The Centennial monument which sits directly in the middle of Logan square represents the history of Chicago as a whole. It was dedicated in 1918 after World War 1, to mark 100 years since Illinois became a state. The images on the side of the monument represent the history of Chicago. Depicted on one side are Native Americans and a Jesuit Missionary and Pioneers. On the other side are figures that represent fine arts, agriculture, labor, and transportation. The pillar going up from those carvings was inspired by the greek which symbolizes the first true democracy. Finally the eagle on top represents the Illinois flag. This monument represents a lot of different factors of history and is an important spot for people to come together in the center of Logan Square.
George Canfield Blickensderfer invented the Blickensderfer Typewriter in the 1850s. His model drew huge interest, and he rented a factory on Garden Street, Stamford, CT to manufacture them. Due to international demand, he then opened a more modern factory on Atlantic street. His company became one of the world's largest typewriter manufacturers. It employed about 200 people and produced 10,000 products per year.
Established by Linus Yale Jr. and Henry R. Towne. Yale was an inventor of bank locks and Towne was an engineer, the two decided to partner and moved to Stamford to open their business. Their initial success came from the development of this new industry, and the invention of the five-pin tumbler lock. The company grew immensely, employing from 30 to 150 workers within 3 years of opening. Yale Lock dominated Stamford's economy until the 1950s when it closed.
Similar to most locations in America, transportation improvements lead the movement of people outside of cities. The large industrial City of Cleveland provided jobs and economic well-being. As much as people enjoyed this economic security of Cleveland, living in its harsh disease ridden conditions were becoming unbearable. Transportation allowed people to escape the city and begin living in open spaces where they could still commute to Cleveland for work. The Geauga Lake rail depot was constructed connecting Geauga lake to the Erie railway. Groups of people began to gather here for recreation; fishing, picnics and hiking. Rather rapidly, establishments were constructed along the lake. Beginning with a 75-room house, Geauga Lake soon became an amusement park. The amusement park grew until it was officially named the Sea World of Ohio in 1970. The infrastructure required to support Sea World destroyed the natural wetlands of the area. Today, the metal and concrete remains can still be seen and the environmental effects still felt. There are currently storm water runoff issues that cause algae blooms and chemical (solvent and herbicide) contamination of the groundwater. Plans are currently being developed to repurpose this site, but for now its graveyard paints a grim picture of what once was.
As environmental resources began to deplete, a new market was required to sustain the settlers of Ohio. Fortunately, major scale industrialization was taking place in more Eastern regions like Massachusetts and New York. The previous dairy farms that provided economic prosperity were now seen as a waste compared to the potential gains from industrialization. Similar to people, the market for cheese production began to leave to East. The fertile soil, flat plains and location in respect to transportation routes ultimately sparked the rise of cheese production in Geauga County. Geauga County had access to the Erie Canal (Great Lakes) , Cuyahoga River and the Ohio River which allowed for large scale exporting. The flat plains of Geauga County were seen as industrially useless which made it the perfect location for farms. The first dairy farmers in this area became incredibly rich which drove a mass of people to build their own farms. Cheese leaving Ohio on the Erie Canal achieved numbers of 9,000,000 pounds from Ohio alone. Taking the throne for the highest rate of cheese production in the United States, Geauga County fell into a region nicknamed "Cheesedom." This rapid increase in cheese production led to significant watershed reduction from the run off of chemicals and sewage.
In April 1954, three scientists at Bell Labs in Murray Hill collaborated to produce the first practical photovoltaic cell, which allowed for the production of solar panels to provide alternative energy in the United States. They were initially used to power phone services for farmers living in rural areas. More than 50 years later, in November of 2010, the facility presented a plan to construct a 1.2-megawatt system of solar panels at the same campus where they were invented. The new system has enough power to supply 200 family homes, and covers almost the entire front lawn of the campus. The plan was part of Alcatel-Lucent's pledge to cut their greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2020, and also was helped by the state of New Jersey and its incentives for the use of solar energy. The original solar panels, which each only provided enough energy for the phone service of one family, are still on display in the facility's technology exhibit.
Throughout Boston, there were streetcars to help commuters get from point A to point B easier than the normal walking. Real estate speculators picked up on the usefulness of this and bought up land and secured funding to extend these lines outside of Boston. In fact, Henry Whitney first made the West End line going to Brookline only to use it for promoting his Beacon street developments. On the other hand, tradition helped to push the streetcars further along because every Sunday Thousands of Boston citizens would travel to the outskirts of the city to barely settled land to spend time at the cemeteries or in the parks which made it these trains that are far-reaching profitable.
The Knox Mine Disaster serves as a historical reminder of the dangers of greed and corruption and the devastating environmental impacts that are involved. The River Slope Mine, with its walls and ceiling adjacent to the Susquehanna River, had been quarried without the required benefit of surface boreholes to determine the thickness of the rock cover and without proper surveying. This ignorance of safety measures would prove to be deadly and environmentally costly. As the winter ice began to thaw on the Susquehanna raising its waters drastically, Federal, State and County authorities were made aware of safety concerns and ordered all digging in that specific vein to be halted. Unfortunately, the Knox administration ordered its mineworkers to keep digging at an upward angle towards the river bed.In the mining industry, the minimum width of land recommended between the mine and river was 35 feet. Tragically, the walls of the mine had been excavated to an estimated 19 inches from the rising Susquehanna. Millions of gallons of river water crashed into the mines, drowning some men like rats, and forcing others to scramble with all of the energy they could muster. During the first 64 hours, it was estimated that 2.7 million gallons of water per/minute was entering the mine shafts. 33 men were able to catch the last elevator shaft, while 32 men wandered underground looking for escape shafts and tunnels to avoid their deaths. The individuals at the top of the Knox organization were charged along with members of the Pennsylvania Coal Company. This incident serves as an example of ignoring environmental and labor safety procedures for profit and greed.
The facility in Murray Hill is currently owned by Nokia, but in 2008 it was run by the parent company Alcatel-Lucent. Alcatel-Lucent created a decommissioning plan for the facility in May of 2008 to terminate any activity that involved radioactive material and attempt to clean up the campus. The company enlisted the assistance of Chase Environmental Group, who surveyed the facility in 2007. Alcatel-Lucent terminated two out of their three US NRC (Nuclear Regulatory Commission) licenses at the facility, and decommissioned the facility. About a decade earlier, the company discovered residual radiation around building 16, and the company was forced to demolish the building and excavate the surrounding soil. With the new plan, the company planned to look for any other sources of residual radiation and deal with it in a similar fashion.
The Wisconsin Glacial stage significantly influenced the environmental history of Geauga Country Ohio by laying the foundation of environmental conditions and transportation routes. Beginning in 98,000 BC and ending around 13,000 BC, the retreating ice sheets generated environmental prosperity. The glacier deposited fertile top soil and till while carving out Lake Erie and its major tributaries. The rich soil and untouched wilderness allowed trees - hemlock, white pine, maple, black walnut, chestnut and oak - as well as animals - beaver, elk, black bear and racoons - to thrive in significant numbers. The major rivers - Cuyahoga, Grand, and Chagrin - along with their sand ridge deposits provided early transportation routes for New England Euro-American settlers. Depletion of resources in New England forced settlers to expand in search of new resources for economic prosperity. Following these routes created by the glacier, settlers made it to Ohio. The fur and hide trade of black bears, beavers, and racoons skyrocketed due to minimal Native American presence allowing settlers to leave nearby forts. This had a significant impact on species like the beaver and black bear which became nearly extinct in Ohio and are still endangered to this day. The rich environment generated by the Wisconsin Glacial stage set the groundwork for Ohio's first settlers, but as resources depleted what factors kept people there and brought in new settlers?
During the 1940s, Bell Labs moved their headquarters from Manhattan to a much more rural area in Murray Hill, NJ. The introduction of a large industry to a more remote location draws parallels to General Electric and Schenectady, but there are certain key differences as well. As opposed to appearing more industrial and dirty like Schenectady industry was, Bell Labs chose a more natural look by incorporating elements like fields, courtyards, and forestation within their new campus. The facility housed buildings that hosted research and development, offices, laboratories, and even an auditorium and the newly designed Anechoic Chamber. The location was near a train station that led to many employees choosing to remain in New York City and commute using public transit rather than moving to a nearby suburb. The facility brought new growth to an area previously host to very little development.
On December 6, 1915, a miner unintentionally left a carbine lamb attached to a piece of timber. Due to the Red Ash Mine having no positions on night's watch, the fire was able to burn over the entirety of the ensuing weekend. The company was made aware of the fire and began to plug surface opening of the mine with concrete and sand into the area. The company believed it had taken care of the fire, however it continued to burn and in 1921, the fire burned beyond the company's containment area. The company continued to mine resources in certain sections of the mine while building seals to block off other sections. The fire continued to burn in 1957 when the mines below Laurel Run were forced to close. Five years later in 1962, a woman was forced to evacuate her home due to mine gasses from the fire. It was around this time where the community realized that they were facing an uncontrollable mine fire beneath their feet. In April of 1966 a plan to control the fire was adopted and a series of bore-holes were drilled into the mine. The fire did spread into the Stanton-Empire Mine of Scranton as well as the Georgetown mine of Wilkes-Barre.
In 1621, the Pokanoket Tribe and and Plymouth colony signed a treaty that resulted in 5 years of peaceful relationships between the groups. After the death of Wampanoag leader Massasoit, chaos broke out and the King Philip War ensued. The colonials won and they took over the Sowams Heritage Area. Over the next 150 years Barrington among other towns was formed.
In 1855, the construction of the Providence, Warren and Bristol Railroad was finished. It was one of the largest organized railways in New England at the time. This railroad was responsible for carrying freight and passengers for about 100 years. It played a crucial part of connecting Barrington to more urban areas. During the 20th century the tracks were covered and turned into a bike path.
Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth was a revolutionary documentary that provided visual evidence of the urgency of the environmental crisis the planet currently faces. This form of media was amongst the first that showed viewers the threat human activity has on the global climate. Additionally, this documentary was backed by scientific findings, so not only did the imagery help portray a daunting message, but the evidence gathered from data was quite affective to audiences. Because of the harsh yet accurate cinematography the film displayed, an rise in public awareness was brought upon an international level. The film also stirred up some controversy between different political groups and people, because the idea of what is more important, economics or the environment, became even more relevant. The media has the power to publicize an issue on a mass scale, and this documentary was certainly no exception to that, ultimately adding to the overarching environmental movement.
From up to twenty miles away, the smoke could be seen from the fire that lit on the Susquehanna River as it ran through Wilkes-Barre, PA. This fire was the result of a section of the river dike breaking causing water to flood the area beneath it. Hours later, a very loud roar would be heard as the American Oil company's tanks exploded. A tsunami of combustion was followed by dark black smoke that hung in the air menacingly. In addition to the fire, the floodwaters that poured through the dike walls flooded homes and businesses alike, causing the displacement of 15,000 people with 9 being confirmed dead.
In recent years, Hundred Acre Cove located in Barrington, RI has been threatened by habitat loss. Salt marshes line the coast of the Cove and with rising sea levels the marshes have been submerged. With the coast rescinding, fiddler crabs have been moving farther inland to burrow. Coincidedly, the banks of Spartina grass are disappearing.
During the 1950's a series of rockslides were caused by the natural erosion of Niagara Falls, and sediments and boulders piled up in the basin at the bottom. Along the American portion of the falls, the curtain of water was effectively halved, therefore making it less impactful on viewers. In 1969, the American side of Niagara Falls was dammed and drained, which allowed for Engineers to clean out the basin, fortify the overhang at the top of the cliff, and eliminate any rock outcrops that showed signs of faultiness or future breakage. Science and technology had progressed so far that we began to alter our natural environments and even our natural wonders. With Niagara Falls, we saw Humans enact their views on how the falls should look, instead of appreciating the natural beauty that they offer. The very geologic processes that once created the falls, were now is seen as a threat that challenged the idealized version of Niagara Falls in people's minds.
In 1943, the Army Corps of Engineers in Montana proposed to build a 416 foot tall dam in Glacier National Park in the canyon between Glacier View Mountain and Huckleberry mountain. This is on the western border of the park and the state, and the fact that visitors rarely traveled there was one excuse for them to build. The intent of this dam was to make western Montana more industrialized, inspired by the city of Chicago in the 40's. The dam would have created a reservoir 25 miles long providing 977 billion gallons of usable water storage. This would attract industries like aluminum processing plants and airplane manufacturers, which is what the Army Corps of Engineers saw as technological and urban advancements. The park service, which was founded in 1916, strongly opposed, and they won this debate, making sure Hetch Hetchy would not be repeated.
The Brookline Bird club is a club dedicated to learning, documenting, and watching birds but most importantly to gaining “a fuller appreciation of nature.”. It is the largest bird club but isn't limited to just Brookline. Though it is one of the country's oldest. The forming of the club can be linked to a few things including the outlawing of the plume trade and the growing interest in birds/ the environment in wealthy circles. Though the club also took an active part in protecting through local ordinances and going as far as having a "bird warden". In 1915 they had around 150 feeding stations. Lastly, this club was not only for men but also women and all ages and recognized the role women played in stopping the millinery trade.
Hurricane Donna was similar to Hurricane Sandy in terms of the destruction caused to New York City. The hurricane caused $100 million in damage, and caused the area to be evacuated. There was a lot of damage to the natural environment as well, specifically $200,000 in damage due to uprooted trees.
In 1827, Niagara Falls hotel owners looked to increase visitor interaction with the Falls in order for tourists to stay longer and spend more money. Therefore they organized for an old mercantile vessel named "The Michigan" to be loaded with wild animals, lit on fire, and allowed to float down the Falls so that tourists could watch it smash into a thousand pieces. In total 23 animals were aboard, including two bears and a bison, while 20,000 people spectated. This event illustrated a public view that Niagara Falls wasn't exciting enough on its own, and that more was needed to captivate an audience than just the natural and unique beauty that they offer. Additionally, the animal abuse clearly demonstrated European views on the natural world that the environment, and its wildlife, were created to be dominated by man.
During World War II, the Bell Labs facility in Murray Hill, NJ was utilized in research for developing barrier material for the K-25 site in Oak Ridge TN. The K-25 facility was used for developing enriched atomic material for bombs for the Manhattan Project. The Bell Labs facility, although under the oversight of the US government, housed unknown quantities of uranium, and the documentation for this research is very limited for unknown reasons. In 2011, a spokesman for the then-owners of the property, Alcatel-Lucent, stated that, "Although members of Bell Labs may have performed research and development work on behalf of the U.S. government in the 1940's that may have necessitated the use of radioactive materials at its Murray Hill campus, the files of our Radiation Safety Department do not contain records of those years." Although it has been proven that no radioactive material remains in the facility, the lack of knowledge of the research done on the property leaves uncertainty surrounding the possibility of residual radioactive contamination in the area.
Approximately 500 years ago, when Europeans first settled in the U.S., they had brought technology and diseases, specifically small pox, that killed many Natives. At first they invaded the East, and eventually traveled westward toward the Rocky Mountain states. By the 17th century, many Natives were fleeing the east and resided in Montana. They adopted many European resources, especially horses. These horses allowed for easy trading, and also to efficiently pack their camp and travel. Similarly, they adapted the gun from settlers, and eventually changed their lifestyle, relying on hunting the bison. This was a drastic change from their ancestors, and is more similar to the lifestyle of the Plains Natives today. Today, there are seven native reservations in Montana that decedents live on, including towns and cities across the state. Glacier National Park is directly west of the Blackfeet Reservation.