This is the twenty-first Diary in my Expanding the National Parks series. For those of you interested in reading my previous diaries,
Links to them Are below- In order
1.Alabama
http://www.dailykos.com/...
2 Alaska
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3 Arizona
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4 Arkansas
http://www.dailykos.com/...
5 California
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6 Colorado
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7 Connecticut
http://www.dailykos.com/...
8 Delaware
http://www.dailykos.com/...
9 Florida
http://www.dailykos.com/...
10 Georgia
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11 Hawaii
http://www.dailykos.com/...
12 Idaho
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13 Illinois
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14 Indiana
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15 Iowa
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16 Kansas
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17 Kentucky
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18 Louisiana
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19 Maine
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20 Maryland
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The next state in the series is Massachusetts. Massachusetts is a small state, covering 7800 sq miles in land area. 1.9% of the states is federally owned, putting it in a tie for 39th nationally, along with Texas, which is about 27 times bigger. Massachusetts has 11 wildlife refuges and 16 historic sites and other NPS Units . I will Be proposing giving Massachusetts its first national monuments
The next state in the series is Massachusetts. Massachusetts is a small state, covering 7800 sq miles in land area. 1.9% of the state is federally owned, putting it in a tie for 39th nationally, along with Texas, which is about 27 times bigger. Massachusetts has 11 wildlife refuges and 16 historic sites and other NPS Units . I will Be proposing giving Massachusetts its first national monuments
Massachusetts
Total Area 10554 sq miles
Land Area-7 800 sq miles
Water Area 2 754 sq miles
Coastline 192 miles
Additional Monuments-3
ADDITIONAL MONUMENTS-3
* Massachusetts Coastal Estimated Area 150000 acres
http://massachusetts.surfrider.org/...
a map of Massachusetts' coastline is shown above
This monument would extend out 20 miles off of the coast, ranging from the borders with Rhode Island to New Hampshire, and would incorporate open space up to 10 miles inland as well as land on islands like Martha's Vinyard and Nantucket.
* Plymouth Rock Estimated area 500 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
the monument including the famous rock is shown above.
Currently part of a state park, Plymouth Rock is the reputed site of the Pilgrims first landing in America in 1620, and served as a rallying cry for the Revolution. It has been moved several times, and broke in half in the process of being moved to the town square in 1774. the colonel overseeing the moving took it as a sign from God that the colonies should split from England. He took half the stone with him, and the other half was left at the harbor. Over the years pieces were chipped from the rock as tokens , souvenirs and as building material for homes and monuments. Finally in 1880 the two halves were rejoined, and in 1920 Plymouth Rock became part of Pilgrim Memorial Park to honor the 300th anniversary of the Pilgrims landing. A proposal to designate Plymouth Rock as a National Memorial was made in 1969, but did not pass Congress. Declaring it as a monument would pay rightful tribute to its importance in our country's founding and highlight the role it has played in our country's history.
* Salem Witches Estimated area 2000 acres
https://sp.yimg.com/...
A Sign for the Salem Witch Memorial is Shown here
This monument would incorporate all sites associated with the Salem Witch Trials, including existing memorials. The Trials are infamous throughout American history, for the executions of 20 innocent people in 1692 for witchcraft, based on superstition, hysteria and a lack of due process for the accused. The trials themselves were not held solely in Salem (Which is now part of Davers), they were also held in Salem Town, Ipswitch and Andover. after the trials were finally stopped in 1693, it took many years for the victims to be posthumously cleared and compensation granted to their families, it wasn't until 2001 that the last victims were finally cleared by Governor Jane Swift. a monument would serve a reminder against hysteria, paranoia and religious extremism, and why we have laws assuming the presumption of innocence.
EXISTING AREAS
WILDLIFE REFUGES-11
* Assabet River Established 2005 Covers 2230 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
Puffer Pond, part of Assabet WR, is shown above
Massachusetts newest Refuge, the land is split into two sections by Hudson Road, with the larger northern section being bordered by the namesake river. The Area was part of the Fort Devens-Sudbury Training Annex, which was a world War II-era depot for railroad shipping, the bunkers from that era-50 of them- still exist today. the areas was a a ordinance testing facility and laboratory disposal area, and the resulting pollution got so bad that the areas was designated a Superfund clean-up site in 1990. after years of cleanup(removal of asbestos, pesticides and other chemicals) it was turned over the FWS in 2000. Assabet is part of the Eastern Massachusetts WR Complex, one of eight refuges in the complex.
* Great Meadows Established 1944 Covers 3800 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
A view of the Great Meadows refuge from the Concord River
The third-largest refuge in the state at 3800 acres in size( Only Parker River and Monomy are bigger), Great Meadows was set aside during World War II, and was expanded by purchases in the 1960s which included the Sudbury Unit of the Refuge.
* Mashpee Established 1995 Covers 342 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
An image of the refuge is shown above.
Set aside in 1995 in order to preserve habitat for wildlife in the Waquoit Bay area, Mashpee is named after one of the towns in which the refuge resides (Mashpee and Falmouth). The refuge currently covers 335 acres but will expand eventually to over 5700 acres making it the second biggest refuge in the state. currently the refuge is closed to visitors until the FWS can complete a Comprehensive Conservation Plan or CCP.
* Massasoit Established 1983 Covers 195 acres
http://www.fws.gov/...
An image of the Northern red-bellied cooter turtle is shown above
Set Aside to Conserve habitat for the Red-bellied cooter turtle, which is federally endangered, the refuge is split into two sections, Crooked Pond and Island pond, and is located near the town of Plymouth. To protect the turtle, the refuge is closed to the public.
* Monomoy Established 1944 Covers 7604 acres
http://www.fws.gov/...
A lighthouse appears in this view of the Monomoy Refuge
Once Home to Monomoy Island Gunnery range, the area became a refuge in 1951 and is currently the largest refuge in the state, at over 7600 acres. 97% of the land area of Monomay is wilderness, the only such wilderness in the state.
*Nantucket Established 1975 Covers 24 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
an adult term passes food to a young term in the above photo
Located on the tip of Nantucket Island, Nantucket WR is the second-smallest in the state. part of the Eastern Massachusetts WR Complex, the refuge is unstaffed but sees hundreds of visitors each year who come for the beaches and wildlife.
* Nomans Land Established 1975 Covers 640 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
a photograph of the island taken in 1995 by the USGS
Originally called Marthas Vineyard when first sighted in 1602, the island was renamed Nomans Land after a Native American who owned the island called Tequenoman.Used as airfield by the Navy in World War II and as a bombing range until 1996, the island was transferred to the FWS as a refuge after extensive cleanup of ordinance. since ordinance likely still remains on the island, the island is closed to the public for safety reasons.
* Oxbow Established 1974 Covers 1667 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
The Nashua river, which flows through the refuge, is show above
Created from three land transfers from Fort Devens starting in 1974, the refuge stretches through four towns (Ayer,Harvard, Lancaster and Shirley) and borders the Nashua River for 8 miles. The portion of the refuge above Route 2 in Lancaster is closed to the public, but the rest is open to hikiing and hunting.
*Parker River Established 1942 Covers 4662 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
a view of the dunes from the center of the refuge
The Second largest refuge entirely in the state, Park Rivers consists of most of Plum Island and various parts of onshore land. located on the northeast coast of the state and bordering the Atlantic,the refuge is named after the river that empties into it. A CCP is being prepared to manage the refuge for the next 15 years, which will likely include expansion of the refuge. currently 300 species inhabit the refuge including the federally endangered pipping plover.
* Silvio O Conte Established 1997 Covers 31216 acres (In CT, MA, NH and VT)
http://www.fws.gov/...
The Connecticut River, part of the refuge, is shown above
One Of 2 refuges that spans 4 states, Silvio O Conte currently covers over 36000 acres, most of which lie in Vermont and Connecticut,the refuge covers nearly 1000 acres in Massachusetts, split into several small units. The refuge covers portions of the Connecticut River watershed, which covers 7.2 million acres in all. a CCP is being created for the refuge which will likely result in the refuge being expanded further.
* Thacher Island Established 1972 Covers 22 acres
http://www.fws.gov/...
One of two lighthouses on Thacher Island is shown above.
the smallest refuge in the state, Thacher covers about a third of Thacher island and is managed by Parker River WR and is home to terns and Great black-backed gulls, among various birds who make their nests on the island. the lighthouses are available for tours but the FWs does have any interpretative sites on the island.
HISTORIC SITES AND OTHER NPS UNITS-16
* Adams NHP Established 1946 Covers 14 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
the house where John Adams, 2nd President of the US, was born, is shown above.
the park preserves 11 buildings including the Homes of President Adam and his son President John Quincy Adams and well as famed historian Henry Adams. the site was first preserved as an historic site in 1946 as Adams Mansion NHS, then over several years the other buildings were added until the entire system was re-designated as an historic park in 1998. Over 250000 people visited the park in 2009.
* Boston NHS Established 1974 Covers 43 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
the former visitor center to Boston NHP is shown above
Composed of 8 sites, including Bunker Hill and the Old State House where the Boston massacre took place in 1770, the park preserves important sites connected with the Revolution. the sites are connected via Freedom Trail which winds throuugh the city. in 2011 more than 2.5 visitors visited the park.
* Boston African American NHS Established 1980 Covers 0.2 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
African Meeting House in Boston is shown above
Designated by President Carter to honor African American contributions to our country's history, the NHS consists of the African Meeting House which was first established in 1806 as a church, and later served as the home of the New England Anti-Slavery Society, which was founded by William Lloyd Garrison the famous abolitionist, as well as 14 other pre-Civil War structure in Boston beacon Hill neighborhood which housed many of Bostons blacks during the 19th century. nearly 330000 people visited in 2011
* Boston Harbor Islands NRA Established 1996 Covers 1482 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
A map of the NRA is shown above
The NRA consists of 34 islands and other pieces of land around Boston Harbors. 13 of the islands are included in a state park. While many of the islands are open to the public, others are bird sanctuaries. the Park Service manages the islands in cooperation with the Boston Harbor Islands partnership which inclludes state , city, local, and private agencies.
* Cape Cod NS Established 1961 Covers 43607 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
a map of Cape Cod is Shown above
The largest protected onshore area in the state, Cape Cod was set aside during President Kennedy's Administration. Nearly 4.5 million people visited the seashore in 2011, and efforts to restore the Herring River portion of the Seashore has been proposed as part of the Park Services Centennial in 2016.
* Frederick Law Olmstead Established 1979 Covers 7 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
The home where Frederick Law Olmstead lived is shown above
Set aside to preserve the home of Frederick Law Olmstead, who is regarded as the father of landscape architecture and created many of the famous park landscapes in the country, including Central Park in New York City, the grounds of the US Capitol and White House, and Acadia and Great Smoky Mountains national parks. The Olmsteads where strong suppporters of the Park Service which now operates the home as part of the Site, which has been restore to a 1930s-era appearance looking like it did when the Olmsteads live in the house. Nearly 3000 people visited the site in 2005.
*John Fitzgerald Kennedy NHS Established 1967 Covers 0.1 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
the birthplace of the 35th president is shown above
Set aside to commemorate President Kennedy after his assassination, the House has been restored to an appearance similar to how it looked in 1917,the year of Kennedy's birth. Rose Kennedy, the Presidents mother, bought the house, which was built in 1909, after his death and spent the greater part of 3 years restoring it to its former appearance. Nearly 8000 people visited the site in 2005.
* Longfellow House-Washington's Headquarters NHS Established 1972 Covers 2 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
the home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow is shown above
originally built in 1759 for a Loyalist named John Vasal, the house became a hospital and a temporary headquarters for Washington fron 1775 to 1776 during which time he uncovered that Dr Thomas Church a medical doctor (essentially the first Surgeon General) and a member of the House was passing information to the British, Church was expelled from the House and imprisoned until 1778 where he died en route to exile in Martinque. Longfellow moved into the House in 1837 as a boarder and bought the house in 1843 He l;ived in the house until his death in 1882. the House was declared a national landmark in 1962 and designated a historic site in 1972. Several replicas of the house were built across the country, surviving examples including Longfellow House (a 2-3rds scale replica)in Minneapolis MN, and a full scale replica in Great Barrington, MA.
* Lowell NHP Established 1978 Covers 141 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
Boott Mill, part of the historic site is shown above.
Set aside to preserve sites connected with Lowells history of textile manufactures as part of the Industrial Revolution. Lowell was a response to textile mils in England which were often cramped and dirty, Lowell originally had lot of open spaces and dormitories for its workers that were clean. after 100 years of manufacturing the industry began to rapidly decline in New England after world War II and many of the buildings were abandoned. Efforts to preserve the buildings and sites paid off in 1978 when the area was designated an historic park. Lowell was selected as Massachusetts' representative in the National Park quarters collection, it will be the first quarter released in 2019.
* Minute Man NHP Established 1959 Covers 967 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
a statue commemorates the first battle of the Revolutionary War
The Park protects the site of the first battle of the Revolution in Lexington and Concord Massachusetts, it includes the North Bridge, site of the "Shot Heard Round the World" as well as the Wayside house, home to Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott. 1 million people visited the site in 2011.
* New Bedford Whaling NHP Established 1996 Covers 34 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
The visitor center to the park is shown above
Set aside to commemorate New Bedford's History as a whaling port during the 19th century, the park is actually a collaboration between New Bedford and the Park Service as well as private owners. and affiliation with Barrow, Alaska's Inupiat Heritage Center commemorates more than 2000 voyages to the Western Arctic made by whaling ships made in New Bedford. Over 270000 people visited the parkin 2011.
* Salem Maritime NHS Established 1938 Covers 9 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
The Derby house one of the sites protected by the Salem Maritime NHS, is shown above
The first Historic site in the system, Salem Maritime was created in 1938, under President Franklin Roosevelt. the site depicts the history of trade in Salem ranging from the colonial era, the Revolution and post independence. Over 750000 people visited the site in 2012.
* Saugas Iron Works NHS Established 1968 Covers 9 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
A Forge and mil at the Iron works is shown above.
the site of the first integrated ironworks in North America, Saugas was founded by John Winthrop the Younger and operated between 1646-1670. After it closed the site fell into disuse and became covered by brush and the location of the iron works was lost until the 1940s when it was uncovered by excavations by Roland W Robbins who had previously discovered the location of Henry David Thoreau's cabin on Walden Pond in Massachusetts. Over 5000 artifacts, including a waterwheel and an iron hammer weighing 500 pounds, were uncovered. the Iron Works opened to the public in 1954 and operated as a private museum until it was bought by the Park Service and turned into an historic site in 1968.11000 people visited the site in 2006.
* Springfield Armory NHS Established 1978 Covers 20 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
a 19th century depiction of the Armory is shown above.
created from land formerly occupied by the Springfield Armory, the site contains the worlds largest collection of historic American military firearms. the Armory produced weapons for the military from 1777 until 1968 when it closed, its weapons saw action in every war the US fought during that period including Vietnam. After its closure portions of the lands were sold off including the Water Shops Armory, but 20 acres was preserved as an historic site and 35 acres are use to house Springfield Technical Community College.
* Stellwagen Bank NMS Established 1992 Covers 538880 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
A group of Humpbacks feed in the Banks in the Above picture
The only marine sanctuary in the state, Stellwagen Bank covers over 800 sq miles ranging from near Cape Cod to Cape Ann in Massachusetts Bay. the sanctuary is home is five species of seals and many species of whales, including humpbacks. the sanctuary is named after Lieutenant Commander Henry Stellwagen , who discovered that the bank was one large bank instead of two small banks as was believed previously. the Navy named the bank after him in 1855 and Congress declared the area a marine sanctuary in 1992.
* Waquoit Bay ERR Established 1988 Covers 2700 acres
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
an image of Waquoit Bay is seen above
Located to the south of cape Cod, the ERR protects a number of sites, including saltwater and fresh water ponds, pine woods and Waquiot Bay itself. the Reserve is manged by NOAA and the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation
And this wraps up my journey through Massachusetts. Next Time I'll be in Michigan, sampling cereal at Battle Creek, and enjoying the scenery in the Upper Peninsula. As always, comments feedback and input are welcome.