1.
Danbury Branch
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Metro-North Railroads Danbury Branch is a diesel branch of the New Haven Line from downtown Norwalk, Connecticut north to Danbury, mostly single-tracked. It opened in 1852 as the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad, until the early 1970s the branch originally had passenger service from Danbury to Canaan, Connecticut, to Pittsfield, Massachusetts. Metro-North took over operation of the line from Conrail in 1983, the Danbury and Norwalk Railroad began operating its line from Norwalk north to Danbury on February 22,1852. In July 1872 a branch from the line at Bethel northeast to Hawleyville opened. At Hawleyville, the connected to the Housatonic Railroad, continuing north into Massachusetts. Also at Hawleyville, connections with the Shepaug Railroad to Litchfield were possible, starting on May 1,1874, that connection was supplemented by the New York, Housatonic and Northern Railroad, running from Danbury northeast to the Housatonic. In 1881 the New York and New England Railroad was completed, giving another connection at Danbury, a short branch from Branchville on the main line west to Ridgefield opened July 1,1870. In July 1882 an extension was built in Norwalk to docks at Wilson Point, the Housatonic Railroad leased the D&N on July 21,1887, and soon after, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad leased the Housatonic. The Danbury Line operated electric-powered trains beginning in 1925, steel posts that once carried the overhead catenary system can still be seen along the line. The catenary system on the Danbury Line was removed in 1961 when diesel-powered locomotives resumed service on the line, long-distance passenger service operated on the line. The Berkshire ran on the line from Grand Central to Danbury, to Pittsfield, the NYNH&H merged into Penn Central in 1969. On January 1,1971, the State of Connecticut leased the Danbury Branch from Penn Central, the last passenger train from Danbury north to Pittsfield, Massachusetts ran in April 1971, the day before Amtrak assumed passenger operations. From 1976 until 1983, freight and passenger service on the line was provided by the Consolidated Rail Corporation under a contract with Connecticut, in 1983 the newly formed Metro-North Commuter Railroad took over operation of passenger service along the line. Conrail continued to provide service on the line until 1993. The Providence and Worcester Railroad now provides freight service along the Danbury Branch, upon renovation of the Merritt 7 station, Metro-North ceased stops at Kent Road on January 16,1994, and instead provided service via shuttle bus to Merritt 7 for local employers. By the time of its closing, less than 15 passengers used Kent Road station daily, the Danbury Railway Museum is located in the former Union Station of the D&N and NY&NE in Danbury. It lies just north of the current Danbury Metro-North passenger station, at the museum are examples of rolling stock retired from service as well as an indoor display of model trains. There have been proposals to re-electrify the Danbury Branch, along with a plan to service north from Danbury to New Milford
2.
Norwalk Transit District
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The Norwalk Transit District is the primary provider of public transportation services in Norwalk, Connecticut and surrounding communities. The local Norwalk fixed-route bus transit system, known as WHEELS, is the service of the district linking Norwalk. The agency also operates bus services as far north as Danbury and as far east as Bridgeport. Paratransit door-to-door services are available for residents in the area unable to use regular transit services. Norwalk Transit contracts with local service providers to perform some of the door-to-door services. The city of Norwalk founded the Norwalk Transit District in 1978, the district receives local, federal and state funding from the Connecticut Department of Transportation. Norwalk Transit operates fixed routes throughout Norwalk, Wesport and Greenwich, passengers on WHEELS routes 11 and 13 can transfer in shared service areas alongU. S. Fares as of 2017 are $1.75 for a 90 minutes unlimited pass
3.
Historic districts in the United States
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Buildings, structures, objects and sites within a historic district are normally divided into two categories, contributing and non-contributing. Districts greatly vary in size, some have hundreds of structures, the U. S. federal government designates historic districts through the United States Department of Interior under the auspices of the National Park Service. Federally designated historic districts are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, state-level historic districts may follow similar criteria or may require adherence to certain historic rehabilitation standards. Local historic district designation offers, by far, the most legal protection for historic properties because most land use decisions are made at the local level, local districts are generally administered by the county or municipal government. The first U. S. historic district was established in Charleston, South Carolina in 1931, Charleston city government designated an Old and Historic District by local ordinance and created a board of architectural review to oversee it. New Orleans followed in 1937, establishing the Vieux Carré Commission, other localities picked up on the concept, with the city of Philadelphia enacting its historic preservation ordinance in 1955. The Supreme Court case validated the protection of resources as an entirely permissible governmental goal. In 1966 the federal government created the National Register of Historic Places, conference of Mayors had stated Americans suffered from rootlessness. By the 1980s there were thousands of federally designated historic districts, Historic districts are generally two types of properties, contributing and non-contributing. In general, contributing properties are integral parts of the historic context, in addition to the two types of classification within historic districts, properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places are classified into five broad categories. They are, building, structure, site, district and object, all but the eponymous district category are also applied to historic districts listed on the National Register. A listing on the National Register of Historic Places is governmental acknowledgment of a historic district, however, the Register is an honorary status with some federal financial incentives. The National Register of Historic Places defines a historic district per U. S. federal law, a district may also comprise individual elements separated geographically but linked by association or history. Districts established under U. S. federal guidelines generally begin the process of designation through a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places, the National Register is the official recognition by the U. S. government of cultural resources worthy of preservation. While designation through the National Register does offer a district or property some protections, if the federal government is not involved, then the listing on the National Register provides the site, property or district no protections. If, however, company A was under federal contract the Smith House would be protected, a federal designation is little more than recognition by the government that the resource is worthy of preservation. Usually, the National Register does not list religious structures, moved structures, reconstructed structures, however, if a property falls into one of those categories and are integral parts of districts that do meet the criteria then an exception allowing their listing will be made. Historic district listings, like all National Register nominations, can be rejected on the basis of owner disapproval, in the case of historic districts, a majority of owners must object in order to nullify a nomination to the National Register of Historic Places
4.
Metro-North Railroad
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With an average weekday ridership of 298,900 in 2014, it is the second-busiest commuter railroad in North America in terms of annual ridership, behind its sister railroad, the Long Island Rail Road. Metro-North also provides rail service within New York City at a reduced fare. There are 124 stations on Metro-North Railroads five active lines, which operate on more than 775 miles of track, the MTA has jurisdiction, through Metro-North, over railroad lines on the western and eastern portions of the Hudson River in New York. Service on the side of the Hudson is operated by New Jersey Transit under contract with the MTA. Three lines provide service on the east side of the Hudson River to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, the Hudson, Harlem. The Beacon Line is a line owned by Metro-North but is not in service. The Hudson and Harlem Lines terminate in Poughkeepsie and Wassaic, New York, the New Haven Line is operated through a partnership between Metro-North and the State of Connecticut. The Connecticut Department of Transportation owns the tracks and stations within Connecticut, MTA owns the tracks and stations and handles capital improvements within New York State. MTA performs routine maintenance and provides services for the entire line, its branches. New cars and locomotives are purchased in a joint agreement between MTA and ConnDOT, with the agencies paying for 33. 3% and 66. 7% of costs respectively. ConnDOT pays more because most of the line is in Connecticut, the New Haven Line has three branches in Connecticut, the New Canaan Branch, Danbury Branch and Waterbury Branch. At New Haven, the Shore Line East connecting service, run by Connecticut, Amtrak operates intercity train service along the New Haven and Hudson Lines. The New Haven Line is part of Amtraks Northeast Corridor, at New Haven, the New Haven Line connects to the Amtrak New Haven–Springfield Line. The Hudson Line connects with the Oak Point Link and is the route for freight to and from the Bronx. Freight railroads CSX, CP Rail, P&W, and Housatonic Railroad have trackage rights on sections of the system, there are two branches, the Port Jervis Line and the Pascack Valley Line. The Port Jervis Line is accessed from two New Jersey Transit lines, the Main Line and the Bergen County Line. The Port Jervis Line terminates in Port Jervis, New York, most stops for the Port Jervis and Pascack Valley Lines are in New Jersey, so New Jersey Transit provides most of the rolling stock and all the staff, Metro-North supplies some equipment. Metro-North equipment has been used on other New Jersey Transit lines on the Hoboken division, All stations west of the Hudson River in New York are owned and operated by Metro-North, except Suffern, which is owned and operated by New Jersey Transit
5.
Wilton, Connecticut
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Wilton is a town in Fairfield County in southwestern Connecticut in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 18,062. Residents commonly commute to New York City, Stamford, and Norwalk, Wilton was rated one of CNNs top 25 towns to live, boasting an average household income of over $310,000 per family. Many Fortune 1000 companies are headquartered within a 30-minute train or car commute, AIG Financial Products was headquartered in the town. Its trading in credit derivatives essentially bankrupted its parent company, AIG, during the Revolutionary War in 1777, the British used Wilton as an escape route after their successful raid on Danbury. Several homes were burned, but the town remained intact, in 1802, Wilton was granted a Town Charter by the Connecticut General Assembly and became a political entity independent from Norwalk. With a strong anti-slavery sentiment by its residents, Wilton served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, Wilton was classified as a dry town until 1993, when the local ordinance was altered to permit the sale of alcoholic beverages in restaurants. The town was referred to as damp. On November 5,2009, a proposal was passed to allow liquor stores. The town Board enacted an ordinance to allow liquor stores to sell alcoholic beverages in 2010, Wilton is bordered by Ridgefield to the Northwest, Norwalk to the South, New Canaan to the Southwest, Westport to the Southeast, and Weston and Redding to the Northeast. It is also bordered on the west by the hamlet of Vista in Lewisboro, Westchester County, the scenic Ridgefield Road offers a look at many historic homes, places, and sights. The latitude of Wilton is 41.201 N, the longitude is -73.438 W. Wilton has, by some estimates, more than 500 restored 18th- and 19th-century homes, although some old houses have been demolished. What thats doing is changing the affordability of the town and the demographic of the town, Wilton used to have a wide demographic of people who worked with their hands - artisans, builders, mechanics. Now its management and upper management, between 1999 and 2005, the towns voters endorsed spending $23 million through municipal bonds to preserve land. South Norwalk Electric and Water has a reservoir on the side of town with about 350 acres of land. In the fall, hunters with bows and arrows—no more than 10 at a time—are allowed to hunt deer on the Wilton property in order to keep down the number of deer in the area. Wiltons town center contains several restaurants, boutiques, retail stores, a Starbucks, a Stop & Shop. These stores were added around 2000 next to the old Wilton Center, which consists of the Wilton Library, the Wilton Post Office, a CVS/Pharmacy, the Old Post Office Square, in the southern part of town, US7 contains a commercial section
6.
Weston, Connecticut
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Weston is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut. The population was 10,179 at the 2010 census, the town is served by Route 57 and Route 53, both of which run through the town center. About 19% of the workforce commutes to New York City. Like many towns in southwestern Connecticut, Weston is among the most affluent communities in the United States, data collected in 2011 showed that Weston had the highest median household income in Fairfield County, Connecticut, at US$205,173. In 2011 Connecticut Magazine named Weston as the one town in Connecticut among towns with populations of 10. The rating considers education, crime, economy, cost and leisure, Weston is bordered by Wilton to the west, Redding to the north, Easton to the east, Fairfield to the southeast, and Westport to the south. Aside from a handful of stores that form the town’s center, residential development is limited by two-acre zoning. Most of Devils Den Preserve, a 1, 746-acre nature reserve, in the 17th century, Westons first English settlers were mostly farmers living in the town of Fairfield, Connecticut, the boundaries of which extended to Weston until the late 18th century. The Norfield Parish was created in the now occupied by the towns of Weston and Easton. In 1787, the area was incorporated as the Town of Weston. In 1845, the Town of Easton was split off from Weston, a meteor exploded above the town December 14,1807. Six pieces, totaling 28 pounds, were recovered and examined by scientists and this was the first time that people realized the nature of meteors. Despite rocky soil, farmers in town grew apples, onions, grist, cider, lumber, and fulling mills were built. The town had nine manufacturers by 1850, but two decades later only the Bradley Edge Tool Company still thrived and that factory burned down in 1911. Unlike other nearby towns, Weston never had a railroad built through it, between the Civil War and the Great Depression, the towns population dropped from approximately 1,000 to a low of 670, by 1930. Artists, writers, and actors from New York became attracted to the community in the 1930s, construction of the Merritt Parkway, which arrived to the south of Weston in 1938, resulted in further population growth. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 20.7 square miles, of which 19.8 square miles is land and 0.9 square miles. The Saugatuck River begins to the north in Redding and it flows through the town and ends in Long Island Sound in neighboring Westport
7.
New Haven Line
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Metro-North Railroads New Haven Line runs from New Haven, Connecticut, southwest to Mount Vernon, New York. There it joins the Metro-North Harlem Line, where trains continue south to Grand Central Terminal in Manhattan, the New Haven Lines ridership, at 125,000 weekday and 39 million annual passengers, ranks as the busiest rail line in the United States. The line is owned by Metro-North from Mount Vernon to the New York-Connecticut border, from the state line to New Haven, the right-of-way is owned by the Connecticut Department of Transportation. From west to east in Connecticut, three branches split off, the New Canaan Branch, Danbury Branch, and Waterbury Branch, all owned by ConnDOT. In addition to Metro-North trains, Amtraks Northeast Regional and Acela Express use the line between New Rochelle, New York and New Haven, Connecticut, as part of the Northeast Corridor. The rail line from New York to New Haven was completed by 1849, the Great Blizzard of 1888 blocked the rail line in Westport, between the Saugatuck and Greens Farms stations. It took eight days to service, as snow was dug out by hand. In the early 20th century, the line was electrified and steam locomotives were replaced, the acquisition took place on January 1,1971, and included the three branches. After Penn Central went bankrupt, the Consolidated Rail Corporation took over operations in 1976, Metro-North undertook to rebuild the railroad, upgrading signals, tracks, ties, roadbeds, and rolling stock. Over the years, some stations have been abandoned or closed, the Columbus Avenue station in Mount Vernon was closed in the Penn Central era, due to its proximity to Mt. Vernon station and the expense of converting it to high-level platforms. It had previously been a station to the overhead viaduct station of the New York, Westchester and Boston Railway. Other stations abandoned along the mainline include Devon, at the junction of the Waterbury Branch, the changeover from catenary to third rail was moved from Woodlawn to just west of Pelham in the early 1990s. There is a coach yard just east of Port Chester station. It was a freight route for the New Haven to Queens, where it interchanged with the Long Island Rail Road. Four new stations are planned along this route as part of Metro-Norths Penn Station Access, by the beginning of the 20th century, there were stations in every population center along the line. Although some of these were dropped over the due to low ridership. Fairfield Metro opened in December 2011 to support a new commercial development, after a decade-long process choosing between locations in West Haven and Orange, West Haven station opened in August 2013, filling the longest gap on the line. Currently, a study is being undertaken to detail the costs and benefits of implementing more frequent service on the line, the line would have to be upgraded to accommodate additional service
8.
Grand Central Terminal
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Grand Central Terminal is a commuter, rapid transit railroad terminal at 42nd Street and Park Avenue in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, United States. Its platforms, all ground, serve 41 tracks on the upper level and 26 on the lower, though the total number of tracks along platforms. The terminal serves commuters traveling on the Metro-North Railroad to Westchester, Putnam, until 1991, the terminal served Amtrak, which moved to nearby Pennsylvania Station upon completion of the Empire Connection. The East Side Access project is underway to bring Long Island Rail Road service to the terminal, Grand Central Terminal has intricate designs both on its inside and outside. In addition, it contains a vast interior main concourse, the terminal is one of the worlds most visited tourist attractions, with 21.9 million visitors in 2013. Unlike other Metro-North stations, Grand Central Terminal is not owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Grand Central Station is the name of the nearby U. S. Post Office station at 450 Lexington Avenue, but may refer to the Grand Central – 42nd Street subway station that is located next to the terminal. The tracks are numbered according to their location in the terminal building, the upper-level tracks are numbered 11 to 42 east to west. Tracks 22 and 31 were removed in the late 1990s to build concourses for Grand Central North, Track 12 was removed to expand the platform between tracks 11 and 13 and track 14 is only used for loading a garbage train. The lower level has 27 tracks, numbered 100 to 126, east to west, currently, only tracks 102–112, odd-numbered tracks are usually on the east side of the platform, even-numbered tracks on the west. Grand Central Terminal has both monumental spaces and meticulously crafted detail, especially on its facade, in a February 2013 BBC News article, historian David Cannadine described it as one of the most majestic buildings of the twentieth century. In 2013, Grand Central Terminal hosted 21.6 million visitors, among them are chain stores, including a Starbucks coffee shop, a Rite Aid pharmacy and, as of December 2011, an Apple Store. Other chain restaurants include a Shake Shack, Grand Central Terminals 49-acre basements are among the largest in the city. This includes M42, a secret sub-basement under the terminal that contains the AC to DC converters used to supply DC traction current to the tracks. The exact location of M42 is a guarded secret and does not appear on maps, though it has been shown on the History Channel program Cities of the Underworld. Two of the rotary converters were not removed in the late 20th century when solid-state ones took over their job. During World War II, this facility was closely guarded because its sabotage would have impaired troop movement on the Eastern Seaboard. It is said that any unauthorized person entering the facility during the war risked being shot on sight, abwehr sent two spies to sabotage it, they were arrested by the FBI before they could strike
9.
Cannondale Bicycle Corporation
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The Cannondale Bicycle Corporation, is an American division of Canadian conglomerate Dorel Industries that supplies bicycles. It is headquartered in Wilton, Connecticut with manufacturing and assembly facilities in China and Taichung, the company was founded in 1970 by Joe Montgomery and Murdock MacGregor to manufacture precast concrete housing. Later Ron Davis came to Cannondale from CBS Laboratories where he was VP in charge of the development of microfilm reproduction, Ron, a polymath and a gifted mechanical designer/inventor, had ideas for an internal combustion engine that would use ammonia as fuel. Such a concept, if proved, could have far-reaching effects in warfare logistics, Davis, with MacGregor as assistant, had some surprising success. They managed to duplicate and exceed results obtained by Allison Engine, by now MacGregor and Davis had recruited two more CBS Laboratory alumni, John Wistrand, an award-winning Industrial Designer, and Jim Catrambone, a rising management star. A highly-advanced air conditioner with no moving parts was a first effort, then Joe Montgomery, after a camping bike trip with his son, conceived the Bugger bicycle trailer. Ron Davis devised the under-seat hitch, a spring made of Lexan. Wistrand designed the cloth bags and cargo carrier on the two models of trailers, Joe, in an effort repeated in numerous products, sourced the cloth components, and ensured perfection in their manufacture. A trip to the Bicycle Show in New York was a eye opener, the team was besieged by bike dealers wanting to buy the bags. They bought trailers too, but really wanted the bags, in less than six months Cannondale became the worlds largest manufacturer of lightweight bicycle bags. Using a marketing plan devised by Montgomery, Cannondale swept across the US and they then used the infrastructure developed to produce the bags to enter the camping goods market with backpacks and tents. When Todd Patterson, another exceptional designer/inventor, came aboard and developed the process for jigging and welding aluminum bike frames Cannondale became a manufacturer of bicycles. One of the most successful products was the Bugger, a child trailer, today, Cannondale produces many different types of high-end bicycles, which are no longer hand-made in the US. They specialize in aluminum and carbon frames, a technology in which they were pioneers. The name of the company was taken from the Cannondale Metro North train station in Wilton, in the late 1990s Cannondale attempted to move into the motorsports business, producing a line of off-road motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles. According to an interview with Cannondale Communications Director, Tom Armstrong, sales increased when the company was losing money on each motorbike. This gap drove the company into bankruptcy in 2003, and they sold off the motorsport division, Cannondales bicycle division was purchased in 2003 by Pegasus Capital Advisors, which supported the companys renewed focus on bicycle production. In February 2008, Cannondale was purchased from Pegasus Capital Advisors by Dorel Industries, in April 2009 it was announced that all production would be transferred to Taiwan
10.
Norwalk River
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The Norwalk River is a river in southwestern Connecticut, approximately 21 miles long. The word Norwalk comes from the Algonquian word noyank meaning point of land, the Norwalk River originates in ponds located in Ridgefield, Connecticut. These ponds empty into Ridgefield’s approximately 500-acre Great Swamp, the river continues through Ridgefield, and is augmented by the Great Pond, one of the purest lakes in Connecticut due to its being fed by underwater springs. Recreational fishing continues to be a popular sport along the course of the river, a 20-year-old man drowned in the river on May 24,2009 while trying to save a boy who slipped into a strong current near Broad Street in northern Norwalk, near the Route 7 Connector. The boy had been playing in knee-deep water, jose Higareda, a Mexican immigrant living in Norwalk, jumped in the water with the boys father, but Higareda was himself dragged downstream toward Deering Pond. Over the weekend of October 14–17,1955,12 to 14 inches of tropical storm caused the Norwalk River, along with many other Connecticut rivers. The flood of 1955 caused the most severe damage of any flood in the history of Norwalk, from the heavy rains some dams along the Norwalk River broke, sending walls of water surging downstream, knocking out bridges and additional dams. Many of the Norwalk River’s neighboring towns and communities suffered widespread devastation, several lives were lost in addition to millions of dollars worth of damage along the Norwalk River watershed alone. List of rivers of Connecticut *The Norwalk River Watershed Association Norwalk Harbor Webcam Webcam viewing the Norwalk Rivers harbor
11.
National Register of Historic Places
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The National Register of Historic Places is the United States federal governments official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation. The passage of the National Historic Preservation Act in 1966 established the National Register, of the more than one million properties on the National Register,80,000 are listed individually. The remainder are contributing resources within historic districts, each year approximately 30,000 properties are added to the National Register as part of districts or by individual listings. For most of its history the National Register has been administered by the National Park Service and its goals are to help property owners and interest groups, such as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, coordinate, identify, and protect historic sites in the United States. While National Register listings are mostly symbolic, their recognition of significance provides some financial incentive to owners of listed properties, protection of the property is not guaranteed. During the nomination process, the property is evaluated in terms of the four criteria for inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, the application of those criteria has been the subject of criticism by academics of history and preservation, as well as the public and politicians. Occasionally, historic sites outside the proper, but associated with the United States are also listed. Properties can be nominated in a variety of forms, including individual properties, historic districts, the Register categorizes general listings into one of five types of properties, district, site, structure, building, or object. National Register Historic Districts are defined geographical areas consisting of contributing and non-contributing properties, some properties are added automatically to the National Register when they become administered by the National Park Service. These include National Historic Landmarks, National Historic Sites, National Historical Parks, National Military Parks/Battlefields, National Memorials, on October 15,1966, the Historic Preservation Act created the National Register of Historic Places and the corresponding State Historic Preservation Offices. Initially, the National Register consisted of the National Historic Landmarks designated before the Registers creation, approval of the act, which was amended in 1980 and 1992, represented the first time the United States had a broad-based historic preservation policy. To administer the newly created National Register of Historic Places, the National Park Service of the U. S. Department of the Interior, hartzog, Jr. established an administrative division named the Office of Archeology and Historic Preservation. Hartzog charged OAHP with creating the National Register program mandated by the 1966 law, ernest Connally was the Offices first director. Within OAHP new divisions were created to deal with the National Register, the first official Keeper of the Register was William J. Murtagh, an architectural historian. During the Registers earliest years in the late 1960s and early 1970s, organization was lax and SHPOs were small, understaffed, and underfunded. A few years later in 1979, the NPS history programs affiliated with both the U. S. National Parks system and the National Register were categorized formally into two Assistant Directorates. Established were the Assistant Directorate for Archeology and Historic Preservation and the Assistant Directorate for Park Historic Preservation, from 1978 until 1981, the main agency for the National Register was the Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service of the United States Department of the Interior. In February 1983, the two assistant directorates were merged to promote efficiency and recognize the interdependency of their programs, jerry L. Rogers was selected to direct this newly merged associate directorate
12.
National Park Service
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It was created on August 25,1916, by Congress through the National Park Service Organic Act and is an agency of the United States Department of the Interior. As of 2014, the NPS employs 21,651 employees who oversee 417 units, the National Park Service celebrated its centennial in 2016. National parks and national monuments in the United States were originally individually managed under the auspices of the Department of the Interior, the movement for an independent agency to oversee these federal lands was spearheaded by business magnate and conservationist Stephen Mather, as well as J. Horace McFarland. With the help of journalist Robert Sterling Yard, Mather ran a publicity campaign for the Department of the Interior and they wrote numerous articles that praised the scenic and historic qualities of the parks and their possibilities for educational, inspirational, and recreational benefits. This campaign resulted in the creation of a National Park Service, Mather became the first director of the newly formed NPS. On March 3,1933, President Herbert Hoover signed the Reorganization Act of 1933, the act would allow the President to reorganize the executive branch of the United States government. It wasnt until later that summer when the new President, Franklin D. Roosevelt, President Roosevelt agreed and issued two Executive orders to make it happen. In 1951, Conrad Wirth became director of the National Park Service, the demand for parks after the end of the World War II had left the parks overburdened with demands that could not be met. In 1952, with the support of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, he began Mission 66, New parks were added to preserve unique resources and existing park facilities were upgraded and expanded. In 1966, as the Park Service turned 50 years old, emphasis began to turn from just saving great and wonderful scenery, Director George Hartzog began the process with the creation of the National Lakeshores and then National Recreation Areas. Since its inception in 1916, the National Park Service has managed each of the United States national parks, Yellowstone National Park was the first national park in the United States. In 1872, there was no government to manage it. Yosemite National Park began as a park, the land for the park was donated by the federal government to the state of California in 1864 for perpetual conservation. Yosemite was later returned to federal ownership, at first, each national park was managed independently, with varying degrees of success. In Yellowstone, the staff was replaced by the U. S. Army in 1886. Due to the irregularities in managing these national treasures, Stephen Mather petitioned the government to improve the situation. In response, Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane challenged him to lobby for creating a new agency, Mather was successful with the ratification of the National Park Service Organic Act in 1916. Later, the agency was given authority over other protected areas, the National Park System includes all properties managed by the National Park Service
Norwalk Transit District: Route 7 Link
Media related to Cannondale (Metro-North station) at Wikimedia Commons