Activity:
Take
on the role of a journalist living and writing twenty
to one hundred years ago.
Write an original news
story involving some aspect of the creation or history
of the NYC Subway. Your article should rely on historic fact
for
context, but it need not describe an actual event. The piece
you write may be serious or humorous, but it should
follow conventional journalistic standards. You might
also decide to write an editorial piece; if you do,
be sure
to
make
clear why you hold the opinion you do (i.e.
describe who is your historic character).
Your Project:
Your article should have an appropriate
headline, be no more than 450 words, and incorporate
at least two
quotes. You may also include an original illustration
or photograph.
Submit
your historically-based article to your teacher. Selected
articles will be assembled into an historic Centennial
Edition of the The New York Transit Times.
|
Subway
Car-Card, Subway Sun: Unification, June
12, 1940.
New York Transit Museum.
A 1940 cartoon in The
Subway Sun celebrates
public ownership of the transit system
as “Mr.
Receiver” (city official Thomas Murray)
hands over the IRT to “Mr. Mayor” (Fiorello
LaGuardia).
The
private IRT had declared bankruptcy in 1932.
Although the subways were essential to New
York, bailing out a private company with public
funds was controversial. So the city determined
to buy out the private lines. After eight years
of negotiations, the IRT and BMT officially
joined the city-operated IND, unifying mass
transit under a single city agency. |
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