1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:03,280 Speaker 1: Hey, y'all, We're rerunning two episodes today, which means you 2 00:00:03,400 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: might hear two hosts. Enjoy the show. Welcome to this 3 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: Day in History Class from how Stuff Works dot Com 4 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,680 Speaker 1: and from the desk of Stuff you Missed in History Class. 5 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: It's the show where we explore the past, one day 6 00:00:15,120 --> 00:00:17,160 Speaker 1: at a time with a quick look at what happened 7 00:00:17,200 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: today in history. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 8 00:00:24,200 --> 00:00:28,360 Speaker 1: Tracy V. Wilson, and it's September four. The Peak Skill 9 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: Riots ended on this day in nineteen forty nine. This 10 00:00:32,280 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: was a series of ongoing violence, but it had two 11 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: key moments, effectively two different riots that are connected together. 12 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,120 Speaker 1: The first one followed an open air concert that was 13 00:00:43,159 --> 00:00:47,440 Speaker 1: scheduled in Peak Skill, New York on August nine to 14 00:00:47,520 --> 00:00:50,960 Speaker 1: be there were Paul Robeson, Woody Guthrie, Lee Hayes, and Pizza. 15 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: Here they were raising money for the Civil Rights Congress. Actor, singer, 16 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: and activist Paul Robeson had really been out spoken on 17 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: the issue of racism and four civil rights and against fascism, 18 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:08,640 Speaker 1: and in the months leading up to this planned appearance, 19 00:01:08,680 --> 00:01:11,480 Speaker 1: he had made a statement at the Paris Peace Conference 20 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:15,240 Speaker 1: about being determined to fight for peace and not wishing 21 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:19,480 Speaker 1: to fight the Soviet Union. But what was reported as 22 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,360 Speaker 1: what he had said was something else entirely and something 23 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:25,039 Speaker 1: that is still attributed to him, which was quote, is 24 00:01:25,160 --> 00:01:29,520 Speaker 1: unthinkable that the Negro people of America or elsewhere would 25 00:01:29,560 --> 00:01:33,000 Speaker 1: be drawn into war with the Soviet Union. People took 26 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:37,120 Speaker 1: this statement to mean that Paul Robeson was pro Soviet 27 00:01:37,200 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 1: Union and that all black people were pro Soviet Union. 28 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:44,039 Speaker 1: It became a talking point that he was a communist 29 00:01:44,040 --> 00:01:46,760 Speaker 1: and that he was anti American, that he was loyal 30 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: to the U s s R. Even though he had 31 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: appeared in Peak Skill three summers in a row before 32 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: nineteen forty nine. This Paris Peace Conference statement and the 33 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: way it was reported really solidified and people minds that 34 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: this should not be allowed. Reporting in the Evening Star 35 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: in Peaks Ciel also made it clear that Robeson was 36 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,880 Speaker 1: to be considered a communist and a subversive. There was 37 00:02:11,919 --> 00:02:15,000 Speaker 1: a lot of press leading up to this appearance about 38 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:17,320 Speaker 1: how it should not be allowed to happen. So the 39 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:20,760 Speaker 1: night of the concert, a mob tried to block the area. 40 00:02:20,880 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: They yelled white supremacist slogans, they burned across and they 41 00:02:24,680 --> 00:02:26,760 Speaker 1: tried to set the picnic area at the park where 42 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: this is happening on fire. Meanwhile, the performance tried to 43 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 1: go on. The people in attendance were largely black and Jewish, 44 00:02:33,639 --> 00:02:36,160 Speaker 1: and people who were attending the concert linked their arms 45 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:38,240 Speaker 1: up to try to keep the mob away from the 46 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:42,600 Speaker 1: concert site. The police eventually arrived and dispersed everyone, and 47 00:02:42,639 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: there were no fatalities, but there were a lot of 48 00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: injuries and the concert had to be rescheduled for September four. 49 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:52,960 Speaker 1: Leading up to that rescheduled concert, the American Legion and 50 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:56,520 Speaker 1: the Veterans of Foreign Wars planned to protest. The Joint 51 00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,359 Speaker 1: Veterans Council held a meeting to discuss a plan for 52 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: what to do you, and organizations like the Chamber of 53 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:06,520 Speaker 1: Commerce and the j c's publicly issued statements opposing the 54 00:03:06,639 --> 00:03:11,240 Speaker 1: rescheduled concert. They were also labor and civil rights organization 55 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: on the other side who supported the performance and who 56 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: criticized the reporting in the Evening Star for stoking violence 57 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 1: and racist sentiments. Trade unions also made a plan to 58 00:03:22,560 --> 00:03:25,519 Speaker 1: try to defend the concert site, and the concert came 59 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:28,799 Speaker 1: on September four that started with classical music and then 60 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:33,000 Speaker 1: folk music by those original performers and Paul Robeson. After 61 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,440 Speaker 1: the concert, law enforcement routed the people who had been 62 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,080 Speaker 1: there down a back road where men and boys were 63 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: waiting to throw rocks and bricks at their cars. Cars 64 00:03:42,640 --> 00:03:47,000 Speaker 1: were overturned, windows were smashed. There were bus drivers who 65 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: fled the scene and left their passengers stranded in this melee. 66 00:03:51,320 --> 00:03:53,560 Speaker 1: Later on it was alleged that the Ku Klux Klan 67 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:56,080 Speaker 1: was involved with this. There was an active chapter of 68 00:03:56,120 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: the Ku Klux Klan near Peak Skill, and the police 69 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:05,360 Speaker 1: had coordinated with the assailants by radio. Racism, anti Semitism, 70 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: and anti communist sentiments were all tied up in this. 71 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:11,720 Speaker 1: This was a precursor to the Second Red Scare. At 72 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: Joseph McCarthy's investigation of Communist infiltration into the government in 73 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 1: nine fifty the U. S. State Department refused to renew 74 00:04:20,200 --> 00:04:23,480 Speaker 1: Robeson's passport so that he could no longer travel internationally 75 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:26,960 Speaker 1: for performances, and then he was blacklisted within the industry 76 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: for his views and for his civil rights work. He 77 00:04:30,200 --> 00:04:32,880 Speaker 1: died in nineteen seventy six of a stroke. Thanks to 78 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 1: Eve's Jeff Code for her research work today on this episode, 79 00:04:36,160 --> 00:04:38,600 Speaker 1: and thanks to Tari Harrison for her audio work on 80 00:04:38,640 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: this show. You can subscribe to the Stay in History 81 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: Class on Apple podcast, Google podcast, nor else to get 82 00:04:44,040 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 1: your podcast. And tomorrow we'll have a word with a 83 00:04:46,040 --> 00:04:48,679 Speaker 1: very clear meaning, but that meaning has shifted a lot 84 00:04:48,720 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 1: over the years. Hi, I'm Eve's and welcome to This 85 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: Day in History Class, a show that uncovers a little 86 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:16,159 Speaker 1: bit more about history every day. Yeah, the day was 87 00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: September four, two Pearl Street Station, the first commercial central 88 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:28,520 Speaker 1: power plant in the United States, started generating electricity. Building 89 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,360 Speaker 1: on the work of other inventors, Edison created an incandescent 90 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:38,040 Speaker 1: lighting system. He had already constructed experimental power installations. He 91 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,800 Speaker 1: used a dynamo now known as a generator to deliver 92 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:46,480 Speaker 1: power to each of these small installations, but incandescent lighting 93 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:50,159 Speaker 1: in homes and indoors was becoming more popular and a 94 00:05:50,240 --> 00:05:55,039 Speaker 1: substantial source of power was needed. In eighteen eighty, the 95 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,320 Speaker 1: same year he received the patent for his incandescent lamp, 96 00:05:58,800 --> 00:06:02,400 Speaker 1: Thomas Edison Estable was the Edison Electric Illuminating Company of 97 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: New York to build power stations in New York City. 98 00:06:07,200 --> 00:06:10,680 Speaker 1: Edison decided to build the first permanent central power stations 99 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 1: for supplying incandescent lighting in New York's Financial District in 100 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:20,400 Speaker 1: Lower Manhattan. Construction of the station began in one The 101 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 1: mechanical and electrical part of the plant was at two 102 00:06:23,240 --> 00:06:27,120 Speaker 1: fifty seven Pearl Street. Since the building was constructed for 103 00:06:27,200 --> 00:06:30,680 Speaker 1: commercial use, the structure had to be strengthened to hold 104 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:34,320 Speaker 1: all of the necessary equipment. The flooring was replaced with 105 00:06:34,400 --> 00:06:39,360 Speaker 1: a floor of girders supported by columns. The building used 106 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:43,599 Speaker 1: for storage, sleeping, and offices was at two fifty five 107 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:48,800 Speaker 1: Pearl Streets. Each building had four floors. Edison chose this 108 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:53,040 Speaker 1: location because it provided a good mix of commercial and 109 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:57,919 Speaker 1: residential business and was home to many major newspapers. It 110 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:00,880 Speaker 1: was also close to the Western Union, tell Aography Company, 111 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: and City Hall. The company paid around three hundred thousand 112 00:07:05,160 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: dollars to buy the properties and build the station and 113 00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: distribution system. Constructing the network of wires and conduits that 114 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,880 Speaker 1: delivered energy to customers was one of the most expensive 115 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: parts of the project. After administrative expenses, canvasing, and patent 116 00:07:23,640 --> 00:07:28,160 Speaker 1: license fees, the cost came to about five hundred thousand dollars. 117 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:33,080 Speaker 1: Four two hundred and forty horsepower. Babcock and Wilcox boilers 118 00:07:33,320 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 1: were in the basement of two fifty seven Pearl Streets. 119 00:07:36,840 --> 00:07:40,480 Speaker 1: Six engine and dynamo assemblies were on the floor above that. 120 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: The dynamos were driven by reciprocating steam engines supplied by 121 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: coal fired boilers. Each assembly weighed about thirty tons and 122 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:55,840 Speaker 1: was rated for around twelve hundred lamps. The third floor 123 00:07:55,920 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: housed wooden frames wrapped with copper wire resistances that were 124 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:04,360 Speaker 1: used for manually regulating the dynamo fields. The fourth floor 125 00:08:04,400 --> 00:08:06,440 Speaker 1: was home to a thousand lamps that were used to 126 00:08:06,480 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 1: test dynamos that needed inspection or repair. The first engine 127 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:15,320 Speaker 1: and generator assembly was tested on July five, eight two. 128 00:08:15,880 --> 00:08:20,080 Speaker 1: The station went into service on September four. Pearl Street 129 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: station used direct current, which is an electric current that 130 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 1: flows in one direction with alternating current. On the other hand, 131 00:08:27,880 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 1: the electric current changes direction periodically. Customers were not charged 132 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: for current until eighteen eighty three, after the system for 133 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: accurately recording the flow of current had proven reliable. The 134 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:44,240 Speaker 1: first bill was to the Antonia Brass and Copper Company 135 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: for fifty dollars and forty four cents. The New York 136 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: Times Offices were one of Edison's first customers. Pearl Street 137 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:57,160 Speaker 1: station did not become profitable until eighteen eighty four. Other 138 00:08:57,440 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: direct current, low voltage central State Asian electric systems were 139 00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:05,400 Speaker 1: later built around New York City. In January of eight 140 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: ninety a fire destroyed some of the station, but it 141 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:12,320 Speaker 1: was back up and running not long after and stayed 142 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:18,360 Speaker 1: in operation until Though Edison defended the use of direct current, 143 00:09:18,920 --> 00:09:22,040 Speaker 1: the rest of the world was gravitating towards alternating current 144 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 1: by the time at Pearl Street stations shut down. Other 145 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:30,280 Speaker 1: power plants have been designed to service larger areas. Edison 146 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: sold the buildings and they were later torn down. I'm 147 00:09:35,640 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 1: Eves Jeff Code, and hopefully you know a little more 148 00:09:37,880 --> 00:09:42,199 Speaker 1: about history today than you did yesterday. If there's something 149 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:44,480 Speaker 1: that I missed in an episode, you can share it 150 00:09:44,520 --> 00:09:48,880 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook at t D I h 151 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:53,680 Speaker 1: C podcast. Thank you for joining me today. See you 152 00:09:54,000 --> 00:10:03,319 Speaker 1: same place, same time tomorrow. For more podcasts from iHeart Radio, 153 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:06,080 Speaker 1: visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 154 00:10:06,080 --> 00:10:07,200 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.