possibly dealing with an unsafe situation. An electrical fire in an old house is something you'll never forget, if you survive it.

You should not run anything with a motor (includes fridge, etc.) on the same circuit as that thouie. (There's a big 'current draw' when a motor starts up.) You had the fridge, the microwave, and the light + ballast all on the same circuit, huh? You're lucky you didn't have a worse problem...

The more I think about this, the more I think you need to have a pro check you out. You really should have a decent understanding of high-current circuit behavior before you crank up a kilowatt-plus load on a questionable circuit in an old crib. Please be careful. :hippy: