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JULY 7, 2010

POSTAL SERVICEPAST AND PRESENT

NEW YORK’SNIAGARA FALLS

HAMMERIN’ HANKCHASES THE BABE

AMERICANPATRIOT

POSTAL SERVICEPAST AND FUTURE

4 6NEW YORK’SNIAGARA FALLS

8HAMMERIN’ HANKCATCHES THE BABE

THIS WEEKIN AMERICANHISTORY

QUOTE OFTHE WEEK

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HURRAY FORHOLLYWOOD (SIGN) 12

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4 AMERICAN PATRIOT

POSTAL SERVICE PAST AND FUTURE

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AMERICAN PATRIOT 5

Almost immediately, the Post Office began toexpand, accelerated by the Louisiana Purchasein 1803. Increasing from the original 75 postoffices, by 1823 there were 84,860 post officesacross 22 states. Postal employees accountedfor 76% of the civilian federal workforce. Postalroutes became quicker and more roads werebuilt in order to deliver mail to rural areas moreeasily. Steamboats became incorporated intothe mail routes. When mail was not getting tothe Pacific Coast fast enough, the Pony Expresswas introduced, and then soon eclipsed by traindelivery. By the early twentieth century, the PostOffice added airmail delivery and had securedstate-of-the-art transportation to deliver mailfurther and faster.

A few facts you may not know. The first postagestamp was sold on July 1, 1847 in New York. Ithad a picture of Benjamin Franklin with someadhesive tape on the back. The stamp cost 5cents and clerks cut it out by hand. Until 1856,only George Washington and Benjamin Franklinwere featured on the stamp. Two presidentshave served as Postmasters Generals: AbrahamLincoln and Harry Truman. Lincoln made $55.70annually for his job, but his small salary wassupplement by free mail service and a free

daily newspapers. The mail only arrived once aweek, and if the addressee did not collect it,Lincoln would hand deliver it. Other famouspostal workers have included William Faulkner,Walt Disney, Bing Crosby, and Charles Lindbergh.

The late twentieth century has been less glori-ous. The U.S. Postal Service has morphed intoa quasi-public organization, privately operatedthough still backed by the government. It is underincreasing pressure to consolidate offices andshrink from its current 650,000-plus workers,as the internet and successful private competi-tors like UPS and FedEx eat away at volumeand profit. In response, the service has producedVision 2013, an internal plan for the future: acommitment to strengthen core operations andservices, and to balance an urgent need to re-duce costs with continued investment in newtechnology and strategies. States the PostalService: “We will be guided by one principle: weexist to serve our customers. This vision is ourcommitment to ensuring a vital Postal Servicefor future generations.”

From the very beginning, startingwith theContinental Congress, it was clearthat an effective postal system would be imperative for the functioning ofthe United States. Having designed a postal system for the colonies asearly as 1775, Benjamin Franklin was appointed the first United StatesPostmaster General. And when the Constitution was drafted in 1788, thePost Office was incorporated directly into Article I in recognition of itsimportance to growth and stability.

LEARN MORE AT THENATIONAL POSTAL MUSEUM

DOWNLOAD VISION 2013

6 AMERICAN PATRIOT

NEW YORK’SNIAGARA FALLS

From whatever vantage point you look,

Niagara Falls is majestic. Water from Niag-

ara Falls drops 176 feet into Lake Ontario.

Between April and October, 100,000 cu ft/

sec of water flow over the falls, and during

the other half of the year, 50,000 cu ft/sec

of water flow. Some of this raw power is

now diverted to hydroelectric power gen-

erating stations for sustainable energy; not

to worry, this does not detract from the

view! Due to the massive amounts of water,

the Falls does not freeze during the winter;

however the flow did once stop in 1848

when an ice jam completely blocked the

Niagara River.

Canada has done a wonderful job of making

its side of the Falls appealing. But don’t

forget the New York side where Niagara

Falls State Park was established in 1885.

The state park was designed by Fredrick

Law Olmstead, who also designed New York

City’s Central Park. There you can see how

the Falls were formed and explore natural

features such as ecology, geology, and wild-

life. A Discovery Center features fossils

and minerals, a multi-screen theatre recre-

ates the history of the Falls, and there is a

breaktaking observation tower. Other attrac-

tions accessible from the New York side:

Rainbow Bridge, Cave of the Winds, Goat

Island and Prospect Point.

Visitors also learn of Niagara Falls’ magnetic

attraction to the most daring of daredevils.

There is a long tradition of thrill-seekers

attempting to conquer the Falls. In 1826,

Sam Patch was the first to jump from a high

tower into the gorge and survive. Following

Sam, Annie Taylor began the tradition of

attempting the Falls in a barrel. She sur-

vived. As recently as October 2003, Kirk

Jones jumped just wearing just the clothes

on his back and survived. For visitors who

are not interested in plunging into the

water, the Maid of the Mist, which visits

the New York side, is a popular boat tour

that gives adventurers an intimate but dry

look at the Falls.

AMERICAN PATRIOT 7

Niagara Falls is often associated with Canada and it is common to forgetthat it also falls onto the U.S. side of the border. In fact, New York Statehouses the beautiful Niagara Falls State Park andmany other attractionswhere you can be awed by the waterfall and join in the fun.

CLICK HERE TO EXPLORE THENIAGRA FALLS VISITORS CENTER

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AVIDEO ABOUT THE U.S.SIDE OF NIAGARA FALLS

www.lawdepot.com

ONLY YOU CAN PR E VE N T W I L D FIRE S.w w w. s m o k e y b e a r. c o m

The most dangerous animals in the forestdon’t live there.The most dangerous animals in the forestdon’t live there.

8 AMERICAN PATRIOT

AMERICAN PATRIOT 9

Born February 5, 1934 inMobile AL, “Hammerin’

Hank” always believed he was destined to sports

greatness. Aaron played baseball and football in

high school; his excellence in football earned him

several athletic scholarships, but he chose to

focus on baseball. At age 15, Aaron had a tryout

with the Brooklyn Dodgers, an impressive feat for

such a young player; although he did not make

the team, he impressed as a powerful hitter.

After high school, Aaron spent a few years in the

minor leagues. In March 1954, he got his big

break. The Milwaukee Braves’ left fielder frac-

tured an ankle, and the next day Aaron became

left fielder forthe club. He was a decent player

in his first year, but his career took off the next

year when he made the All-Star team. In 1957,

his hitting average was .393, and he helped the

Braves win the World Series. He got better and

better with time, and in 1970 Aaron got his

3,000th career hit against the Cincinnati Reds.

Racial tensions ran high as Aaron approached

Ruth’s record; some people where threatened

by a black man challenging the legend of the

Babe and the most sacred record in the books.

A modest player, Aaron downplayed his impend-

ing approach to his record breaking homerun;

nonetheless he received an estimate of 3,000 let-

ters a day filled with racist comments. He deter-

minedly pursued the record and began to speak

out against the racism in the national pastime.

Aaron retired in 1976. He finished off his career

with a remarkable 3,771 career hits, 755 home-

runs and a record 24 All Star Game appearances.

His homerun record was not broken until 2007

when the controversial Barry Bonds surpassed it.

Aaron was elected into the Hall of Fame in 1982.

His talent and grace under pressure won him

nationwide respect. He has served as an execu-

tive ofMajor League Baseball, and as a spokesper-

son for the game and positive social causes.

In 1974, Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s legendary lifetime homerun record.Aaron hit his 715th homerun in the fourth inning against the Los AngelesDodgers. Al Downing was the pitcher and Aaron’s ball flew into the Braves’bullpen where relief pitcher Tom House caught it. A record attendance of53,775 Braves fans cheered and, as Aaron ran around the bases, his motherdashed onto the field to join in the victory lap.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH AARON HIT HOMERUN NUMBER 715

HAMMERIN’ HANKCATCHES THE BABE

10 AMERICAN PATRIOT

Harvey Wilcox, founder of the California town,

often took advice from his wife, but her most

lasting suggestion was the name “Hollywood.”

Mrs. Wilcox had heard a woman on the train

calling her summer house, “Hollywood,” and

was intrigued by the sound. In 1907, the first

film crew moved out to the town in search of

good weather. Hearing that California was the

place to film, companies began relocating

from the East Coast to the sunny beaches.

By 1915, Hollywood had become the epi-

center for the movie industry. Film was be-

coming an integral part of American culture;

almost 40 million Americans were going to

the movies each week. Hopeful actors and

directors flocked to Hollywood creating a suave

and glamorous atmosphere with nightclubs,

restaurants, and bars. Hollywood represented a

glamorous lifestyle and the image never died.

HURRAY FOR HOLLYWOOD (SIGN)

Like the Statue of Liberty or the Golden Gate Bridge, the HollywoodSign has become a representation of the United States around theworld. Movies, music videos, and TV shows often feature it as an inspi-rational symbol for the American dream, but what is the actual historybehind the sign?

AMERICAN PATRIOT 11

CLICK HERE TO VIEW A WEBCAM LOOK AT THE SIGN FROM TWO PERSPECTIVES

In 1923, Harry Chandler commissioned the

“Hollywoodland Sign.” It was intended to ad-

vertise his upscale real estate development

and was just meant to be left up for a year.

The sign cost a then-unprecedented $21,000

to build. Each of the 13 letters was 30 feet

wide and 50 feet tall. Construction workers

had to drag metal squares that make up the

sign up Mt. Lee along dirt paths. When con-

structed, the sign featured 4,000 twenty watt

bulbs; the sign would blink “Holly” then

“wood” into the night sky.

Beyond Chandler’s imagination, the sign be-

came one of the best known in the world and

an integral part of the popular culture. In

1949, the “land” was removed so that the

sign just read “Hollywood” and stood for the

entire region. Then in 1978, after years of

decay, the sign had a rebirth. With help from

famous donors like Gene Autry, Alice Cooper,

and AndyWilliams, the old sign was taken down

and replaced. The new sign was created using

194 tons of concrete, enamel, and steel.

Today, it remains a global pop culture icon.

12 AMERICAN PATRIOT

CHRYSLER’SQUEST

Using a steel frame and cladding the outside

with metal, Van Alen created an architectural

beauty. The intricate design on top was inspired

by automobile patterns used on Chrysler cars. On

the corners of the sixty-first floor stand eagles

that are replicas of the 1929 Chrysler hood orna-

ments while on the thirty-first floor are represen-

tations of the Chrysler automobile radiator caps.

Chrysler was a competitive man and his building

was being constructed at the height of the race

to build the world’s tallest skyscraper. Van Alen

hid the spire, 185 feet tall and specifically re-

quested by Chrysler, inside the building until the

very end of the project. On October 23, 1929,

the lower part of the spire was hoisted to the top

of the building. After the bottom section was

secured, the rest of the spire was hoisted up and

erected in just ninety minutes. Standing at 1,046

feet tall, the Chrysler Building was the world’s

tallest building — for seven months — beating

out the Eiffel Tower. It reigned until the Empire

State Building was completed. Currently, the

Chrysler Building is still in the top ten in the U.S.

Despite Van Alen’s success, he was never paid

for his work on the building. Chrysler refused to

pay the architect because he believed the man

was involved in shifty financial dealings with

the building’s contractors. In his autobiography,

Chrysler left out Van Alen’s involvement in the

building. The architect was largely dismissed

from the public eye until after Chrysler’s death

when The New York Times reintroduced him to

posterity. The building has grown to be a favorite

in New York City. The Art Deco design appeals

to each new generation of New Yorker.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW AERIALSHOTS OF THE CHRYSLERBUILDING AT SUNSET

The Chrysler Building towers over midtown Manhattan. Commissionedby William P. Chrysler and designed by William Van Alen between 1928and 1930, the building is the ultimate Art Deco skyscraper.

AMERICAN PATRIOT 13

QUOTE OFTHE WEEK

“Other lands have their vitality in a few, a class,but we have it in the bulk of our people.”

—WALT WHITMANPOET, ESSAYIST, JOURNALIST, AND HUMANIST

14 AMERICAN PATRIOT

THIS WEEK INAMERICAN HISTORY

AMERICAN PATRIOT 15

1930.Construction of the Hoover Dam began. It took five years and 21,000men to build the largest dam of its time. Erected in Boulder Canyon,Colorado, the dam provided flood control and spread water fromthe Colorado River to the Southwest for irrigation and to SouthernCalifornia for water to drink.

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