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25 women created gorgeous Valentines arrangement while enjoying rosé prosecco, bon bons by Carolyn's Absolutely Fabulous Events, and time with friends old and new. Image courtesy of Mary Wade, Leap Year Images < Back Valentine's Flower Arranging - February 10, 2022 25 women created gorgeous Valentines arrangement while enjoying rosé prosecco, bon bons by Carolyn's Absolutely Fabulous Events, and time with friends old and new. Image courtesy of Mary Wade, Leap Year Images Previous Next

Charlotte Amalie, USVI < Back Virgin Islands Charlotte Amalie, USVI 1956 Established: Size: 14,737 acres Visitors: 112,287 in 2018 Summary Wildlife Sounds of the Park Things to Do When to Visit Ties to Stephen Mather Fun Fact Previous Next

Denali Borough, AK < Back Denali Denali Borough, AK 1917 Established: Size: 4,740,911 acres Visitors: 427,562 in 2022 Summary Denali National Park and Preserve, formerly known as Mount McKinley National Park, is a national park and preserve located in Interior Alaska, United States, centered on Denali, the highest mountain in North America. The park and contiguous preserve encompass 6,045,153 acres (9,446 sq mi; 24,464 km2) which is larger than the state of New Hampshire. On December 2, 1980, 2,146,580-acre (3,354 sq mi; 8,687 km2) Denali Wilderness was established within the park. Denali's landscape is a mix of forest at the lowest elevations, including deciduous taiga, with tundra at middle elevations, and glaciers, snow, and bare rock at the highest elevations. The longest glacier is the Kahiltna Glacier. Wintertime activities include dog sledding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling. The park received 594,660 recreational visitors in 2018. Wildlife Caribou Golden eagle Grizzly bear Wolf Sounds of the Park Things to Do Visitors at Denali National Park can hike, hike, camp, birdwatch, or go mountaineering. In the winter, visitors can snowmobile, cross-country ski, or dog sled. When to Visit Denali National Park has a subarctic climate with long, cold, snowy winters and short, mild summers. Due to the greatest number of activities being offered in the summer, it is the best time of year to visit. Ties to Stephen Mather Fun Fact About 16% of Denali National Park's area is covered by glaciers. Previous Next

Lone Pine, CA < Back Death Valley Lone Pine, CA 1994 Established: Size: 3,422,024 acres Visitors: 1,128,862 in 2022 Summary Wildlife Sounds of the Park Things to Do When to Visit Ties to Stephen Mather Fun Fact Previous Next

Twentynine Palms, CA < Back Joshua Tree Twentynine Palms, CA 1994 Established: Size: 795,156 acres Visitors: 3,058,294 in 2022 Summary Wildlife Sounds of the Park Things to Do When to Visit Ties to Stephen Mather Fun Fact Previous Next

A Journey through the National Parks < Back Jonathan Waterman - November 16, 2022 A Journey through the National Parks Previous Next

Back in the 18th century, some things were the same (three meals a day, sleeping and playing), but some things were VERY different! The family operated a farm and everyone had to help. They got up really early in the morning to do chores - like milking the cows and collecting the eggs. If kids were lucky, they went to school. They had toys, but definitely no video games - have you seen jumping jacks? the ball and cup? and marbles? KIDS AT MATHER The Mather Homestead Foundation is dedicated to bringing history to life for kids of all ages through various programs. Click on "more" for more info. Tours Tours of the house are customized for kids to be interactive and fun. Learn about Revolutionary War History and Stephen Mather, the first Director of the National Park Service. We are happy to follow up the tour with a scavenger hunt which will lead kids around the property in search of silver! By appointment. Become a Junior Docent! We invite kids to learn an abbreviated tour of the house and then to lead others through the house! We will provide you with tour materials and you invite your family/friends to tour. Events for kids We have many events geared towards educating kids while having fun. Events include kids book club, Night at the Museum, Fall Harvest Festival and more. MORE Visit the Homestead for a customized program We offer programs for kids which can be scheduled at any time. Great for homeschool groups, play groups, scouts, etc. MORE Teen Board The Mather Homestead teen board, now in its second year, offers high schoolers (grades 9 to 12) an opportunity to both contribute to and learn from this treasured National Historic Landmark. MORE Essay Contest The Teen Board will chose an essay topic each fall with November deadline for submissions. Open to middle schoolers. MORE UPCOMING EVENTS FOR KIDS No events at the moment

Another fun evening of creating holiday wreaths and centerpieces while sipping on holiday beverages! < Back Holiday Greenery - Nov. 30, 2022 Another fun evening of creating holiday wreaths and centerpieces while sipping on holiday beverages! Previous Next

Humboldt County, CA < Back Redwood Humboldt County, CA 1968 Established: Size: 139,091 acres Visitors: 458,400 in 2022 Summary Wildlife Sounds of the Park Things to Do When to Visit Ties to Stephen Mather Fun Fact Previous Next

Friends Divided: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson < Back Gordon Wood - April 24, 2019 Friends Divided: John Adams and Thomas Jefferson Previous Next

Otero County, NM < Back White Sands Otero County, NM 2019 Established: Size: 145,762 acres Visitors: 705,127 in 2022 Summary Wildlife Sounds of the Park Things to Do When to Visit Ties to Stephen Mather Fun Fact Previous Next

Stephen Tyng Mather (1867-1930) Early Life (1867-1887) Stephen Tyng Mather, the great-grandson of Deacon Joseph Mather who built the Mather Homestead in 1778, was born on July 4, 1867 in Berkeley, California. He was named after the prominent New York Episcopal Minister, Stephen Tyng, who married his parents, Joseph W. Mather and Bertha Walker Mather, three years earlier in New York. Another son, Josie, was born in 1869. He passed at the age of 19 from spinal meningitis. Mather was educated at Boys' High School (now Lowell High School) in San Francisco, and graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1887. While Mather grew up in California, he spent summers at the Mather Homestead in Darien, CT and considered it his "true home." He loved the outdoors and spent much time both in California and Connecticut exploring. Mather was attracted to nature in part because he found it helpful in moderating the debilitating bouts of chronic depression from which he privately suffered, while presenting to the world as ever- charming, friendly and garrulous. The New York Sun (1887-1893) Mather worked as a journalist for the New York Sun for five years following his graduation from Berkeley in 1887. By family lore, he met Jane Thacker Floy of Elizabeth, New Jersey whose father did not think journalism was a suitable career for his daughter. Mather left journalism in 1893 and joined the Borax Company where his father worked. Jane Thacker Floy (1868-1944) Jane Thacker Floy was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey on February 7, 1868. She and Stephen Mather were married in October 12, 1893 in New York City. She gave birth to one daughter, Bertha in 1906. Following her husband's death in 1930, she lived with her daughter's family at the Mather Homestead until her death. She passed on August 19, 1944 and is buried in the Mather Cemetery on Stephen Mather Road. 20 Mule Team Borax (1893-1914) After leaving the New York Sun in 1893, Mather joined the Pacific Coast Borax Company, where his father worked, in the New York office. In 1894, he moved with his new wife to Chicago, where he established a distribution center for the company. Mather proved to be a marketing genius and is credited with creating the slogan "20 Mule Team Borax" which propelled Borax to become a household name throughout the country. In 1898, Mather helped his friend, Thomas Thorkildsen, start another borax company. After suffering a severe episode of bipolar disorder in 1903 and having his salary withheld during extended sick leave, Mather resigned from Pacific Coast and joined Thorkildsen full-time in 1904. They named their firm the Thorkildsen-Mather Borax Company. Their company became prosperous, and they were millionaires by 1914. He then retired to pursue his interest - the National Parks. 1904 Trip to Europe Mather’s interest in national parks was influenced by a 1904 trip to Europe he took with his wife, Jane. Climbing the Swiss Alps and seeing how accessible they were to visitors inspired Mather to bring this model to park management in the United States. On his return, he became a dedicated conservationist, a friend and admirer of the influential John Muir, joined the Sierra Club, and climbed Mount Rainier. Through his activities in the Sierra Club, Mather made numerous allies who supported the creation of the National Park Service. In 1916, the Sierra Club made him an honorary vice-president. Note: vintage photo of the alps from "The Alps 1900. A Portrait in Color" published by Taschen. Assistant to the Secretary of the Interior - 1915 Mather traveled to Yosemite in 1914 and noticed the abysmal conditions of the park which were then managed by the US Army: bumpy, dangerous roads, inadequate lodging, cattle and sheep grazing and destroying pristine meadows, plus logging, hunting, mining and more. Mather wrote a letter to Secretary of the Interior Franklin K. Lane, also from the University of Berkeley, espousing the deplorable conditions in the park. He received a letter back stating, "Dear Steve, If you don't like the way the parks are being run, come on down to Washington and run them yourself." And so he did. Mather went to Washington and became Assistant Secretary of the Interior in January 1915 and tirelessly made the case for the National Park Service. The Mather Mountain Party - 1915 In his first 12 months as special assistant for national park concerns to the Secretary of the Interior, Mather worked the corridors of Washington, D.C., traveled 30,000 miles and hosted one of the most spectacular lobbying sessions in American history. Nineteen politicians, businessmen, and scientists, along with the vice-president of the Southern Pacific Railroad, the editor of National Geographic, the president of the American Museum of Natural History and a congressman, who later became the Speaker of the House, accepted Mather’s invitation for a two-week camping trip in July of 1915 through the Sierra Nevada mountains. Known as the Mather Mountain Party, the purpose of the trip was to lobby this captive audience to support the creation of the National Park Service. Mather paid for the entire trip, hiring touring cars, horses, mules, and providing everyone with the latest in camping comfort–an air mattress. He hired a cook to prepare gourmet meals served on white linen tablecloths with fine china in remote areas of the park. In addition to having a memorable experience, the members of the Mountain Party saw the poor conditions of the campsites, the barely passable roads, the vulnerability of the ancient Sequoia groves to logging interests, and how grazing cattle were decimating meadows. At the end of the trip, Mather said to the group: "I think the time has come … that I should confess why I wanted you to come along with me on this adventure–not only for your interesting company, but to hope you’d see the significance of these mountains in the whole picture of what we are trying to do. Hopefully you will take this message and spread it throughout the land in your own avenue and style." In the end, Mather’s charisma coupled with the amazing scenery of the Sierra Nevada mountains created a memorable trip that won everyone over. “If he was out to make a convert,” one participant said of Mather, “the subject never knew what hit him.” Back in Washington, D. C., the men from the Mather Mountain Party lobbied successfully to create the National Park Service. Director of the National Park Service On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Organic Act, thereby creating the National Park Service. Mather was appointed its first director in May of 1917. During his tenure, and working closely with his assistant Horace Albright, Mather created a professional and highly respected organization to administer the parks, including a cadre of Park Rangers to oversee the parks and educate visitors. He expanded the parks, nearly doubling the land in the system to include some of the nation’s best-known natural wonders and landscapes such as Grand Canyon, Zion, Hawaii Volcanoes, Denali, Acadia, Hot Springs, and Shenandoah. Mather hired, with his own funds, Robert Sterling Yard, a former co-worker at The New York Sun and friend, to publicize the parks and promote American tourism. He initiated the development of lodges and campsites, as well as railroad access and new roadways to make the park lands accessible. He even contributed generously to the parks from his personal fortune. Mather was firm in preventing private development in the parks that would mar their natural beauty. He built public appreciation for preserving and publicized the nation’s natural beauty and history. MORE about Stephen Mather and the history of the National Parks. The Mather Homestead (1906-1930) In 1906, Mather became the sole owner of the house and 22 acres following the passing of his father, Joseph Wakeman Mather, in 1905. He immediately made changes to the house, giving the house a more Colonial Revival appearance, building a barn, a cottage for a gardener, and in 1909, establishing a sunken garden designed by Walter Burleigh Griffin who went on to design Canberra, Australia's new capital city. In 1927, Mather nearly doubled the size of the house using architect Thomas Harlan Elliott. He added a porch to the side of the house and a two-story addition to the rear included a modern kitchen with bedrooms upstairs, and the portico over the main entrance was renovated. The interior of the house retained its original character and finishes during these renovations except for the old kitchen ("keeping room"), which was converted into a living room. Death and Legacy Stephen Mather suffered a heart attack in 1927, ten years after he became director of the NPS. A month later, he was mountain climbing and back at his desk maintaining his frantic work schedule. One year later, he suffered a massive stroke that left him incapacitated, forcing him to retire. He died on January 22, 1930 and is buried in the family cemetery on Stephen Mather Road in Darien. He left behind a huge legacy. Stephen Mather recognized the need for and met the challenge of creating a National Park system. He expanded the park lands and created the first parks in the East (Shenandoah and Acadia). He established professionals to manage the parks - the National Park Rangers who are among the most respected professionals in our country. He prevented industries from destroying park resources for their own gain. Most importantly, he welcomed Americans to the parks and encouraged them to experience the natural wonders of their country. His life is well summarized — on a series of bronze markers which were posthumously cast in his honor and distributed through many parks: "He laid the foundation of the National Park Service, defining and establishing the policies under which its areas shall be developed and conserved, unimpaired for future generations. There will never come an end to the good he has done . . ." More about STM and the National Parks We've created a timeline of the National Parks. Click here . He laid the foundation of the National Park Service, defining and establishing the policies under which its areas shall be developed and conserved unimpaired for future generations. There will never come and end to the good that he has done. Stephen Tyng Mather Photo Gallery stephenhorse IMG_4211 scan0001_Page_01 stephenhorse 1/52 The Ted Mack Radio Hour! A record player with a single vinyl record was found in the Mather Homestead cabinet -- the record includes 2 1/2 minutes honoring Stephen Mather from the 1951 Ted Mack Hour. Take a listen! Donn's blog tells more. 1951-06-04 Stephen Mather Tribute, ETC Side A copy Artist Name 00:00 / 02:40 Just for fun: VINTAGE BORAX ADS The National Parks: America's Best Idea The National Parks: America's Best Idea is a 2009 six-episode series produced by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan and written by Dayton Duncan. Episode 3: The Empire of Grandeur (1915-1919) pays tribute Stephen Mather. Available on amazon prime video. Stephen Mather Videos from Harpers Ferry In 2025, the Mather Homestead Foundation acquired Stephen Mather's personal videos from Harpers Ferry, the archival arm of the NPS. Take a look below! https://vimeo.com/1063671326