The Pelican, a boat carrying 64 passengers, sunk on September 1st, 1951. Of the 64 passengers, 44 people and Captain Carroll died, prompting President Dwight Eisenhower to urge Congress to revisit fishing boat laws in America and limit amount of passengers, safety guidelines, and even fishing restrictions, so the fish can be preserved through the centuries.
Introduction of public water supply spurs the development of internal plumbing for waste; waste is conveyed directly to Charles through pre-existing street drains and through newly constructed common sewers carrying storm and sewer water. Bacteria load to river subsequently increased dramatically and waste on exposed mudflats caused a stench thought to spread disease.
The Middlesex Canal was a 27-mile barge canal connecting the Merrimack River with the port of Boston. When operational it was 30 feet wide, and 3 feet deep, with 20 locks. It was built from 1793 to 1803 and was one of the first civil engineering projects of its type in the United States, and was studied by engineers working on other major canal projects such as the Erie Canal.
In 1792 under President George Washington, the Montauk Lighthouse was authorized to be built and was completed on November 5th, 1796. It signified the start of urbanizing Montauk and played a crucial role in allowing the fishing industry to thrive in the following centuries. It was the first lighthouse built in New York State and the fourth oldest active lighthouse.
communities were presented the option to establish conservation commissions to act as advocates for the natural environment, prepare appropriate conservation plans, and manage conservation lands. Eight municipalities established conservation commissions the next year.
Whaling was popular across the eastern US from the mid 1700s through the mid 1800s. Stonington was a popular whaling port, supporting 50 whaling vessels across 167 voyages throughout its history. Whale produced products such as oil for lighting, bones, and baleen which was used on consumer products. The industry declined as the whale population became depleted and the use of crude oil exploded.
In 1927, a real-estate developer by the name of Carl Fisher moved soil and gravel to connect Lake Montauk to Block Island Sound and then to the Atlantic Ocean. Carl Fisher irreversibly changed Montauk’s marine ecosystem and is responsible for a lot of the buildings/foundations that you see in modern-day Montauk.
In early November 1913, a extraordinarily powerful blizzard hit the upper midwest of the United States, killing over 250 people. 13 ships on Lake Michigan were sunk, resulting in many shipwrecks lining the coast of Illinois and Indiana. The storm acted as a wake up call to the residents of that area that they were too at risk of natural disasters. After this, engineering for construction was improved in order to make buildings that could survive major blizzards.
During the end of the 19th Century and beginning of the 20th Century, the growing population of Chicago needed a reliable source of drinking water. Because Lake Michigan was freshwater, it made sense to use the lake water for drinking water. Stations were constructed right offshore of Lake Michigan in order to pump the water to the mainland. Nine water cribs were constructed but only two remain active.
The introduction of non-native fish for recreational angling to the lakes in Glacier National Park has been one of the most important players into the degredation of the glacial waterways. In the early 1900's, lake trout aka Mackinaw were introduced into lakes along the Continental Divide. Introduced fish bring new diseases, alter the composition of plankton communities, interrupt food web dynamics, and prey on native fish. Research has shown that changes in zooplankton communities generally occur when fish are introduced into previously fishless waters. Non-native Lake trout pose a grave threat to native species in several park lakes as well as change the water composition of these previously untouched glacial water pools. There are still a few pristine lakes and streams in the park that remain strongholds for genetically untainted native fish species. Humans could not resist the potential revenue gain from adding these fish for sport and this had dramatically altered the natural ecosystem of such a wonderful place.
On October 8th, 1871, a massive fire erupted in Chicago's Old Town district eventually consumed and destroyed most of the city's downtown area. By the end of the fire approximately 300 people lost their lives and over 100,000 were left homeless. Despite this disaster commonly being attributed to Mrs. O'Leary's cow, the exact cause of the fire remains unknown.
Whitefish Montana used to fondly be known as "Stumptown". It is such a densely wooded area and the timber industry played a crucial role in the development of the town. The loggers came and crudely chopped down acres and acres of timber, leaving stumps scattered all across the town. The stumps were left in the streets causing traffic jams and making it hard to expand. The Great Northern Railway was built right through the heart of Whitefish in 1904 which created an even greater need for timber to be cleared. The railroad and the logging industries kept the town afloat and aided in a robust economy that is directly dependent on what seems like a never ending resource.
Grinnell Glacier is one of the peak glaciers of Glacier National Park, also known as the Crown of the Continent. It was named after conservationist George Bird Grinnell. The park used to have over 150 active glaciers in 1850, now only 25 are recognized as "active" and Grinnell is one of those. Between 1966 and 2005 Grinnell Glacier lost over 40% of its area, climate scientists suggest that by 2030, there will be no actual Glaciers left in Glacier National Park. A Glacier must be at least 25 acres in area to be recognized as a Glacier and not just a "snowfield".
On September 21st, 1938, a tropical cyclone swept across New England. It hit land as a category 3 hurricane with winds hitting peak intensity at 120 mph. The storm tore through Marlboro, ripping the top of the steeple and many other building roofs. As a result of the hurricane, Marlborough was placed under martial law to ensure against looting. As seen in the photo - the Immaculate Conception Church, still to this day, never had its steeples grand height or its four clocks restored.
Samuel Boyd is referred to as “the father of Marlboro.” He had the most significant impact, from 1834 to 1890, on shaping Marlboro into the city it is today. He was a pioneer shoe manufacturer and banker among many other accomplishments.
The MVB was constructed in the last decade of the 19th century connecting Great Neck to Port Washington and Manhasset, two suburbs to the east. The Carnegie Steel Company was originally contracted to complete the job of building a trestle across the marsh dividing the suburbs. The bridge is over 600 feet long and 80 feet high.
Local tanneries and other businesses in what is now Southeast Center City were dumping waste into Dock Creek, polluting its waters. As a result, the creek smelled terrible, surrounding property values dropped, disease spread and firefighting was inhibited. People living in the neighborhood, including Benjamin Franklin, petitioned the Pennsylvania Assembly to forbid businesses from dumping in the creek. This lead to an early victory for public rights over private ones, but it proved to be symbolic. Business continued to dump waste in the creek until it was eventually covered over. Today, what used to be Dock Creek is now a part of the Philadelphia sewage system.
Built around the year 1700, the Saddle Rock Grist Mill was used to grind corn and wheat grown by farms in the Great Neck area. The mill, built along the water, was also used as a dock for ships. Today, it is the only tidal mill (meaning it is powered by the rise and fall of the tide) left in Nassau County, although it is long out of operation.
MDC Industries, a company based in the Port Richmond neighborhood of Philadelphia sold copper slag as a sandblasting material until it ceased operations in 1999. After MDC closed down, it abandoned a pile of slag measuring 68,000 cubic feet at the intersection of Castor and Delaware. This slag was found to migrate off the lot into surrounding areas and runoff ran into storm drains. Measurements from the EPA determined that the slag contained "leachable concentrations of lead up to 36,900 micrograms per liter," and it was observed that the pile was releasing lead into the air as well. The pile is about 1/4 mile from the Delaware river, 1/4 mile from a densely populated residential area, and it directly borders a water treatment plant. In the zipcode which contains the pile, 1 in 3 people live beneath the poverty line. In the neighborhoods closest to the pile, up to 60% of children live in poverty. These neighborhoods are mostly white and Latinx. The pile was capped in 2002, but no further actions have been taken by the EPA.
The Village Green was constructed in the early 20th century when Louise Eldridge set aside five acres of her estate for a village green. While many greens are meant for grazing, Eldridge solicited help from Beatrix Jones Farrand, an American landscape gardener and architect. The green remains a public park for Great Neck's residents today.
In the summer of 1874, the Martha's Vineyard Railroad was opened to provide passenger travel across the island. Facing a financial crisis in 1873, the railroad was envisioned to bring visitors from the popular tourist town of Oak Bluffs to the old whaling town of Edgartown. Although environmental concerns were raised by residents, the railroad was pushed through and hastily built. Constructed over miles of pristine beaches and water, the railroad destroyed large tracts of wildlife and encroached on the existing ecosystem. The railroad lost in popularity to a horse-drawn trolley line, and was shut down permanently in 1895.
By 1850, a substantial amount of Europeans had permanently settled on Martha's Vineyard. Like in much of New England, little thought was given by the settlers as to the long term health of the land. Aiming to maximize cranberry production, water power, grazing area, and obtain needed firewood, masses of the island's forests were chopped down. Although a decline in human activity would eventually allow for a partial rebound, the once abundant forests have yet to come close to returning to their former glory.
When the Dust Bowl hit the midwest in the 1930s, the semi-arid region of Douglas County was also affected, although not as severely as other parts of Colorado. Native grasses usually kept the topsoil in place, but with an increase in agriculture, the soil was no longer secured to the ground. With a lack of precipitation, droughts intensified, and high winds were able to pick up the topsoil, causing destruction and health hazards. This led the federal government to push for soil conservation.
In 1890, the Castlewood Canyon Dam was constructed in an effort to help irrigate farms in Douglas County. In 1933, the dam broke, causing floodwater to reach Denver. The Denver Flood Control Association was organized by business owners who were affected by the flooding to get the federal government to construct a better flood-control system for Cherry Creek.