Golden Gate Park
In 2006, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom made Golden Gate Park officially car-free
on summertime weekends. According to the citys own report, recreational attendance at
the park has doubled and tripled on these healthy weekends. More than twelve million
people had already been visiting in a typical year.
Golden Gate Park is a rectangular strip of land slightly larger than New York Citys
Central Park; its 3 miles long and half a mile wide. The park was proposed in the late
1860s when San Franciscos rapid urban growth was leaving little green space. In 1868,
San Franciscos Board of Supervisors approved converting the citys Outside Lands
sand dunes along the seashore — into miles of lush green space. They hoped this would
provide a natural haven for city dwellers while drawing realty investment to the mostly
uninhabited western part of the city.
However, supervisors were presented with two obstacles: 1) squatters who were already
living on the dunes, and 2) the sandy soil and harsh ocean winds. After a long legal battle,
resistant squatters relinquished 10% of their claimed landholdings. This allowed the city
enough land to proceed with park development.
After these homesteaders turned the land over to the city, some people insisted that the
land was too salty, sandy, and windy for vegetation. A newspaper editorial smirked, A
blade of grass cannot be raised without four posts to keep it from blowing away.
Nevertheless, under the guidance of engineer William Ham Hall and Scottish-trained
gardener John McLaren, the citys workers persisted and vegetation took root. A
barricade was erected to block wind from Ocean Beach, and by 1879 about 150,000 trees
were helping to stabilize the dunes. These trees were mostly eucalyptus, pine, and
cypress. McLaren eventually diversified the park by collecting plants from almost every
country in the world. In 1903 two windmills were installed to help water the greenery.
Hollands Queen Wilhelmina later presented the park with a flower garden including
tulips from the Netherlands; her park is adjacent to one of the Dutch-style mills.
McLaren designed the park to look rustic, or as much like a natural woodlands as
possible. Gently winding roads allowed for carriages, pedestrians, and bikers to
comfortably enjoy the scenery. Nine lakes and ponds were scattered about for nature
lovers. Theres also wildlife to be seen throughout the park, from ducklings to a herd of
buffalo.
The commitment to a natural-looking park meant that buildings would be limited. A
conservatory was erected in 1877 and a music stand was completed five years later. A
few more structures came in 1894 when the park was showcased in Californias first
Midwinter Fair. This exposition and carnival was meant to boost tourism and the general
economy. Horse stables and a five-acre Japanese Tea Garden were constructed to impress
visitors.
The M. H. de Young art museum appeared by 1895; it later underwent quakeproofing and
other major renovations, and it re-opened in 2005. The top floor of the museum offers a
spectacular view of the city through all-glass walls. On a clear day, observers can see the
Golden Gate Bridge, the Marin headlands, Coit Tower, and surrounding residential
neighborhoods.
By 1886, a typical San Francisco weekend would include tens of thousands of people
traveling to the park by streetcar. Ever since then, Golden Gate Park has been a popular
destination for picnics, playgrounds, and strolls. A parking lot across from Sixth Avenue
is traditionally claimed by roller skaters with boom-boxes. The park also has many areas
reserved for sports as diverse as archery, fly-fishing, disc golf, and volleyball.
Golden Gate Park also has a tradition of large public gatherings, many of them free. The
1967 Summer of Love took place mainly in the park and the nearby Haight Ashbury
neighborhood. The Speedway Meadow has long been a popular concert venue, and
nowadays a large free bluegrass festival is held in the park every October.
The San Francisco Parks Trust offers free walking tours of Golden Gate Park year-round.
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Tag: Queen
The Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell
The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is a familiar symbol of independence,
freedom, and justice in America. Originally called the State House Bell, it was
commissioned in 1751 by colonial representatives. The bell has been tolled on important
days from the colonial era to modern times. After enduring cracks, repairs, and an
exciting hideout from the British, the bell is now on display. It is rung every Fourth of
July.
In 1751, three men representing the Pennsylvania Assembly wrote a letter to their
colonial agent in London. On the fiftieth anniversary of William Penns Charter of
Privileges, they requested a bell for Philadelphias State House steeple. The agent
arranged for casting at Londons Whitechapel foundry, and the bell was delivered in
1752.
The bell was met with much excitement. First of all, it weighed an impressive 2,080
pounds! More importantly, it was a solid, solemn symbol of what the Pennsylvania
Assembly hoped to uphold. William Penn had been especially progressive with religious
freedom, Native American rights, and democracy overall. The bell was inscribed with a
Biblical passage to capture this spirit: Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all
the inhabitants thereof.
However, early on the bell cracked! Historians disagree about the source of the fissure. In
any case, the London foundry set about casting another bell. Meanwhile, two
Philadelphia men (John Pass and John Stow) attempted to repair the one that had cracked.
They figured that the alloy had been too brittle, so they added more copper. This healed
the wound, but people disliked the bells new tone. (They were aiming for a pleasant E
note.) The men tried again, and their second attempt was hung in the State House in
1753. When the re-ordered British bell arrived, it was placed elsewhere in the State
House to sound the hours. Today, the State House is known as Independence Hall.
The State House bell was rung on many famous occasions in US history. It called the
Assembly together and summoned townspeople for special announcements. It tolled
when Benjamin Franklin headed for England to address colonists grievances; it tolled for
discussion of the Sugar Act in 1764 and again for the Stamp Act in 1765; and it rang
again for the First Continental Congress in 1774. The bell continued to signal important
events, and many events were deemed important during the Revolution. A group of
citizens who lived near the bell actually petitioned for less tolling, stating that they were
inconvenienced and stressed!
Suddenly, in 1777, the citys bells were all removed. The British would soon be
occupying Philadelphia, and surely theyd melt the bells for cannon fodder. The State
House bell and more than a dozen others were moved to Zions Reformed Church in
Allentown, Pennsylvania for safekeeping. They remained hidden beneath church
floorboards until after the occupation in 1778. After its reemergence, the bell continued
to sound for important events such as elections and the Fourth of July.
It was referred to as the Independence Bell or the Old Yankees Bell until 1837 when
abolitionists noted its relevance to slavery and freedom. The bells Leviticus inscription
can be interpreted as a call to end enslavement. For example, the entire passage from
Leviticus 25:10 includes, And ye shall proclaim liberty throughout the land and ye
shall return every man unto his family. Abolitionists adopted the bell as their symbol,
and since then its been known as the Liberty Bell.
By 1846, the Liberty Bell had developed a thin crack that was affecting its sound. It was
repaired in time for George Washingtons birthday that year, but when rung on his
birthday, it cracked severely. A replica Centennial Ball was given to the city in 1876.
The original bell is now on display in a new pavilion, the Liberty Bell Center. The
Centennial replica is hung in the steeple of Independence Hall, and a third bell the
Bicentennial Ball granted by Queen Elizabeth — hangs in a nearby tower. The original
bell is still rung, though gently, every July 4th. Young descendents of famous
revolutionaries are invited to tap the bell thirteen times in celebration of the original
thirteen states.
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The Empire State Building
The Empire State Building is a 102-story skyscraper located in New York City. It’s
named for New York, the “Empire State”. When the building opened in 1931, it was the
tallest building in the world! It was designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986.
The Empire State Building was erected as part of a worldwide race to build the tallest
structure. The United States previously held the record with the 555-foot Washington
Monument, but then France built the 984-foot Eiffel Tower in 1889. By the early 20th
century, architects across America tried to set new records.
The Metropolitan Life Tower signaled a start to the race in 1909; the building rose 700
feet and 50 stories. The 57-story Woolworth Building followed in 1913, and the 71-story
Bank of Manhattan was completed in 1929. (Of course, since this was the Depression,
there was ironically little demand for office space!)
Competition then intensified within New York State. Three skyscrapers were underway
simultaneously: the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and 40 Wall Street.
The Empire State Building’s rental manager, Hamilton Weber, described the architectural
contest:
We thought we would be the tallest at 80 stories. Then the
Chrysler went higher, so we lifted the Empire State to 85
stories, but only four feet taller than the Chrysler. Raskob
[the financer] was worried that Walter Chrysler would pull
a trick — like hiding a rod in the spire and then sticking it
up at the last minute.
The Empire State Building architects decided to affix something to the top of the building
for even more height. This led to a dirigible (blimp) docking station. However, the
docking station did not last long. The building itself created powerful updrafts that made
docking dangerous! The mooring devices are still in place, but the building’s current
height (1,453 feet) comes from a large broadcast antennae added in 1952.
The Empire State Building houses 85 stories of commercial and office space totaling
more than two million square feet. With 1,000 businesses inside, the building has its own
zip code! The top 16 stories comprise the art deco tower, with observatories located on
the 86th and 102nd floors. (High-powered binoculars are available for rent.) The
skyscraper has 72 elevators, 70 miles of piping, and 2.5 million feet of electrical wiring.
The entire building weighs an estimated 370,000 tons and cost $40 million to construct.
Colored floodlights were added to the building’s tower in 1964. These are used to mark
seasonal events like Christmas and tragedies like the World Trade Center attacks in 2001.
Following September 11, 2001, the floodlights were kept red, white, and blue for several
months. Blue lights were used on Frank Sinatra’s 80th birthday and when he died. (This
was a reference to his nickname, Ol’ Blue Eyes.) Sports events are also represented by
lights; for example, a combination of orange, blue, and white signifies a New York
Knicks home game. The Empire State Building was bathed in a royal purple to honor the
Golden Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II. This was a sign of thanks from the New York
Mayor Michael Bloomberg after the UK supported the United States in the aftermath of
September 11th. The floodlights first celebrated a Muslim holiday in 2007 with green
lights for Eid ul-Fitr, the end of Ramadan.
When the Empire State Building opened on May 1, 1931, it was the tallest building in the
world at 1,250 feet high. Towering over the corner of Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street,
it became an instant icon of New York City. The building remained the world’s tallest
until the World Trade Center’s North Tower was erected in 1972. The Sears Tower in
Chicago surpassed both in 1973. After the September 11th attacks in New York, the
Empire State Building once again became the tallest building in the state, and the second-
tallest in the country. The United Arab Emirates set the world record in 2007 while
building the Burj Dubai skyscraper.
Although “superskyscrapers” are now being constructed worldwide, the Empire State
Building made achievements that prompted the American Society of Civil Engineers to
name it one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.
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