Through-the-Earth (TTE) signalling is a type of radio signalling used in mines and caves that uses low-frequency waves to penetrate dirt and rock, which are opaque to higher-frequency conventional radio signals.

In mining, these lower-frequency signals can be relayed underground through various antennas, repeater or mesh configurations, but communication is restricted to line of sight to these antenna and repeaters systems.

Overview
Radio communication within caves is problematic because rock is a conductor and therefore absorbs radio waves. Ordinary radios typically have a very short range within caves. Low frequency (LF) or very low frequency (VLF) radio with single-sideband modulation is more commonly used today.

Through-the-Earth transmission can overcome these restrictions by using ultra-low frequency (300–3000 Hz) signals, which can travel through several hundred feet of rock strata. The antenna cable can be located on the surface only at a mine site, and provide signal coverage to the mine. The antenna may be placed in a "loop" formation around the perimeter of the mine site (or wherever coverage is needed) for systems using magnetic fields to carry signals.  Systems that use electric fields as the signal carrier are not subject to this limitation.  Transmissions propagate through rock strata which is used as the medium to carry the ultra-low-frequency signals. This is important in mining applications, particularly after any significant incident, such as fire or explosion, which would destroy much of the fixed communication infrastructure underground.

If the terrain makes a loop surface antenna impractical to install, then the antenna can be installed underground or a non-magnetic field type carrier may be used. But because the signal travels through rock, the antenna does not need to run into all parts of the mine to achieve mine wide signal coverage, thus minimizing the risk of damage during an incident.

Cave radios
Portable magnetic-loop cave radios have been used by cavers for two-way communication and cave surveying  since the 1960s.  In a typical setup the transmitting loop, consisting of many turns of copper wire, is oriented horizontally within the cave using a spirit level, and driven at a few kHz.  Though such a small antenna is a very poor radiator of propagating radio waves at this low frequency, its local AC magnetic field is strong enough to be detected by a similar receiving antenna up to a few hundred meters (yards) away. The received signal's strength and its dependence on orientation of the receiving coil yields approximate distance and directional information.

Early models were called "speleophones"—examples include Bob Mackin's "Molefone". The Molefone is called "one of the first practical cave radios," though it is no longer manufactured. Other popular LF/VLF radios include the HeyPhone, Nicola System and Cave-Link. HeyPhone and Nicola operate single (upper) sideband on 87 kHz in the LF band, while Cave-Link uses different frequencies between 20-140 kHz depending on the expected distance at 30 W power.

Systems like Molefone and HeyPhone operate as single-sideband (USB) 87 kHz radio with earthed electrodes of 25–100 metres (80' to 330') length. Design for HeyPhone system is openly available.

Personal emergency device
There are several systems that have been recently developed. One system is known as the PED System, where PED is an acronym for personal emergency device.  Initially developed after a mining disaster in Australia at Moura No. 4 Coal Mine in 1986, and further developed after the Moura No. 2 Coal Mine explosion in 1994  where the need for a communication system to survive major incidents underground was identified in the inquiries into the disasters.

PED is a one-way text paging device, with wide use in Australia, as well as installations in the United States, China, Canada, Mongolia, Chile, Tanzania, and Sweden. Australian company MST Global (formerly Mine Site Technologies) began the development of PED in 1987, and it became commercially available and Mine Safety & Health Administration (MSHA) approved in 1991.  The best documented use of PED during a mine emergency is from the Willow Creek Mine Fire in 1998 in Utah, where it was able to quickly alert miners underground of the need to evacuate before toxic fumes from the fire filled the mine.  Reports of this use can be seen on the MSHA website.

Development
Emerging technologies have recently been developed such as the Rescue Dog Emergency Through the Earth Communication System   developed by E-Spectrum Technologies. The Rescue Dog is a two-way extended-range portable through-the-Earth solution that was developed in the US in cooperation with The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (or NIOSH) which does not rely on large loop surface antennas for signal transmission.   New non-portable systems have also been developed by companies such as Lockheed Martin for use in emergency chambers to provide post-accident, two-way, emergency voice and text communications independent of surface or in-mine infrastructure.

New technologies

A new wireless "Miner Lifeline" telecommunication technology is being tested in 2012 at the West Virginia Robinson Run mine (recent production  per year of coal using 600 miners).  The system supports voice, text, or SOS sent on a "bubble" of magnetic waves, and "can move more than  up or down and  laterally, arriving in less than a minute."

The Israeli company Maxtech has developed a software system that automates the optimal organization of a set of limited-range communications devices, using any mixture of types of communication (through-the-earth radio, line-of-sight radio or optical, etc.). This system was used in the Tham Luang cave rescue.

Sybet developed an underground communication network system based on a large number of autonomous, portable transceiver nodes (BatNode) which operate in mesh architecture, forwarding voice calls over long distance with no radio connection between the end stations, as long as the BatNodes can see their neighbours.

See also
 Project Sanguine
 Tunnel transmitter
 Leaky feeder

 Communication with submarines
 Caving equipment#Communication
 Earth transmission system (in French)
 Ground dipole
 Super low frequency (SLF)
 Extremely low frequency (ELF)

References

Further reading
 Underground Wireless Communications
 Canary Talk Through-The-Earth Communications System
 Underground Radio Broadcasts New Possibilities
 Vital Alert gains $2,5 M investment
 https://web.archive.org/web/20160305021345/http://www.akvarius.lv/downloads/presentations/MRS_2_rus.pdf

External links
 Rescue Dog Emergency Communication System
 Nicola System A two-way communication system developed for speleologists.
 CREG Journal of the Cave Radio and Electronics Group of the British Cave Research Association
 MST Global (formerly Mine Site Technologies) for more information on the PED through-the-earth communications system.
 Radius 2 Russian wireless TTE underground system  of alarm reporting, personal calling, observation and people search in case of mine accidents
 Cave-Link Data communication and measurement system for cave research and mining.

Radio communications
Telecommunications techniques
Underground mining

Through-the-earth mine communications


Alois Alzheimer ( ,  , ; 14 June 1864 – 19 December 1915) was a German psychiatrist and neuropathologist and a colleague of Emil Kraepelin. Alzheimer is credited with identifying the first published case of "presenile dementia", which Kraepelin would later identify as Alzheimer's disease.

Early life and education

Alzheimer was born in Marktbreit, Bavaria, on 14 June 1864, the son of Anna Johanna Barbara Sabina and Eduard Román Alzheimer. His father served in the office of notary public in the family's hometown.

The Alzheimers moved to Aschaffenburg when Alois was still young in order to give their children an opportunity to attend the Royal Humanistic Gymnasium. After graduating with Abitur in 1883, Alzheimer studied medicine at University of Berlin, University of Tübingen, and University of Würzburg. In his final year at university, he was a member of a fencing fraternity, and even received a fine for disturbing the peace while out with his team. In 1887, Alois Alzheimer graduated from Würzburg as Doctor of Medicine.

Career
The following year, he spent five months assisting mentally ill women before he took an office in the city mental asylum in Frankfurt, the Städtische Anstalt für Irre und Epileptische (Asylum for Lunatics and Epileptics). , a noted psychiatrist, was the dean of the asylum. Another neurologist, Franz Nissl, began to work in the same asylum with Alzheimer. Together, they conducted research on the pathology of the nervous system, specifically the normal and pathological anatomy of the cerebral cortex. Alzheimer was the co-founder and co-publisher of the journal Zeitschrift für die gesamte Neurologie und Psychiatrie, though he never wrote a book that he could call his own.

While at the Frankfurt asylum, Alzheimer also met Emil Kraepelin, one of the best-known German psychiatrists of the time. Kraepelin became a mentor to Alzheimer, and the two worked very closely for the next several years. When Kraepelin moved to Munich to work at the Royal Psychiatric Hospital in 1903, he invited Alzheimer to join him.

At the time, Kraepelin was doing clinical research on psychosis in senile patients; Alzheimer, on the other hand, was more interested in the lab work of senile illnesses. The two men would face many challenges involving the politics of the psychiatric community. For example, both formal and informal arrangements would be made among psychiatrists at asylums and universities to receive cadavers.

In 1904, Alzheimer completed his habilitation at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, where he was appointed as a professor in 1908. Afterwards, he left Munich for the Silesian Friedrich Wilhelm University in Breslau in 1912, where he accepted a post as professor of psychiatry and director of the Neurologic and Psychiatric Institute. His health deteriorated shortly after his arrival so that he was hospitalized. Alzheimer died three years later.

Auguste Deter
In 1901, Alzheimer observed a patient at the Frankfurt asylum named Auguste Deter. The 51-year-old patient had strange behavioral symptoms, including a loss of short-term memory; she became his obsession over the coming years. Auguste Deter was a victim of the politics of the time in the psychiatric community; the Frankfurt asylum was too expensive for her husband. Herr Deter made several requests to have his wife moved to a less expensive facility, but Alzheimer intervened in these requests. Frau Deter, as she was known, remained at the Frankfurt asylum, where Alzheimer had made a deal to receive her records and brain upon her death, paying for the remainder of her stay in return.

On 8 April 1906, Frau Deter died, and Alzheimer had her medical records and brain brought to Munich where he was working in Kraepelin's laboratory. With two Italian physicians, he used the newly developed Bielschowsky stain to identify amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles. These brain anomalies would become identifiers of what later became known as Alzheimer's disease.

Findings

Alzheimer discussed his findings on the brain pathology and symptoms of presenile dementia publicly on 3November 1906, at the Tübingen meeting of the Southwest German Psychiatrists. The attendees at this lecture seemed uninterested in what he had to say. The lecturer that followed Alzheimer was to speak on the topic of "compulsive masturbation", which the audience of 88 individuals was so eagerly awaiting that they sent Alzheimer away without any questions or comments on his discovery of the pathology of a type of senile dementia.

Following the lecture, Alzheimer published a short paper summarizing his lecture; in 1907 he wrote a longer paper detailing the disease and his findings. The disease would not become known as Alzheimer's disease until 1910, when Kraepelin named it so in the chapter on "Presenile and Senile Dementia" in the 8th edition of his Handbook of Psychiatry. By 1911, his description of the disease was being used by European physicians to diagnose patients in the US.

Contemporaries
American Solomon Carter Fuller gave a report similar to that of Alzheimer at a lecture five months before Alzheimer. Oskar Fischer was a fellow German psychiatrist, 12 years Alzheimer's junior, who reported 12 cases of senile dementia in 1907 around the time that Alzheimer published his short paper summarizing his lecture.

Alzheimer and Fischer had different interpretations of the disease, but owing to Alzheimer's short life, they never had the opportunity to meet and discuss their ideas.

Among the doctors trained by Alois Alzheimer and Emil Kraepelin at Munich in the beginning of the 20th century were the Spanish neuropathologists Nicolás Achúcarro and Gonzalo Rodríguez Lafora, two distinguished disciples of Santiago Ramón y Cajal and members of the Spanish Neurological School. Alzheimer recommended the young and brilliant Nicolás Achúcarro to organize the neuropathological service at the Government Hospital for the Insane, at Washington D.C. (current, NIH), and after two years of work, he was substituted by Gonzalo Rodríguez Lafora.

Other interests
Alzheimer was known for having a variety of medical interests including vascular diseases of the brain, early dementia, brain tumors, forensic psychiatry and epilepsy. Alzheimer was a leading specialist in histopathology in Europe. His colleagues knew him to be a dedicated professor and cigar smoker.

Personal life and death

In 1894, Alzheimer married Cecilie Simonette Nathalie Geisenheimer, with whom he had three children. Geisenheimer died in 1901.

In August 1912, Alzheimer fell ill on the train on his way to the University of Breslau, where he had been appointed professor of psychiatry in July 1912. Most probably he had a streptococcal infection and subsequent rheumatic fever leading to valvular heart disease, heart failure and kidney failure. He did not recover completely from this illness.

He died of heart failure on 19 December 1915 at age 51, in Breslau, Silesia (present-day Wrocław, Poland). He was buried on 23 December 1915 next to his wife at the Frankfurt Main Cemetery.

Critics and rediscovery
In the early 1990s, critics began to question Alzheimer's findings and form their own hypotheses based on Alzheimer's notes and papers. Amaducci and colleagues hypothesized that Auguste Deter had metachromatic leukodystrophy, a rare condition in which accumulations of fats affect the cells that produce myelin. Claire O'Brien, meanwhile, hypothesized that Auguste Deter actually had a vascular dementing disease.

See also
 Gaetano Perusini
 German inventors and discoverers

References

External links

 Alzheimer's: 100 years on
 Alois Alzheimer's Biography, International Brain Research Organization
 Bibliography of secondary sources on Alois Alzheimer and Alzheimer's disease, selected from peer-reviewed journals
 Graeber Manuel B. "Alois Alzheimer (1864–1915)", International Brain Research Organization

1864 births
1915 deaths
People from Marktbreit
Physicians from the Kingdom of Bavaria
German neuroscientists
German Roman Catholics
Alzheimer's disease
German psychiatrists
Burials at Frankfurt Main Cemetery
Academic staff of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
Academic staff of the University of Breslau
Humboldt University of Berlin alumni
University of Tübingen alumni
University of Würzburg alumni

Alois Alzheimer


Sir Ralph Freeman (6 July 1589 – 12 June 1667) was a wealthy English civil judge born in St Mary-at-Hill, Billingsgate, London and lived at Military St Westminster, he was educated at Eton College then at King's College, Cambridge and was called to the Middle Temple bar in 1606 he later received a knighthood in 1617. He was also known as a dramatist and translator. He should not be confused with another contemporary Sir Ralph Freeman who was lord mayor of London, and died on 16 March 1634.

Life
He succeeded Robert Naunton in his office of as one of six Masters of Requests in 1618. He had married a relation of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, through whose influence he had also obtained a grant of [the rights of] pre-emption and transportation of tin for seven years in August 1613.

In 1622 he had a grant in reversion of the auditorship of imprests and of the auditorship of the Mint. Freeman hoped that through Lord Buckingham, he would succeed Thomas Murray as provost of Eton, but the appointment was given to Sir Henry Wotton. Freeman then unsuccessfully applied to Buckingham to be allowed to succeed Wotton as ambassador at Venice.

In 1626 and 1627 he was on a commission for the arrest of French ships and goods in England. In 1629 he held the office of auditor of imprests after a dispute as to its possession with Sir Giles Monpesson and purchased a large manor in Betchworth, Surrey for £1,080.

He became master worker of the mint at a salary of £500 per annum, when in 1635, jointly with Sir Thomas Aylesbury, he formed a commission exercising the powers of the Master of the Mint. This came about by the exclusion from the position of Robert Harley, in favour of the previous incumbent Randal Cranfield, who then died suddenly. Freeman was also one of the first appointed in February 1635 to the newly created office of 'searcher and sealer' of all foreign hops imported into England.

On the death of Sir Dudley Digges, Freeman bid high for the Master of the Rolls, which was taken by Sir Charles Caesar.  With no known office in later life in 1655 he published Imperiale, a tragedy which he had written many years before; an unauthorised edition to which he refers had appeared in 1639. Freeman also published two verse translations from Seneca the Younger: the Booke of Consolation to Marcia (1635), and the other the Booke of the Shortnes of Life (2nd ed. 1663). At the last-given date Freeman was still alive.

Personal life
He married Catherine Bret and had two sons: George Freeman, who died with his landed estate and without sons in 1678, and Ralph Freeman who held it in 1684 and in whose family's hands it would remain until sale in 1817.

Notes

References

1589 births
1667 deaths
17th-century English judges
Alumni of King's College, Cambridge
English dramatists and playwrights
English knights
English male dramatists and playwrights
English translators
Masters of the Mint
People educated at Eton College

Ralph Freeman (lawyer)


Heidi Knake-Werner is a German politician (Die Linke).   She served as a member of the German parliament ("Bundestag") between 1994 and 2002.   Between 2002 and 2009 she was one of Berlin's more high-profile senators.

Life

Provenance and early years
Heidi Knake was born in Tomaschow (as it was known at that time), a midsized industrial town to the south-west of Warsaw which had been in Congress Poland before the First World War, in Poland subsequently, and since 1939 part of Nazi Germany.   However, by the time she was 2 extensive ethnic cleansing in what had again become Poland in 1945 had already removed most of the German-speaking population, and she grew up in Wilhelmshaven on Germany's north-western coast.   Knake passed her Abitur (school final exams) in 1964 which opened the way to university-level education.   She then progressed to the University of Göttingen, emerging in 1969 with a degree in Social Economics.   There followed a period of post-graduate research and study at Oldenburg.   It was from the university at Oldenburg that in 1978 she received her doctorate in Social Sciences, and where till 1987 she stayed on as a researcher into topics such as family, education and industrial sociology.   That year she switched to the University of Bremen.

Communist
Heike Knake became a DGB (trades union) member in 1969, and has been a member of a succession of unions subsequently.   She joined the Social Democratic Party ("Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands" / SPD) in 1970, and became increasingly engaged politically, both within the party and in local politics more generally, serving for four years as a municipal councillor in Oldenburg.   For some of this time she was the deputy leader of the SPD group on the council.   However, at the height of the ructions over professional blocks for members of extremist political parties, in 1981 she resigned from the SPD and joined the German Communist Party.   This came directly after the increasingly "moderate" SPD party executive had launched its own "party operation" ("Parteiordnungsverfahren") against the "renitente Linke" (loosely "reluctant left").   She remained a Communist Party member till 1989.

The German Communist Party never gained electoral traction with West German voters, partly because of a widespread belief that across the "inner border" in East Germany the supposedly pro-communist ruling party was principally a tool of Soviet imperial expansionist ambitions.   Sources are almost entirely silent about Heidi Knake-Werner's nine years as a member of the German Communist Party.   In 1990 she changed her political allegiance again, joining the Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS), recently relaunched as a successor to the old East German Socialist Unity Party, as younger members of what had till recently been East Germany's ruling political establishment struggled to prepare for a democratic future, following the changes of 1989/90.  Reunification took place suddenly, formally, in October 1990, and during the rest of that year it was still unusual for a western politician to join the PDS:  most of the relatively small number who did so came not from the West German Communist Party but from the SPD.   Her own transition gave Knake-Werner a reputation as a political maverick which she has subsequently seemed to relish.

Party of Democratic Socialism
At the second party conference of the PDS, held in Berlin on 26/27 January 1991, she was elected a member of the party executive, and was also one of just four PDS members from former West Germany to be voted onto the party presidium.   Later that year she accepted an offer from the youthful PDS Bundestag member, Petra Bläss to work as a parliamentary researcher for the PDS group in the Bundestag.   For Heidi Knake-Werner it was the start of a Bundestag career that would last for more than a decade.    In 1994 Knake-Werner herself was elected to the Bundestag.  She stood as a list-candidate from the "Aschersleben–Bernburg–Quedlinburg" electoral district where the party failed to clear the 5% hurdle necessary to send members to the Bundestag.   However, in the recently re-established state of Saxony-Anhalt, the PDS received 18% of the total vote and was thereby entitled to nominate 4 additional members:  Heidi Knake-Werner was one of those nominated.

Bundestag
During the 1994-1998 parliamentary session Knake-Werner was a deputy chairperson of the PDS parliamentary group, under the leadership of Gregor Gysi.   In the Bundestag she took on responsibility for her party's "Labour market and social policy" portfolio.   She also represented the PDS position to the parliamentary committee for "Labour and Social Affairs" and on the parliamentary "Health committee".   That reflected several of the areas on which she had already focused while working before 1994 as a parliamentary researcher for Petra Bläss.   Other themes in which she took a particular interest included pensions policy, family matters and gender equality, both in the workplace and more widely.   She also engaged with more overtly feminist agenda issues such as the ongoing debates about abortion legislation, an issue on respect of which the country had inherited more conventionally "liberal" laws from communist East Germany than from capitalist West Germany.   The carefully detailed nature of her numerous annotation included in party archives make it clear that she contributed extensively to the content and coherence of the party's position papers on many of these topics.   During the 1994-1998 Bundestag session Heidi Knake-Werner was the author or co-author of 3 draft laws, 18 parliamentary motions, 3 motions for resolution, and 30 amendments as well as of 4 major question applications and 67 minor question applications.   She delivered 56 speeches in plenary parliamentary sessions and issued 135 press statements.   She was also a member of the PDS parliamentary delegation that took part in the Fourth International United Nations Women's Forum held in Beijing during the first part of September 1995.

In the 1998 General election Knake-Werner was re-elected.   The PDS increased its share of the national vote from 4.4% to 5.1%.   Breaking through to 5% hurdle significantly increased the party's strength in the Bundestag, notably in respect of appointments to parliamentary committees.  In addition, for the first time the PDS was able to nominate a member to the Bundestag presidium.   During the parliamentary session, till 2002, Knake-Werner served as a member of the executive of the PDS parliamentary group, and till October 2000 she was also deputy leader of the PDS Bundstag group.  Then, as part of a general shake-up at the top of the parliamentary party that accompanied the unexpected resignation from the leadership of Gregor Gysi, in October 2000 she was, some felt, demoted when she became the parliamentary group's "First Parliamentary Business Leader" ("Erste Parlamentarische Geschäftsführerin"), remaining in post till January 2002.   The PDS group were now able to send her as a full member to the Bundestag committee for "Labour and Social Affairs", of which till October 2000 she served as a deputy chairwoman.   In respect of the deputy chairmanship role she was replaced when she became "First Parliamentary Business Leader" of the PDS, but she continued to play her part as the PDS member of the committee.

Separately, by 2002 she was serving as honorary chairwomen of the German-Portuguese parliamentary group.   On 17 February 2002 Heidi Knake-Werner resigned from the Bundestag in order to take up new duties as a Berlin senator.   Her successor in the Bundestag was Wolfgang Bierstedt.

Berlin senate
Between 17 January 2002 and November 2006 Heid Knake-Werner served as the Berlin senator for Health, Social affairs and Consumer protection.   She switched portfolios on 23 November 2006, becoming the senator for Integration, Labour and Social affairs.   In the Berlin election of September 2006 she was elected a member of the City Parliament ("Abgeordnetenhaus"), but half a year later she withdrew from the chamber in order to be able to focus on her ministerial duties.   Then, on 15 October 2009, she resigned her office on grounds of age.

Later years
In October 2010 she was elected to chair the Berlin region Volkssolidarität ("People's Solidarity"), a welfare organisation for the over 65s which traces its origins back to East Berlin and the old German Democratic Republic, but which survived the traumas of reunification better than most of the state mandated East German institutions.   In 2014 a further election confirmed her in office.  By that time it was reported that the Berlin Volkssolidarität was operating around 70 day centers, retirement homes and other facilities in Berlin.

References

1943 births
People from Tomaszów Mazowiecki
People from Wilhelmshaven
Female members of the Bundestag
Members of the Bundestag for Saxony-Anhalt
Members of the Bundestag 1998–2002
Members of the Bundestag 1994–1998
Social Democratic Party of Germany politicians
German Communist Party politicians
Party of Democratic Socialism (Germany) politicians
Members of the Abgeordnetenhaus of Berlin
Senators of Berlin
Living people
Members of the Bundestag for The Left
20th-century German women
21st-century German women politicians

Heidi Knake-Werner


There are several historic homes in the United States which bear the name Colson House, spanning the century from ca.1800 to 1905.

Rev. John C. Colson House, Middlesboro, Kentucky (1800)
The house of Rev. John Calvin Colson in Middlesboro, Kentucky, is thought to have been built around 1800 by a Mr. Hunter. It was the second brick house built in Bell County and is now the oldest remaining house in the county. The bricks were made from local clay. John Colson was a lawyer, doctor, farmer, miller, merchant and preacher. Rev. Colson's son, David G. Colson, was a U.S. Representative.

Colson House, Brecksville, Ohio (1838)
The Colson House in Brecksville, Ohio, was built around 1838 by Bolter and Harriet (Waite) Colson. Bolter and Harriet arrived in Brecksville in 1815 from Weymouth, Massachusetts. The house was built in the Gothic Revival farmhouse style on Brecksville Road, a block from the town center.  The Colsons were among the original founders of the First Congregational Church of Brecksville in 1816, Bolter being made a deacon in 1821. Bolter came from a family of Revolutionary War veterans, himself being a veteran of the War of 1812. Among their 11 children, son Newton was a Civil War veteran and eventually lived in the house with his wife Lydia until his death in 1917. Lydia Colson stayed in the house until 1932 when it was sold to the Carroll family. In the mid-1930s, the house served as the Brecksville Telephone Exchange. Around 1960, the house was saved from demolition by Walter Zimlich and moved two blocks away to Cedar Street in the Old Town neighborhood. Emil and Wilma Kocar bought the house in 1966. The Akel family bought the house in 2000 and initiated stabilization and remodeling. Since 2003, the VanderWiel family has lived in the house while undertaking restoration and remodeling work.

Colson House, St. Charles, Illinois (1882)
The Colson House in St. Charles, Illinois, was constructed by John Fabian Colson in 1882. Prior to the completion of this Queen Anne Style home, Colson established Colson's Department Store on west Main Street. The home remained in the Colson family until the 1950s. At that time, the Skar family bought the home. In 1987, the Schultz family bought it and began renovations. For many years, the home served as a bed and breakfast inn called the Charleston Guest House. As of 2007, the American Black Forest Clocks business is located in the house.

Colson House, Seattle, Washington (1904)
The Colson House in the Green Lake neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, was constructed in 1904 by Charles and Sophie Colson. Born in Sweden, Charles arrived 1878 and Sophie in 1882. The couple married in Illinois in 1887 and had three children; Frank, Mabel, and Violet. The family moved to Washington in 1902. In 1904, the Colsons hired carpenter Olof Wickander to build the house, and was also listed as the architecture of record. It is thought that the design may have been purchased from a catalog, a common practice at the time. The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods Historical Site summary described the house: "Front gable vernacular house with wall gable dormers on the east and west elevations. End gable has fishscale shingles. Porch has heavy tapered posts supporting a hip roof." Coordinates:

Colson House, Gainesville, Florida (1905)
The Colson House in Gainesville, Florida, was constructed circa 1905. It is a Neoclassical Victorian which was occupied by the family of Dr. James Colson for more than 70 years. In 1977, the home was converted into law offices. The house was the home of the Star Center Youth Theatre. It is currently the home of Florida Smart Kids tutoring service. The attic features an unusual colored glass window with diamond shaped panes. The house is adjacent to the Sweetwater Branch Inn Bed & Breakfast, a complex composed of the Cushman-Colson house, a Victorian home built around 1885, and the McKenzie House, a circa 1895 three-story Queen Anne Victorian listed on the National Register of Historic Places Coordinates:

References

Houses in Alachua County, Florida
Houses in Kane County, Illinois
Houses in Bell County, Kentucky
Houses in Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Houses in Seattle
Bed and breakfasts in Illinois

Colson House


Microbiology -  (Greek μικρός, mikrós, "tiny", βίος, bíos, "life" and λόγος, lógos, "science") is a science in the composition of biology, which is occupied by the study of microorganisms (bacterium, (archaebacteria), microscopic fungi, protozoa,alga,and viruses). Into the field of the interests of microbiology enter their systematics, morphology, physiology, biochemistry, evolution, role in the ecosystems
and also the possibility of practical use. Bacteriology and medical microbiology are a division of microbiology.

History

In 1665, Robert Hooke saw that cork was made up of little cubes that he named cells. Later Anton van Leeuwenhoek made the important connection that cells are living things when he saw through his early microscope smallest one-celled organisms. Later Christian Ehrenberg found that protista or bacteria were different kinds of cells. In the late part of the 1800s Martinus Beijerinck showed that there were small particles called viruses.

Another important change in the study of microorganisms came from the discovery of DNA and RNA.  This allowed using a vector to change the inside of a cell without killing it.  One recent discovery that changed the study of microbiology is the discovery of transposons or jumping genes.  Another one is the discovery of animal genes in the cells.

Branches

The branches of microbiology can be classified into pure and applied sciences.  Microbiology can be also classified based on taxonomy, as in the cases of bacteriology, mycology, protozoology, and phycology.  There is considerable overlap between the specific branches of microbiology with each other and with other disciplines.  Certain aspects of these branches can extend beyond the traditional scope of microbiology

Microbiology


Coney Island is a 1991 documentary film that traces the history of Coney Island, the westernmost part of the barrier islands of Long Island, New York. The film covers the island's 1609 discovery by Henry Hudson, its 1870s incarnation as a respectable beach destination for city-dwellers and showcase of the new developments ushered in by the machine age, the early 20th century, when amusement parks and innovative attractions attracted hundreds of thousands of people each day, and the gradual demise of the amusements.

The film is narrated by Philip Bosco.  It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and broadcast nationally on PBS as part of the American Experience program in February 1991.

On-camera appearances include Al Lewis, Vincent Gardenia, Eli Wallach, Elliot Willensky, Frederick Fried and Mae Timpano. Voice-over actors include Judd Hirsch, Nathan Lane,  John Mahoney,  Jerry Orbach, George Plimpton, Lois Smith, Frances Sternhagen and Andrei Codrescu.

Synopsis
Coney Island began as a resort destination in the early 1830s and gained popularity in the 1860s as advances in transportation reduced the time it took to get there from other parts of New York City. As visitors increased, attractions were added, including a tall observation tower, the Coney Island Elephant hotel, early roller coasters, carousels, and arc lights to enable nighttime swimming.

Politician John Y. McKane controlled approval of much of the building for years until he was removed from office for election fraud. Just before 1900 CE, George C. Tilyou built Steeplechase Park, the first of the three major amusement parks of Coney Island. At this point, Coney Island was attracting around 250,000 people on a summer Sunday. Luna Park followed in 1903, debuting its popular "A Trip to the Moon" ride. The park was decorated with thousands of electric lights, which were still a novelty at the time. In January 1903 before Luna Park opened the owners decided to euthanize one of their elephants named Topsy by publicly electrocuting it. Conducted at the Shoot the Chute lagoon plastered with advertising banners announcing the new parks opening, the spectacle drew 1500 people, 100 press photographers, and an Edison Manufacturing film crew (scenes from the Edison film Electrocuting an Elephant can be seen in this segment). In 1904, Dreamland was opened by William H. Reynolds. It featured historical reenactments, a dwarf village with 300 residents, and an infant incubator for premature babies, designed to show off this latest scientific development. Just seven years later, a devastating fire destroyed Dreamland and initiated the slow decline of Coney Island. The death of George C. Tilyou in the aftermath of World War I saw a reduced level of innovation in the new attractions at Coney Island, though the crowds only got bigger. During the Great Depression, many of the existing attractions, amusements and midway prizes were reduced in scale to save money. As World War II ended, the new ubiquity of the personal automobile allowed families to easily vacation at less crowded beaches in the Greater New York area. In 1946, Luna Park closed. Steeplechase Park limped along until closing in 1964.

Critical reception
Time magazine called the film one of the top ten television programs of 1991, and the Chicago Tribune called it "one of the best documentaries you will ever see".

Awards
Organization of American Historians Erik Barnouw Award in 1992
Chicago Film Festival's Silver Hugo Award

References

External links
 https://web.archive.org/web/20110715182739/http://www.ricburns.com/Coney_set.swf
 https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/coney/

1991 films
American Experience
Television series by WNET
Films directed by Ric Burns
Documentary films about New York City
Coney Island
Films set in Coney Island
1990s English-language films

Coney Island (1991 film)


John Martin may refer to:

Business
John Martin (businessman) (1820–1905), American lumberman and flour miller
John Charles Martin (fl. 1913–1931), American newspaper publisher
John Martin (publisher) (born 1930), American founder of Black Sparrow Press
John C. Martin (businessman) (1951–2021), CEO of biotechnology company Gilead Sciences

Entertainment
John Martin (actor) (born 1951), American actor
John Martin (painter) (1789–1854), English painter
John Blennerhassett Martin (1797–1857), American painter, engraver, and lithographer
John Martin (bibliographer) (1791–1855), English bookseller, librarian, and writer
John Martin (dance critic) (1893–1985), at The New York Times
John Scott Martin (1926–2009), English actor
John Martin (Canadian broadcaster) (1947–2006)
John Martin (comedian) (born 1962), British
John Martin (singer) (born 1980), Swedish
John Martin (born 1946), also known as "The Big Figure", English drummer and member of Dr. Feelgood (1971-1982)
John Martin, American film actor, in Browned Off (1944) and Mesa of Lost Women (1951)
John Martin, Norwegian musician, husband and manager of pianist Natalia Strelchenko

Law
John Martin (judge) (1784–1840), American judge of the Cherokee Tribal Court
John C. Martin (judge) (born 1943), North Carolina state court judge
John Donelson Martin Sr. (1883–1962), U.S. federal judge
John E. Martin (1891–1968), Wisconsin state court judge
John S. Martin Jr. (born 1935), U.S. federal judge

Military
John Donelson Martin (1830–1862), Confederate States Army officer during the American Civil War
John Martin (Royal Navy officer) (1918–2011), British admiral
John Martin (New Zealand admiral), Chief of the Royal New Zealand Navy
John L. Martin Jr. (1920–2009) US Air Force general

Politics

United Kingdom
John Martin (MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed), British Member of Parliament for Berwick-upon-Tweed, 1529
John Martin (died 1545), British Member of Parliament for Plympton Erle, 1529
John Martin (died c. 1592), British Member of Parliament for Plympton Erle, 1554
John Martin (1692–1767), British Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury, 1741–1747
John Martin (1724–1794), British Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury, 1754–1761

John Martin (1805–1880), British banker and Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury, 1832–1835
John Martin (Young Irelander) (1812–1875), Young Irelander and Member of Parliament for Meath, 1871–1875

John Hanbury Martin (1890–1983), British Member of Parliament for Southwark Central, 1940–1948
John Martin (civil servant) (1904–1991), Winston Churchill's private secretary
John Martin (Leicester MP), British Member of Parliament for Leicester, 1354
John Martin, Bailiff of Guernsey, 1499–1510
John Martin (1774–1832), British Member of Parliament for Tewkesbury, 1812–1832
John Martin (Irish politician), Irish Member of Parliament for the Irish constituency of Sligo Borough, 1832–1837

United States
John Martin (Governor of Georgia) (died 1786)
John Martin (Governor of Kansas) (1839–1889)
John Martin (Kansas) (1833–1913), U.S. Senator from Kansas
John Andrew Martin (1868–1939), U.S. Representative from Colorado
John C. Martin (politician) (1880–1952), U.S. Representative from Illinois
John F. Martin Jr., American Ambassador to Costa Rica (1920–1921)
John L. Martin (born 1941), American politician from Maine
John Marshall Martin (1832–1921), Confederate politician
John Mason Martin (1837–1898), U.S. Representative from Alabama
John Preston Martin (1811–1862), U.S. Representative from Kentucky
John W. Martin (1884–1958), governor of Florida
John Martin (pioneer) (1827-1893), early pioneer of Monterey County, California

Other countries
John Wills Martin (c. 1790–after 1843), English-born merchant and political figure in Newfoundland
John Martin (New Zealand politician) (1822–1892), member of the New Zealand Legislative Council
John S. Martin (politician) (1855–1946), politician in Prince Edward Island, Canada
John Strickler Martin (1875–1931), farmer and politician in Ontario, Canada
John Martin (Australian politician) (1890–1964), New South Wales politician
John Martin (British Columbia politician), MLA of a provincial legislature since 2013

Sports

Baseball
John Martin (baseball) (born 1956), American baseball pitcher
J. D. Martin (John Dale Martin, born 1983), Major League Baseball pitcher
Pepper Martin (Johnny 1904–1965), American baseball player

Cricket
John Martin (cricketer, born 1867) (1867–1942), played for MCC and Devon
John Martin (cricketer, born 1941), played for Oxford University, Somerset, Oxfordshire, and Devon
John Martin (cricketer, born 1942), played for New South Wales
Johnny Martin (cricketer) (John Wesley 1931–1992), Australian cricketer

Football
John Martin (American football) (1895–?), American football player and coach
Johnny Martin (American football) (1916–1968), American football player
Alan Martin (footballer, born 1923) (John Alan 1923–2004), English footballer
Johnny Martin (footballer) (1946–2013), English former footballer
John Martin (goalkeeper) (born 1958), Scottish goalkeeper for Airdrieonians
John Martin (Irish footballer) (born 1979), midfielder
John Martin (English footballer) (born 1981)
John Martin (footballer, born 1985) (born 1985), Scottish footballer
John Martin (referee) (fl. 1978–1988), English association football referee

Other sports
John Martin (American racing driver) (1939–2019), Indy 500 driver
John Martin (Australian racing driver) (born 1984), Superleague Formula and British F3
John Martin (figure skater), 1989–1994
John Martin (Paralympian) (born 1943), Australian
John Martin (sport shooter) (1868–1951)
John A Martin (born 1948), English rugby league player
John David Martin (born 1939), American track and field athlete

Other
John Martin (Jamestown) (c. 1560–1632), settler and member of Council
John Martin (meteorologist) (1789–1869), English physician and meteorologist
John Martin (minister) (1741–1820), English Particular Baptist minister
John Martin (priest) (1797–1878), Anglican priest in Ireland
John Martin (headmaster) (1814–1876), educator in Adelaide, South Australia
John Martin (oceanographer) (1935–1993), American scientist
John Bartlow Martin (1915–1987), American author and ambassador
John F. Martin, Deputy Supreme Knight of the Knights of Columbus, 1927–1933
John Jeffries Martin, American academic and author
John Joseph Martin (1922–1997), NASA engineer and administrator
John Levi Martin (born 1964), American sociologist
John William Martin (1860–1956), British Fabian and academic in the United States
John Martin, American member of the Committee of Fifty
John Martin, captain of Bartholomew Gosnold's ship when he found Martha's Vineyard
John Martin & Co., known as "John Martin's" or "Johnnies" (1866–1998), department store in Adelaide, South Australia
John Martin Brewery, Belgian brewery founded in 1909
John Martin Scripps, a British-Singaporean killer, later executed

See also
J. Thomas Marten (born 1951), United States federal judge
Jack Martin (disambiguation)
John B. Martin (disambiguation)
John D. Martin (disambiguation)
John Martyn (disambiguation)
Jonathan Martin (disambiguation)

Martin, John

John Martin


Vril Dox, also known as Brainiac 2, is a fictional character published by DC Comics. He first appeared in Superman #167 (February 1964), and was created by Edmond Hamilton, Cary Bates, and Curt Swan.

Publication history
Vril Dox is the heir of Brainiac, one of Superman's greatest foes, and an ancestor of Querl Dox, Brainiac 5 of the Legion of Super-Heroes. The character first appeared in Superman #167 (February 1964), by Edmond Hamilton, Cary Bates, and Curt Swan, in a story entitled "The Deadly Duo! - The Team of Luthor and Brainiac!". He was later resurrected in Invasion! #1 (January 1989), by Keith Giffen, Bill Mantlo, and Todd McFarlane. However, rather than being the adopted son of Brainiac, due to changes in post-Crisis continuity, he is now a clone of Brainiac.

He went on to star in L.E.G.I.O.N. '89 (February 1989) through L.E.G.I.O.N. '94 (September 1994) by Keith Giffen, Alan Grant, and Barry Kitson. He returned in the follow-up series R.E.B.E.L.S. '94 (October 1994) through R.E.B.E.L.S. '96 (March 1996) by Tom Peyer and Arnie Jorgensen, and the subsequent series R.E.B.E.L.S. (2009–2011).

Fictional character biography

Silver Age
Vril Dox was a young Coluan who was adopted by the Computer Tyrants of Colu and declared Brainiac's son (Brainiac 2). He escaped and led a rebellion against the Computer Tyrants which overthrew their rule. He later appeared briefly in the Secrets of the Legion of Super-Heroes miniseries. His descendants (who had inherited long Coluan lifespans) were his son Pran Dox (Brainiac 3), his grandson Kajz Dox (Brainiac 4) and ultimately his great-grandson Querl Dox, Brainiac 5 of the Legion of Super Heroes.

Post-Crisis

Invasion!

Vril Dox II is a now a clone of Vril Dox (Brainiac), rather than his adopted son, as he is created by Vril Dox himself. He is still regarded as Brainiac's "heir", as he has inherited the original's high intelligence and Machiavellian ethics.

L.E.G.I.O.N. '89-94

Vril Dox is the founder of the interplanetary police force Licensed Extra Governmental Interstellar Operatives Network (abbreviated as L.E.G.I.O.N., an acronym suggested by Strata but accepted by Dox). It was founded through outright murder when Vril and his allies destroyed a criminal drug ring. Chief Dox tries to manipulate everyone he came across, not generally accepting when they did not follow his plans. He manages to gain control of the bounty hunter Lobo. This is partly by outsmarting and outfighting Lobo and taking advantage of one of the bounty hunter's simple ethics; that he never breaks his word.

Vril leads the Earth's heroes in the 1992 Annual crossover, they travel to the Moon and defeat the Eclipso entity.

R.E.B.E.L.S. '94-96

Vril had a son named Lyrl Dox (Brainiac 3) who rebelled and took over his organization. Vril later regains control of L.E.G.I.O.N by bartering with the demon Neron. The deal is for the soul of one of his unborn offspring.  After the cancellation of the title, he would only occasionally appear in the more cosmic DCU titles. For example, he appears in the 2004 Adam Strange miniseries, using robotic soldiers to hunt Strange. Dox, now missing his hair, incorrectly believes Rann had been destroyed at the hands of Strange. Dox's forces assist in the limited series Infinite Crisis.

R.E.B.E.L.S. (2009–2011)
A new 2009 series features Starro the Conqueror taking control of a now completely automated L.E.G.I.O.N. Dox, along with his old compatriot, Strata, must form a new team to regain his former status. During the Blackest Night crossover, Dox comes into contact with the mother of his son, who had recently been killed by L.E.G.I.O.N. drones, and was subsequently revived as a Black Lantern. Dox was also in an area in which a Sinestro Corps member was murdered by another Black Lantern. When the ring started to search for a new host, it selected Dox, making him a member of the Sinestro Corps. However, not even the power of the ring was a match for the Black Lanterns, forcing Dox to teleport them to Starro's homeworld, despite the fact that his son, Lyrl (who had recently had his intelligence restored by the warlord) was there also. Soon after, the ring rejected Dox, who had repeatedly refused Sinestro's mandate that all members of the Sinestro Corps were to gather at Korugar, and declared that he had been discharged from the Corps.

R.E.B.E.L.S. helped to save the Vega system and several galaxies by defeating Starro the Conqueror. The plight of Rann's people was soon resolved by Vril Dox, seeking to restore his reputation after Starro the Conqueror stole L.E.G.I.O.N. from him and used it to enslave its client worlds. Dox Zeta-beamed Rann into the Vega system, in the orbit previously held by the now destroyed planet Tamaran, and proceeded to terraform Rann and make it suitable to sustain life again.

The restoration of the planet Rann was not Dox's only reason for relocating it into the Vega system. First, by putting Rann into Tamaran's orbit, it restored the gravitational balance to the Vega system, which had been thrown off by Tamaran's destruction. Secondly, in exchange for restoring their planet, the people of Rann agreed to let Dox rebuild L.E.G.I.O.N. headquarters on Rann.

Tamaranian refugees, led by Blackfire, attacked Rann believing that since the planet was in Tamaran's orbit they had claim to it. The violence was ended when Vril Dox, who was off-world at the start of the conflict, arrived with Thanagarian warships and stopped the fighting without bloodshed on either side. As it turned out, Dox was off-world negotiating an official end to the Rann-Thanagar War, using Rann's new-found distance from Thanagar and change in leadership on both sides as leverage.

Dox then went on to mediate the tension between the Rannians and the Tamaranians by proposing that the Tamaranians live on Rann's uninhabited southern continent.

Dox, Adam Strange and other senior commanders of L.E.G.I.O.N. also ensured peace with the Green Lantern Corps and helped create an alliance between Rannians, Tamaranians and L.E.G.I.O.N. after defeating Starro the Conqueror, ensuring security for Rann, the Vega system and the galaxy, with Dox becoming consort to Blackfire.

The New 52
In 2011, "The New 52" rebooted the DC universe. In Superman vol. 3 Annual #2 Vril Dox is shown to be Brainiac's original identity.

Rebirth
In 2016, DC Comics implemented another relaunch of its books called "DC Rebirth", which restored its continuity to a form much as it was prior to "The New 52". When Brainiac's home planet of Colu falls under the threat of four beings that escaped the Source Wall at the end of Dark Nights: Metal, the teams of heroes and villains realize that their armor is pulling them into four teams towards four different energy sources in the form of trees that coincide with the four entities. Batman's team finds Vril Dox, who claims that his father would never put his faith in the Earth heroes, as he only needed their powers to save Colu, but his plan required him at every step. With Brainiac's death at the hands of Amanda Waller, the planet of Colu and Earth are doomed.

Other versions
Vril is visited by the time-traveling entity named Waverider, a man on a mission to see which modern-day heroic figure might become a tyrant in ten years' time. This is part of the Armageddon 2001 crossover. Vril captures Waverider and does see his future. Due to power gained by ten years of Waverider's capture, Vril has become a tyrant, killing many innocents. Horrified at this, Vril lets Waverider go so that this future will not come to pass.

He appeared in the new digital first comic book Adventures of Supergirl series on January 24, 2016, a tie-in to the Arrowverse Supergirl TV series.

In other media

Film
Vril Dox appears in Legion of Super-Heroes, voiced by Benjamin Diskin.

Video games
Vril Dox was set to appear as a playable character in Ocean Software's cancelled Lobo fighting game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and the Sega Genesis.

Miscellaneous
 Vril Dox appears in DC Universe Online: Legends #1.
 Vril Dox appears in the Arrowverse tie-in comic Adventures of Supergirl. This version is a greedy hacker from the planet Yod who was hired by an unknown individual to frame Supergirl's ally Winn Schott for funding and aiding terrorism and disguising himself as an A.I. that Win created called V.R.I.L. Vril discovers Supergirl's identity, but she finds and defeats him before he is arrested by the Department of Extranormal Operations (DEO).

Notes

References

External links
Cosmic Teams: Vril Dox II
DCU Guide: Vril Dox II

Characters created by Cary Bates
Characters created by Curt Swan
Characters created by Edmond Hamilton
Comics characters introduced in 1964
DC Comics aliens
DC Comics extraterrestrial superheroes
DC Comics male superheroes
DC Comics extraterrestrial supervillains
DC Comics male supervillains
DC Comics orphans
DC Comics robots
DC Comics cyborgs
Cyborg supervillains
Robot supervillains
Cyborg superheroes
Robot superheroes
Fictional androids
Fictional artificial intelligences
Fictional characters who have made pacts with devils
Fictional extraterrestrial cyborgs
Fictional extraterrestrial robots
Fictional gynoids
Fictional technopaths
Clone characters in comics
Superheroes who are adopted

Vril Dox


Brookfield is a town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States, situated within the southern foothills of the Berkshire Mountains. The population was 17,528 at the 2020 census. The town is located  northeast of New York City, making it part of the New York-Newark, NY-NJ-CT-PA combined statistical area. The town is part of the Western Connecticut Planning Region. In July 2013, Money magazine ranked Brookfield the 26th-best place to live in the United States, and the best place to live in Connecticut.

Colonists settled in what is now known as Brookfield in 1710, led by John Muirwood and other colonial founders including Hawley, Peck and Merwin. They bartered for the land from the Wyantenuck and the Potatuck Nations who were ruled under the Sachems Waramaug and Pocono. Sachem Pocono's village was in an enormous palisade along the Still River. Colonists first established the area as the Parish of Newbury, incorporating parts of neighboring Newtown and Danbury. The parish later was renamed and incorporated as the town of Brookfield in 1788, named for Rev. Thomas Brooks, the first minister of the parish's Congregational church.

History

Early people who lived in Brookfield were subsistence farmers, gatherers, and hunters. The main food sources were corn, beans, squash and wild foods found in the rocky, heavily forested foothills of the Berkshire Mountains of Brookfield and New Milford. Such wild foods that were harvested were white oak acorns, American chestnuts, shag bark hickory nuts, may apples, beach nuts and Solomon's seal. The hunted animals that were taken from the forest and rivers were deer, passenger pigeon, turkey, bass, trout, crawfish, squirrel, rabbit and others. In the 18th century the community was called "Newbury", a name that came from the three towns from which its land was taken—New Milford, Newtown, and Danbury.

As traveling to surrounding churches was difficult in winter, in 1752 the General Assembly granted the community the right to worship in area homes from September through March. In 1754, the General Assembly granted permission for the Parish of Newbury to build its own meeting house and recruit its own minister. On September 28, 1757, the first Congregational Church building was dedicated. The Reverend Thomas Brooks was ordained as the first settled minister. When incorporated in 1778, the town's name was changed to Brookfield in honor of Brooks, who was still the minister.

Along the Still River, mills were in operation as early as 1732 in an area that became known as the Iron Works District. Brookfield was a thriving town with iron furnaces, grist mills, sawmills, comb shops, carding and cotton mills, a paper mill, a knife factory, hat factories, stage-coach shops, lime kilns, harness shops and other plants in operation. The grist mill still stands, as the Brookfield Craft Center. The Iron Works Aqueduct Company, formed in 1837 to supply water from mountain springs to the Iron Works District, still supplies water as the Brookfield Water Company.

Before 1912, the town had two train stations: one in the Iron Works District near the present Brookfield Market and a second, Junction Station, near the corner of Junction Road and Stony Hill Road.

The Danbury & Bethel Gas and Electric Company brought electricity to Brookfield in 1915. The .475 Wildey Magnum gun, later made famous in the 1985 Charles Bronson movie Death Wish 3, was developed by Wildey J. Moore in Brookfield in the early 1970s (the factory has since moved to Warren, Connecticut).

In the early 1970s, the town was home to the headquarters of Lego USA.

Throughout the 1970s and late 20th century, Brookfield saw a massive influx in its population. This is attributed to New Yorkers who began relocating from the city to the suburbs. This created rapid real estate development in Brookfield, and turned Brookfield into a popular commuter town for those who work in and around New York City. The top professions of residents today are in the fields of professional, scientific, and technical services, health care, and finance and insurance. As of 2022, 88.7% of residents in the workforce hold white-collar jobs, and about 20% work remotely full-time.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which  is land and , or 2.94%, is water. It borders Bethel to the south, Newtown to the southeast, Danbury to the southwest, New Fairfield to the west, New Milford to the northwest, and Bridgewater to the northeast.

Brookfield is located between the two largest lakes in Connecticut. Candlewood Lake (the largest) spans the west side of the town, while Lake Lillinonah spans the entire east side. The Still River also runs directly through the town, flowing directionally from south to north.

Neighborhoods

The town's largest neighborhoods include:

Brookfield Town Center (known to locals as "Four Corners") is the downtown shopping district of Brookfield. The area is experiencing heavy growth and revitalization in recent years with new apartment and shopping buildings, bringing over 150 new apartments and dozens of new stores. It is also a potential site for a future railway station.
Brookfield Center is the original town center and a historic district, added NRHP, September 15, 1991). The original town hall, original general store, historic society, several churches, and an elementary school are located here.

Other named minor neighborhoods and geographic locations in the town are:
 Barkwood Falls
 Brookfield Junction
 Candlewood Lake Club
 Candlewood Orchards
 Candlewood Shores
 East Iron Works
 Huckleberry Hill
 Iron Works
 Long Meadow Hill
 Obtuse
 Pocono Ridge
 Prospect Hill
 Viva Farms
 West Iron Works
 Whisconier

Climate
Brookfield has a humid continental climate, similar to that of New York City, with mild to warm humid summers and cold to very cold winters. The highest recorded temperature was  in July 1966, while the lowest recorded temperature was  in 1968. Snowfall is generally frequent in winter while average precipitation is most common in September.

Economy

Companies in Brookfield include:
BNP Associates, an airport systems designer, is headquartered in Brookfield.
Branson Ultrasonics, a division of Emerson, is headquartered in Brookfield.
Bridgewater Chocolate, a premium chocolate manufacturer, is headquartered in Brookfield.
Cerulean Studios, an instant messaging software company, is headquartered in Brookfield.
Lego USA was formerly headquartered in Brookfield.
McMullin Manufacturing Corporation, a contract manufacturing company of precision metal stampings, fabricated metal parts and assemblies, is headquartered in Brookfield.
Millbrook Press, an international book publisher, was formerly headquartered in Brookfield.
Nordex Inc, a manufacturer of medical and robotics components, is headquartered in Brookfield.
Photronics, a major semiconductor manufacturer, is headquartered in Brookfield.
ROMTech, a medical device technology company, is headquartered in Brookfield.
Southridge Technology, an IT company, is headquartered in Brookfield.
Townsquare Media has a corporate office in Brookfield.
Trendhaven Investment Management, an investment firm, is headquartered in Brookfield.

Demographics

The 2020 US Census counted a total population of 17,528. The total number of households in Brookfield was recorded at 6,209 with an average of 2.73 persons per household. The population density was recorded at .

According to the 2020 Census, the population of Brookfield was 86.4% White, 4.2% Asian, 3.1% Black or African American, and 0.2% Pacific Islander. Individuals from two or more races made up 4.5%. In addition, Latinos of any race made up 6.5% of Brookfield's population. About 28.5% of Brookfield residents were younger than age 18 as of 2020; higher than the U.S. average of 24%. 15.1% of Brookfield residents were born outside of the United States.

As of the census of 2000, there were 15,664 people, 5,572 households, and 4,368 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 5,781 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 95.29% White, 0.76% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 2.48% Asian, 0.61% from other races, and 0.79% from two or more races. 2.37% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 5,573 households, out of which 39.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 68.1% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.6% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.18.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 27.4% under the age of 18, 4.9% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 27.8% from 45 to 64, and 10.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males, slightly under the US average. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.

In 2020, the median income for a household in the town was $128,606, and the median income for a family was $161,428. The per capita income for the town was $58,992. About 1.2% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.

Government and politics
Elected bodies in the town government are a three-member Board of Selectmen, a seven-member Board of Education, a six-member Board of Finance, a five-member Planning and Zoning Commission, three-member Board of Assessment Appeals, and a 100-member, nonpartisan Representative Town Meeting. The town has several elective offices as well: the town clerk, probate judge, registrar of voters, tax collector and treasurer.

The Board of Finance approves financial measures, including the town budget; the Board of Education controls the town's public schools; the Representative Town Meeting is the main legislative body of the town. The three selectmen are elected on a town-wide basis, although each person can only vote for two members. This assures that there will almost always be one Democrat and two Republicans or two Democrats and one Republican. Many of the town committees have equal representation between Democrats and Republicans, regardless of the vote breakdown, since each individual can only vote for half as many seats as are available.

At the state level, Brookfield is in the 107th House district, currently represented by State Rep. Martin Foncello (R). Brookfield is part of the 30th and 32nd Senate districts, currently represented by State Sen. Stephen Harding (R) of Brookfield, and State Sen. Eric Berthel (R) of Watertown. At the federal level, Brookfield is part of the 5th congressional district, which is represented by Rep. Jahana Hayes (D).

For the 2020 Presidential Election, Joe Biden (D) received the majority of votes cast by Brookfield residents.

Taxes

As of 2022, the mill rate in Brookfield is 25.88.

Education

Public schools

Brookfield High School (Grades 9–12)
Whisconier Middle School (Grades 6–8)
Candlewood Lake Elementary School (Grades Pre-K–5)

In 2021, construction began on the new Candlewood Lake Elementary School at a construction cost of $78.1 million. The school is located on the grounds of the former Huckleberry Hill School, and replaced both Huckleberry and Center School (Pre-K–5). The school opened in September 2023, in time for the 2023–24 school year.

Private schools

 St. Joseph Elementary School (Catholic School, Grades Pre-K–8; now houses the Danbury Primary School for kindergartners)
 Christian Life Academy (Christian School, Grade Pre-K)
 Country Kids Child Care (Grades Pre-K–K)
 Goddard School (Grades Pre-K–K)
 Montessori Community School (Grades Pre-K–K)
 Curtis School for Boys (All-boys boarding school open from 1883 to 1943. Starting in the 1920s, girls were allowed to enroll as day-students. The school has since become the Brookfield Theatre for the Arts.)

The Western Connecticut Academy of International Studies is a magnet school in Danbury, Connecticut, that students (Grades K–5) from Brookfield are accepted into. Students to this school are also accepted from Bethel, Redding, Ridgefield, New Fairfield, New Milford, Newtown, and other regional communities. Henry Abbott Technical High School is a public technical high school for students grades 9–12, being located in Danbury but also accepting students from other regional communities.

Many residents of Brookfield attend private schools in the Greater Danbury area, including Canterbury School (9–12), Immaculate High School (9–12) and Wooster School (Pre-K–12).

The Brookfield Craft Center is a specialized, non-degree school which teaches the skills of craftsmanship and offers courses and workshops to the general public. It is largely housed in an old historic mill house, on the Still River.

Downtown redevelopment project

For years, despite being a major economic center for retail in Fairfield County, Brookfield had lacked a walkable downtown area. Most of the large economic activity was centered on the southern portion of Federal Road near Danbury. In 2016, construction began on a project known as "Brookfield Village", which will create a downtown district consisting of sidewalks, a pocket park, street lamps, and parallel parking. Dozens of retail storefronts and residential apartment buildings (more than 150 units) are also being developed in this area, which has gained attention from retailers and will promote further development in the area. In conjunction with other retail developments on Federal Road and with the completion of Phase I of the newly revitalized district, many new restaurants, stores and boutiques have recently opened in the Town Center District.

Community and points of interest

Arts and culture

 Brookfield Arts Commission – A commission established in 1990 by the town consisting of 15 board members; the commission was created to engage in activities which are intended to promote understanding and appreciation of the arts to residents of the Town of Brookfield, encourage community participation in arts activities, coordinate information concerning artists and the arts within town, act as a liaison between artists, schools and the community, engage in activities designed to encourage local artists in demonstrating their talents, and promote activities that both entertain and enlighten. Each year, the commission awards university scholarships to town residents who are aspiring artists, or plan to pursue a career in the arts after high school.
 Brookfield Craft Center – a fine art gallery and educational center that brings arts and craftsmanship to people of all ages. Located in the former Brookfield Train Station and Brookfield Mills mill house.
 Brookfield Museum and Historical Society – founded in 1968, a museum and archive pertaining to the history of Brookfield and the New York and New England Region as a whole.
 Brookfield Public Library – located within the Brookfield Center Historic District. It is part of Bibliomation, a state-wide library consortium utilizing Evergreen in Connecticut which allows all involved libraries to share their resources, vastly increasing their collection sizes. The library was established in 1951 as the Joyce Memorial Library in the old Town Hall building on Whisconier Road using a $7,000 bequest left by Brookfield resident Daniel Clarke Joyce in 1929 to establish a library in Brookfield. The current library was constructed in 1975, and is 9,600 square feet. At this time, the former "Joyce Memorial Library" was renamed "The Brookfield Library". Several proposals have been made to construct a new library in Brookfield, due to the significant increase in population since 1975 when the current facility was constructed. In 2002, the Library Board of Trustees began the planning stage for a new library, and in 2009, a one million dollar state grant was awarded for the construction of a new library. A referendum was held in February 2018 over whether or not to begin construction on a 36,000 square foot library at a cost of 14.7 million dollars, although the motion did not pass. The Library Committee is now revising the plan, with hopes to bring a revised plan to referendum.
 Brookfield Theatre for the Arts – a theatre where community productions of various plays are held. The theatre building is part of the former Curtis School for Boys, an all-boys boarding school which closed in 1943.
 Concerts in the Park – free, public outdoor concerts at the Brookfield Bandstand (located at the town park on Pocono Rd.) are held every Friday between the months of June and August. The concerts consist of a variety of local and regional artists and music groups.
 Cotton Candy Fabrics – a fabric school with classes taught by experienced fashion designers, located at 450 Federal Rd.
 DiGrazia Vineyards – founded in 1978, a vineyard and winery located at 131 Tower Road that offers tours and wine tasting. DiGrazia is one of the three wineries in Fairfield County that are part of the Connecticut Wine Trail.
 Friends of The Arts of Brookfield – a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization established to enhance participation in the arts throughout the community. The organization also sponsors various art exhibitions, cinematic, and theatrical productions throughout Fairfield County.
 JLG Autocrib – located at 1 Sunset Hill Rd., housing a private collection of over 30 rare and vintage Porsche cars and memorabilia.
 The Pottery Factory – located at 265 Federal Rd., classes and workshops are offered for pottery, glass fusing, candle making and soap making.

Lakes
 Candlewood Lake – the largest lake in Connecticut, Candlewood spans five towns and forms the western border of Brookfield.
 Lake Lillinonah – the second largest lake in Connecticut, spanning six towns. The lake was formed by the construction of the Shepaug Dam in 1955.

Parks and beaches

 Arthur A. Harris Linear Park – a trail located alongside the Brookfield Municipal Center, connecting the property to the Still River Greenway.
 Birch Rocks Trails Preserve – located at 40A Obtuse Rd. N, the park consists of 2.5 miles of hiking trails through 175 protected acres of wooded land.
 Brookfield Municipal Center – located on Pocono Rd., location of local government offices such as the Town Hall and Police Headquarters. Also home to the Brookfield Town Park, which is Brookfield's flagship park consisting of a large playground, baseball diamond and soccer fields. Also the location of the Brookfield Bandstand, an outdoor music pavilion where concerts and shows are held in the summer.
 Brookfield Nature Center – consists of 16 acres owned by the Town of Brookfield and is managed by the Brookfield Conservation Commission. The land has a striking mix of old fields, upland woods with strands of Spruce mixed with large specimen trees of Tulip and White Oak. Merwin Brook cuts across the northwest corner of the property. The brook flows through a wooded wetland with White Ash, Elm, and Red Maple trees around it. The grassland fields are a nesting site of Bobolinks and other ground nesting birds. A careful mowing schedule is used to protect the eggs and chicks.
 Brookfield Town Beach – located on 460 Candlewood Lake Road, the facilities include swimming, basketball, sand volleyball courts, restrooms, changing facilities, BBQ grills and picnic tables. The beach also features a Lakeside Community Room which is available for reservations to host events up to 50 people. The beach is only open to residents of the Town of Brookfield and their guests for daily admission, although residents of the Town of Bethel are eligible to purchase season passes.
 Burr Farm Protected Open Space – a town-owned parcel of protected open space located at 23 Dingle Brook Road, comprising 116 acres divided into East and West parcels, along the now unused eastern end of Lake George Road.
 Cadigan Park – a park located on Candlewood Lake Rd., containing turf football and lacrosse fields, lighted basketball and tennis courts, as well as walking/biking trails. Directly across the street from the Brookfield Town Beach.
 Eriksen Farm Open Space – a town-owned parcel of protected open space located at 8 Nabby Road, comprising 20 acres of protected open fields for walking and biking.
 Gurski Farm Protected Open Space – a town-owned parcel of protected open space that connects into Williams Park via trail.
 Happy Landings Protected Open Space – a town-owned parcel of 55 protected acres of open fields and approximately 19 acres of woodland open space located along Whisconier Road (Route 25), consists of containing historic barns, wells and windmills.
 Lillinonah Woods – located at 54 Obutse Rocks Rd., the park is situated on 68 acres of land and connects to Lake Lillinonah. This park offers fishing (by permit), hiking trails, picnic tables and parking. A small beach is also located on-site.
 Old Bridge Sanctuary – located at 57 Old Bridge Rd., a park situated on 25 acres that offers hiking trails and parking.
 Still River Greenway – a paved trail through the woods used for walking and biking that connects the Brookfield Municipal Center to Brookfield Town Center. The greenway is part of a planned network that will eventually connect New Milford to Norwalk via pedestrian trails.
 Whalen Pond – located on 3 Broadview Road, a pond that is accessible for ice skating during the wintertime.
 Williams Park – a trail for walking and biking through the woods, also containing public clay tennis courts. Entrance is across the street from the Brookfield Library.

Private membership/golf clubs

 Brookfield Bay Marina – marina and yacht club located on Candlewood Lake Road, north of the Candlewood Shores neighborhood.
 Candlewood East Marina – marina and yacht club with a member clubhouse located on Candlewood Lake Road, south of the Candlewood Shores neighborhood. The property across the street from the docks formerly belonged to the Brookfield Tennis Club, an indoor, members-only tennis and athletic center.
 Candlewood Lake Club – a private community on Candlewood Lake that encompasses land and properties in both Brookfield and adjoining New Milford. It includes a country club with an 9-hole golf course, tennis courts, swimming pools and a clubhouse. Real estate ownership within the community requires residents to pay membership fees to the club and homeowner association.
 Candlewood Shores Clubhouse – a facility open to members of the Candlewood Shores Homeowner's Association, which includes private beaches and recreation centers.
 Echo Bay Marina – a private marina located north of the Candlewood Shores neighborhood, adjacent to the Brookfield Town Beach.
 Knollcrest Marina – a private community and marina located near the northern end of Candlewood Lake.
 Sunset Hill Golf Club – a public, 9-hole golf course designed by Gene Sarazen in 1936.

Recreation
All Star Indoor Batting Range – indoor batting range and softball training facility, located at 1120 Federal Road.
Aquatic Club of Brookfield – located at 94 Old State Road, the Aquatic Club has an indoor pool and recreation center offering swimming lessons and aquatic activities for all ages.
Brookfield Parks & Recreation – the Brookfield Parks & Recreation Department organizes various summer camps and popular cultural, educational, and recreational activities for town residents.
Brookfield Senior Center – a community center for Brookfield area residents over 60, located at 100 Pocono Road. The Senior Center offers social, educational, physical, creative and intergenerational programs, with the goal of promoting successful aging.
Brookfield Indoor Golf – indoor PGA golf simulators and event lounge with food and alcoholic beverages for guests, located at 195 Federal Road.
The Dive Shop Aquatic Center – an aquatic center with an indoor Olympic-size swimming pool and whirlpool, located at 439 Federal Road. The facility also has a café and fitness center for members, and offers swimming lessons and PADI-certified scuba instructions.
Escape 101 – an escape room center with five unique rooms for groups of varying sizes, located at 132 Federal Road.
The Garden Club of Brookfield – founded in 1962 and organized as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, the Garden Club of Brookfield consists of members who maintain Brookfield's many community-owned gardens. The Garden Club is part of the Federated Garden Clubs of Connecticut.
Golf Quest – located at 1 Sand Cut Road, Golf Quest is a modern driving range with digital performance tracking. The facility also has a mini golf course, indoor golf simulator and a casual restaurant & bar.
Greenknoll YMCA – located at 2 Huckleberry Hill Road, the Greenknoll Branch Regional YMCA of Western CT offers a wide variety of programs for all age groups. The facility has an indoor Olympic-size swimming pool, an indoor therapeutic pool, a seasonally-enclosed outdoor Olympic-size pool, indoor racquetball courts, indoor/outdoor basketball courts, an indoor track, playground, and a wellness center. The wellness center includes a sauna, indoor whirlpool, cardiovascular room, functional fitness room, and a multi-purpose gymnasium for activities such as yoga and taekwondo. The Y also offers multiple youth and teen summer camps, which include Camp Greenknoll, Race for Chase, and Summer Club at Grassy Plain, as well as a nursery school.
Lakeside Watersports – boat and water sports lessons on Candlewood Lake, located at Echo Bay Marina 227 Candlewood Lake Road.
Strikers of Brookfield – 32-lane bowling alley with cosmic bowling nights, a café & an old-school lounge with pool table, located at 140 Federal Road.

Scouting
Brookfield has a long history with Scouting and maintains several active scout units, including three Scouts BSA troops, Girl Scouts and a Cub Scout pack. These are as follows:
 Troop 5 – Founded in Feb 1942, Troop 5 is sponsored by St Paul's Church and meeting on Tuesday nights. The Troop camps every month and hasn't missed a month since 1964 (over 700 consecutive months, including modified campouts during the COVID Pandemic.) As the Troop starts it's 82nd year, the Troop currently has 32 Scouts registered with several soon to join the 79 names of Eagle Scouts from Troop 5 proudly displayed on a plaque in the Parish Hall. The Troop holds several Community Service projects within Brookfield every year and run a popular Christmas Tree Pickup fundraiser in early January and a Mulch Sales & Delivery fundraiser the 1st weekend in May.
 Troop 135 – Founded in 1993, Troop 135 is open to boys ages 11–18 and currently meets on Thursday nights at Huckleberry Hill Elementary School. The Troop recently celebrated its 25th Anniversary and has over 40 Eagle Scouts. The Troop runs a Wreath Sales fundraiser each holiday season.
 Troop 235 – Founded in 2019, Troop 235 is the town's first Scouts BSA Girl Troop open to girls ages 11–18. The Troop currently meets on Thursday nights at Huckleberry Hill Elementary School.
 Pack 135 –  Brookfield currently has a single Pack which has over 60 boys ages 7–11. Dens for each grade have meetings 1 or 2 times each month with a full Pack meeting once a month.
 Girl Scouts – There are several Girl Scout troops in town with girls from kindergarten thru to seniors in Brookfield High School. Each grade-appropriate Troop of typically 6-12 girls stays together throughout their Scouting year.

Annual events
 Brookfield Town Center Block Party – held the first Sunday of June, the Block Party is an annual street fair held in the heart of Brookfield's Town Center District, bringing together residents and visitors alike for a day of festive fun and entertainment. With a vibrant mix of local vendors, live music performances, and engaging activities for all ages, this street fair celebrates the spirit and diversity of the neighborhood, creating lasting memories and fostering a sense of unity. The event is organized by the Brookfield Town Center 4 Business, a consortium of local businesses in the district.
 Easter Egg Hunt – the Parks and Recreation Department holds an Egg Hunt every year in the Municipal Center on the Sunday that Easter falls on.
 Farmers Market – held on Fridays from 3PM to 6PM at the Brookfield Municipal Center throughout the Summer months. Vendors include farmers offering organic non-GMO fruits and vegetables, and local artisans from the tri-state area and New England.
 Halloween Run – held every year the weekend before Halloween; begins at the Municipal Center.
 Holiday Tree Lighting – held the first weekend of December, 5:00 pm to 7:30 pm. The town lights its Holiday Tree in the Brookfield Municipal Center this time every year. Kids can also sit on Santa's lap, and free hot chocolate and cookies are provided in the Town Hall.
 Indie Film Festival – every year in March, the Brookfield Arts Commission holds a festival lasting three days, consisting of short and foreign films.
 Fire Dept. Kid's Day – held the first weekend of June, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The fire company offers fire prevention and safety for the whole community. The membership provides demonstrations and practice for getting out alive through the use of a fire safety trailer, stop, drop and roll, and dialing 9-1-1 in the event of an emergency. They also team with outside agencies including the Brookfield Police Department to speak with residents about car seat safety and the importance of seat belts as well as the local Rotary Club to photograph children for the Amber Alert program. Kids and adults get to "dress up" in firefighter's gear–feeling the actual weight that firefighter's must carry. This also includes rides on two restored 1930's fire trucks owned by the department.
 Memorial Day Parade – takes place on Memorial Day Weekend, running through the Brookfield Center Historic District. The parade consists of vintage and modern emergency vehicles, classic cars and supercars, and floats from various local and regional organizations.
 Mother's Day 5k – The Parks & Rec Department holds an annual 5K on Mother's Day starting at Brookfield High School. Hundreds of runners and walkers from the region attend.
 Relay For Life 5k – held each year in June at Brookfield High School.
 St. Baldrick's Foundation fundraiser – held every year in March at Brookfield High School.

Rankings

Known as an affluent Fairfield County suburb, Brookfield has regularly placed high in various rankings. Brookfield was selected as the best small town in Connecticut by Money magazine in 2013. It was selected as the 26th best town to live in nationwide by Money.com in 2013. In 2017, MarketWatch ranked the Greater Danbury area as the 10th most expensive place to raise a family in the United States. Brookfield Public Schools are frequently ranked as one of the best school districts in Connecticut. Brookfield is also frequently ranked as one of the safest towns in Connecticut, due to its extremely low crime rates. In 2015, Connecticut Magazine rated Brookfield as one of the best among towns in Connecticut with median home values over $325,000. The rating considers education, crime, economy, community engagement, and culture/leisure.

Notable people

Partially due to Brookfield's close proximity to New York City, Brookfield has seen many notable residents ranging from famous golfer Gene Sarazen to Connecticut's 87th governor Jodi Rell. Many finance and business executives also reside in Brookfield, due to the centralization of investment firms  and hedge funds in Fairfield County, as well as many Fortune 500 companies.

In popular culture

The 2021 movie The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It is based on the 1981 trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson. This was the first murder case in all of Brookfield's history.
Scenes from the 1968 movie Rachel, Rachel were filmed in Brookfield.
The 1988–1989 TV series Michaels' Movie Madness was shot in Brookfield.
The short film Innocence was mostly filmed in Brookfield.
In the 1941 film The Lady Eve, starring Henry Fonda and Barbara Stanwyck, Fonda's character hosts lavish parties in a fictional town called Bridgefield, Connecticut, right outside of New York. This fictional town is based on either the town of Brookfield, Ridgefield or Bridgewater, as they have similar sounding names and fit this demographic at the time.
Arcadia Publishing created an Images of America book detailing the History of Brookfield, composed by Marilyn S. Whittlesey.
Annals of Brookfield, Fairfield County, Connecticut was written by Emily C. Hawley, and published in 1929.

Transportation

Highways

Interstate 84 and U.S. Route 7 are the main highways in Brookfield. From the South, US 7 and US 202 jointly exit Interstate 84 at Exit 7 near Danbury. To the South, US 7 connects to the Merritt Parkway and Interstate 95 in Norwalk. US 202 then splits from US 7 at Exit 11, and runs parallel north through town before reconnecting with US 7 near the New Milford border. For many years, US 7 and US 202 ran concurrently through Brookfield but, after decades of discussion and planning, the US 7 Bypass officially opened on November, 2009. The Governor of Connecticut at the time was Jodi Rell (R), a Brookfield resident.

Connecticut Route 133 connects Brookfield to its eastern neighbor Bridgewater over the iconic Southville Bridge, which spans the Housatonic River. Connecticut Route 25 also connects Brookfield with Newtown and its Hawleyville neighborhood to the southeast, passing by Interstate 84 and terminating at US 6. Interstate 84 passes through the southern tip of Brookfield, but is most directly accessible through Exit 9 in Hawleyville.

Brookfield is located along U.S. Bicycle Route 7, which runs from Norwalk, Connecticut, to the border between Vermont and Quebec.

Buses
The town is part of the "4 Route", "7 Route" and "New Milford Loop", which are operated by Housatonic Area Regional Transit (HART). A park and ride is located at 67 White Turkey Road Ext., and offers connections to nearby bus and train stations as well as nearby airports. HART operates a direct shuttle for commuters between the park and ride and Brewster station from 5 AM to 10 PM on weekdays.

Railroad

Until 1971, the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad (later the Penn Central Railroad) operated commuter service between Grand Central Terminal and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, which included a stop in Brookfield. Brookfield's station building is currently occupied by the Brookfield Craft Center, which ceased to operate as a station in 1971 when service ended. There was also a station on Stony Hill Road known as Brookfield Junction, which closed in 1925.

Proposals have been made to extend the New Haven Line's Danbury Branch to New Milford, which would include a Brookfield Metro-North station. The Danbury Branch provides commuter rail service between Danbury, to South Norwalk, Stamford, and Grand Central Terminal in New York City. The tracks north of Danbury are currently used by the Housatonic Railroad for freight service. This extension would give Brookfield's significant population of commuters another way to travel to Lower Fairfield County and New York City, since they must currently leave from the nearby Danbury station or other stations along the New Haven or Harlem Lines, such as Brewster station (located 12 miles from Brookfield).

Airports
The closest public airport to Brookfield is Danbury Municipal Airport, being located in neighboring Danbury. Brookfield is within close proximity of several airports with commercial service, including Westchester County Airport, Bradley International Airport, Tweed New Haven Airport and NYC airports of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Emergency services

Fire Department and EMS
The town of Brookfield has two volunteer fire companies in town staffing three stations, with the headquarters for the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Company being at 92 Pocono Rd, the Center Company at 6 Obtuse Hill Rd and the Brookfield Volunteer Fire Department Candlewood Company at 18 Bayview Dr. The department was founded in 1934, and is composed entirely of volunteers.

Police Department

The Brookfield Police Department Headquarters is located at 63 Silvermine Rd, adjacent to the Brookfield Municipal Center. The department was established on July 1, 1977, and as of 2017, consists of 34 full-time officers, 6 special officers and 12 full and part-time civilian personnel. The Department Command Staff consists of the chief of police, a major and a captain. There is a Patrol Division, a Detective Division, including a youth officer and two school resource officers, and part-time SCUBA Team, Accident Investigation Team, tactical response technicians with the Danbury Police Department, and part-time evidence technicians. Brookfield has plans to expand the current police headquarters, citing a growth in the population served, as well as the size of the police force.

Media
WINE-AM 940; 1,000 watts; CBS Sports Radio affiliated station
WRKI-FM 95.1; 50,000 watts; the station has a "mainstream rock" format and covers Fairfield, Litchfield, New Haven counties in Connecticut and Putnam, Dutchess, Westchester counties in New York
The Brookfield Community Gazette is the town's local newspaper. The Brookfield Daily Voice and The Brookfield Patch are the two most prominent local online newspapers. The News-Times is the most prominent newspaper serving the Greater Danbury area, and reports on local news in Brookfield.
Brookfield's public-access channels are channels 162 (education) and 164 (community), and are made available by Charter Spectrum.
News 12 Connecticut is the local cable news station serving Fairfield County, and covers local news in Brookfield. The town is part of the New York City media market for news and entertainment, and most networks for the Hartford-New Haven market are provided alongside New York TV stations.

References

External links

Town of Brookfield official website
Brookfield Chamber of Commerce

Brookfield, Connecticut
Towns in Fairfield County, Connecticut
Towns in the New York metropolitan area
Towns in Connecticut
Populated places established in 1788
1788 establishments in Connecticut
Towns in Western Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut

Brookfield, Connecticut


The tapaculos  or tapacolos  are a family, Rhinocryptidae, of small suboscine passerine birds, found mainly in  South America and with the highest diversity in the Andean regions. Three species (Chocó, Tacarcuna, and the silvery-fronted) are found in southern Central America.

Description

Tapaculos are small to medium-sized birds, with a total length ranging from 10–24 cm (4–9½ in). These are terrestrial species that fly only poorly on their short wings. They have strong legs, well-suited to their habitat of grassland or forest undergrowth. The tail is cocked and pointed towards the head, and the name tapaculo probably derives from Spanish for loincloth (literally "cover your ass" --because it ought to). Another possible explanation is that it originates from the Chilean name for the white-throated tapaculo, simply tapaculo, which is an onomatopoeic reference to its commonly heard song.

While the majority of the family are small blackish or brown birds there are some larger and more colourful species. All tapaculos are skulking birds that frequently stay low in dense vegetation, even the larger, colorful species, and this renders them difficult to see. They are best located and – in the case of Scytalopus spp. – identified by their vocalisations.

They feed on insects, seeds and other soft plant material with their pointed bills, and will scratch on the ground like a pheasant.

Most species lay two or three white eggs in a covered location, whether it be a burrow, a hole in a tree, or a domed nest.

Status and conservation
Some species have highly localized distributions and, being poor fliers, they easily become isolated in small populations. BirdLife International currently (2007) consider one species vulnerable (Scytalopus panamensis), three species endangered (S. iraiensis, S. rodriguezi and S. robbinsi), and two species critically endangered (Eleoscytalopus psychopompus and Merulaxis stresemanni). The two critically endangered species are restricted to Atlantic forest of eastern Brazil, and were only recently rediscovered after several years without any records.

Taxonomy

The tapaculos were traditionally placed in a distinct family Rhinocryptidae; more recent research indicates that according to analysis of mt and nDNA sequence data, the tapaculos might be better merged into the Formicariidae as tribe Rhinocryptini, as they are closer to the antthrushes than either is to the true antpittas.

An alternative family name Pteroptochidae, has been used historically.

The phylogenetic tree shown below is based on a large-scale genetic study of the suboscines by Michael Harvey and collaborators that was published in 2020. The species numbers are from the list maintained by the International Ornithologists' Union (IOC).

The species-limits within the genus Scytalopus have historically been difficult to determine. The birds are highly cryptic, and identification using visual features often is impossible. Vocal and biochemical data is typically needed to clarify the taxonomic status of the various populations. Several new species have been described in recent years (e.g. S. whitneyi and S. frankeae from Peru). The Brazilian taxa are similarly complex with several recently described species and considerable confusion surrounding the use of the scientific name Scytalopus speluncae.

Additionally, still undescribed species are known to exist, while some species as currently defined actually may include several species (e.g. the southern population of the large-footed tapaculo may represent a yet undescribed species). The confusing situation is perhaps best illustrated by the fact that only ten species were recognized in this genus in 1970, while the figure now is more than four times as high.

References

Cited sources

External links

Tapaculo videos on the Internet Bird Collection

Formicariidae
Higher-level bird taxa restricted to the Neotropics

Taxa named by Alexander Wetmore

Tapaculo


The Ascot cap, also known as the Coffey cap or Lippincott cap, is a  men's hard cap similar to the flat cap, but distinguished by its hardness and rounded shape. Ascot caps are typically made from fur or wool felt and worn in the fall or winter, but straw Ascots also exist for warmer weather.

Unlike the flat cap, the inside is not lined with silk but the closed in design and softness of felt still provides comfort and warmth. The style dates back to 1900.

See also
Coppola cap
Flat cap
Newsboy cap

References

Caps
British clothing

Ascot cap


Ngol, or Dance de Gaulle, was a syncretic messianic sect that emerged in northern Moyen-Congo around 1950. The cult organized itself copying the ecclesiastical hierarchy of the mission churches. The name ngol was derived from Charles de Gaulle and the Kikongo word 'ngolo' (meaning 'power').

In a few months it had spread across Moyen-Congo and to southern Gabon. The ngol movement gathered many Bakongo youth, in revolt against tribal elders. The leaders of the movement were jailed or exiled for engaging in violence, and the movement soon ebbed out. Moreover, the use of the name of de Gaulle caused confusion as he was identified with the French authorities.

See also

 Religion in Gabon
 Religion in the Republic of the Congo

References

Religion in the Republic of the Congo
Religion in Gabon
French Equatorial Africa
Charles de Gaulle

Ngol