Deal Test Site facts for kids
The Deal Test Site, now known as Joe Palaia Park, is a large park located in Ocean Township, New Jersey.
This park started as a farm called Foxburst Farm. In 1919, a company called Western Electric (which was part of AT&T) bought 63 acres of this land. Later, in 1927, AT&T bought even more land, adding another 145 acres. The park is surrounded by three main roads: Deal Road, Whalepond Road, and Dow Avenue.
Contents
Early Radio Experiments
After World War I, AT&T used this site for exciting experiments. They wanted to send wireless messages from ships to the shore along the Jersey Shore. They built five tall radio towers. These towers were used to broadcast speech and music up to 1,000 miles away! In 1921, a two-story white building was built. This building served as a laboratory for engineers and also had rooms for them to stay in.
Developing New Technologies
Throughout the 1930s, scientists at the site worked with Bell Labs. They researched how to use shorter radio waves for sending messages. This research was very important! It led to the creation of microwave radio relay systems. These systems were used to carry long-distance phone calls across the country for many years. Later, fiber-optic communication was developed by Bell Labs. This new technology eventually replaced the microwave systems.
Tracking Missiles and Satellites
In the 1950s and 1960s, the Deal Test Site played a role in the Space Race. It was used to keep an eye on missiles and satellites launched from Cape Kennedy in Florida. The site was very important in helping to develop the first weather satellites, called TIROS-1 and TIROS-2.
In 1953, AT&T sold the test site. The new owners then leased the land to the U.S. Army Signal Corps. The Army used it to track satellites. They had a large dish antenna, 28 feet wide, on top of a 40-foot tower. This antenna was used to pick up signals from early Russian satellites like Sputnik 1 and Sputnik 2. You can still see the large circular concrete base of this antenna today!
In the 1960s, the Army used the site to send the very first photograph by facsimile (which we now call a fax) to Puerto Rico. They did this using the Courier satellite.
Ancient Discoveries
Long before it became a test site, something very old was found here. In 1823 or 1824, a mastodon was dug up from a peat bog on the south side of Poplar Brook. Mastodons were ancient, elephant-like animals that lived a long time ago. Other fossils were also found along the brook.
Joe Palaia Park Today
In the 1970s, the site was used for summer plays on an outdoor stage.
In the 1990s, the Deal Test Site was renamed Joe Palaia Park. Today, it has about 3 miles of paved paths for walking or biking. The park also has soccer and baseball fields. There's a big festival ground where the township holds events and cultural festivals.
The park has even hosted important running events, like the USA Track & Field (USATF) USA 40 km Racewalking championships. Many festivals happen here throughout the year, including the Italian American Festival. This festival attracts over 100,000 visitors in just five days!
