#nps102

[thehistorygirlnj]

Between 1540 and 1542, Francisco Vázquez de Coronado led 339 European soldiers and hundreds of Aztec allies on a journey through arid deserts and rugged mountains, inspired by tales of vast cities of gold. Coronado and his men were also on a mission to spread the word of God and expand the realm of Spain in the new world. Coronado had hoped to reach the Cities of Cíbola, often referred to now as the mythical Seven Cities of Gold. While no cities of gold were found, his expedition marked the first organized expedition into the Southwest and European sightings of the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River, among other landmarks. His expedition went from Compostela, Mexico, into parts of #Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and up to present-day Kansas. @coronado_nps in Arizona was established in 1952 as a unit of the @nationalparkservice to interpret the Coronado Expedition. While there is no physical evidence of the expedition in the present memorial, the park offers a sweeping view of the San Pedro River (and surrounding valley) which is widely regarded as the corridor that the expedition used on their way north to the mythical Cíbola. #az #azhistory #SpreadTheHistory #historygirl #FindYourPark #travelblog #travelblogger #blog #blogger #exploreaz #history #nationalparkservice #goparks #nps #nps102 #nationalparkgeek #explore #nationalpark #wnpa1938 #optoutside #coronado #coronadoexpedition #coronadonationalmemorial #cibola #citiesofgold #nature #mountains #desert (at Coronado National Memorial) https://www.instagram.com/p/B7e9GZEnnNp/?igshid=92z0sq5ky8b4

[mountrainiernps]

Mount Rainier is a high profile (literally!) national park. However, to celebrate the 102nd founding of the National Park Service, why not discover some of the lesser-known parks near you? The National Park Service is so much more than a collection of inspiring landscapes. Across the country in a city near you, there are NPS and partner-managed historical and cultural sites important to the understanding of our shared identity, while community-based programs support close-to-home recreation and conservation. Increasing awareness of all national parks and of the National Park Service's work in communities is important as it removes barriers to access and ensures the future stewardship of inspiring landscapes such as Mount Rainier.

Find a park near you: https://www.nps.gov/state/wa/index.htm #FindYourPark #NPS102

USGS/Ed Ruttledge Photo ~kl

[npsparkclp]

The Founding of a Preservation Agency

Did you celebrate the 102nd birthday of the National Park Service this weekend?

While the NPS mission continues to reflect the founding ideals expressed in the Organic Act (signed August 25, 1916), the agency has changed and developed over the past century to become what we know it as today.

For a new view of our now familiar parks and landscapes, we asked: 

How did the NPS role in historic preservation take shape?

Looking for another reason to celebrate? The 50th anniversary of the National Trails & Wild and Scenic Rivers Systems is just ahead in October! 

[furryalligator]

#Repost @statueellisnps: When we think about #immigrants coming through Ellis Island an image that mostly comes to mind is that of Europeans.⠀ But what you may not know is that out of the 12 million immigrants processed about 140,000 black immigrants, mostly from the Caribbean, walked through our doors. ⠀ ⠀ #nps102 #nationalpark #blackhistorymonth #blackimmigrants #blackhistoryisamericanhistory

[thehistorygirlnj]

The last stop this past weekend was Springfield Armory National Historic Site in Springfield, #Massachusetts. It was the primary center for the manufacture of United States military firearms from 1794 until its closing in 1968. The main arsenal building, where the museum is located today, was constructed between 1847 and 1850. This massive brick building served as a storage facility for the weapons manufactured at the armory. This building is so iconic that the City of Springfield incorporated it into seal when it became a city in 1852. The museum houses the world's largest collection of American military firearms, which began as a technical reference library for armory engineers. Other original buildings at the Springfield Armory campus are now home to Springfield Technical Community College. Twenty acres of the 55-acre site remained with the National Park Service for historic preservation. The other building on the @NationalParkService property is Officer's Quarters 1, which was built in 1847 and was home to Armory commanding officers and their families through 1967. Springfield Armory became a unit of the National Park Service on October 26, 1974. This trip was sponsored in part by @mmbuilds. #ma #mahistory #SpreadTheHistory #nps #nps102 #goparks #nationalpark #nationalparks #nationalparkservice #goparks #americanhistory #nationalparkgeek #travelblog #travelblogger #explore #blog #blogger #exploremassachusetts #architecture #archi_ologie #smallparksaturday #findyourpark #springfield #springfieldma #armory #springfieldarmorynationalhistoricsite #newengland #visitMA (at Springfield Armory National Historic Site) https://www.instagram.com/p/B04etcjn2N_/?igshid=1axqu61ia9oam

[thehistorygirlnj]

Happy #BookLoversDay! This is a picture of the over 800 books in the library at @marshbillingsnps in Woodstock, #Vermont. George Perkins Marsh, who loved to read, left behind a collection of 11,000 #books, which found their way to the University of Vermont through Frederick Billings, who came to own the family property and the home. What are some of your favorite titles? This trip to Vermont was sponsored in part by @mmbuilds. #vt #vthistory #SpreadTheHistory #nps #nps102 #goparks #nationalpark #nationalparks #nationalparkservice #goparks #americanhistory #nationalparkgeek #travelblog #travelblogger #explore #blog #blogger #exploregeorgia #architecture #smallparksaturday #marshbillingsrockefellernationalhistoricalpark #findyourpark #woodstockvt #woodstock #shelfie #bookshelves (at Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/B09mb7nHabq/?igshid=piqxwbpaywl9

[thehistorygirlnj]

Are you looking for a day trip this summer outside of New Jersey that also involves a president of the United States? Pack up the car and head to @martinvanburennps in Kinderhook, #NewYork. Linenwald, as the home was called during Van Buren's occupancy, was constructed in 1797 by Judge Peter Van Ness on the Albany Post Road, which connected New York City to Albany (part of the original alignment is within the site). Van Buren, who was born and grew up in Kinderhook, purchased the home in 1839. Van Buren, our eighth president, was our country's first president born under the U.S. flag and served from March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1841. He had previously served as a NY State Senator, U.S. Senator, Governor of New York, and U.S. vice president under Andrew Jackson. In 1849, when his son Smith moved to the estate to help manage it, many alterations were made to the original home, prepared by architect Richard Upjohn. The alterations included a kitchen in the basement, running water, a furnace, more rooms for Smith's growing family, and a four story tower. During the project, the red brick home was painted yellow. Van Buren lived at the estate until his death in 1862. Over the next 100 years it served as a private residence, tea house, nursing home, and antiques shop. In 1974, Congress designated the site a National Historic Site. Not too far away from Lindenwald is his grave. #ny #nyhistory #SpreadTheHistory #historygirl #nationalpark #nps102 #history #goparks #ushistory #americanhistory #nationalparkgeek #travelblog #travelblogger #explore #blog #blogger #beautiful #architecture #archi_ologie #oldhouselove #kinderhookny #kinderhook #potus #vanburen #lindenwald #exploreny #adventureny #iloveny #nationalparkservice (at Martin Van Buren National Historic Site) https://www.instagram.com/p/BzMZVjEHVmO/?igshid=brgq7yyly2xr

[thehistorygirlnj]

#waterfallwednesday Raymondskill Falls is a series of three cascading waterfalls located on Raymondskill Creek on the #Pennsylvania side of the @delwatergapnps. The three tiers of Raymondskill Falls have a combined height of approximately 150 feet, making it the tallest waterfall in Pennsylvania. If you add the drops from each tier together, the waterfall is only a few feet shorter than Niagara Falls! This photo shows you the upper and middle tiers of the #waterfall, which are separated by a pool of water before it goes to the the lower tier, which is not accessible via a trail. #pa #pahistory #SpreadTheHistory #nps #nps102 #goparks #nationalpark #nationalparks #nationalparkservice #goparks #americanhistory #nationalparkgeek #travelblog #travelblogger #explore #blog #blogger #FYPyes #paspots #delawarewatergap #explorepa #OptOutside #FindYourPark #mydwgnra #smallparksaturday #raymondskillfalls (at Raymondskill Falls) https://www.instagram.com/p/By6Ug3pHbKD/?igshid=18gllp7h362fi