Filed Under Rikers Timeline
1939: New York World’s Fair Halts Use of Rikers as Landfill
On April 30th the New York World’s Fair opens in Queens. Entitled “The World of Tomorrow,” the fair will be visited by more than 44 million people from all over the world. The fair’s planning is plagued by fears that toxic fumes and odors wafting from Rikers Island (after 30 years of serving as the primary location for the city’s waste) will deter visitors. Robert Moses, who is Parks Commissioner at the time, devises a plan to halt the use of the island as a landfill and cover the millions of cubic yards of garbage and ash. Creator: This timeline is a collaboration between visual artist Isaac Scott and historian Dr. Shana Russell. Date: 1939
On April 30th the New York World’s Fair opens in Queens. Entitled “The World of Tomorrow,” the fair will be visited by more than 44 million people from all over the world. The fair’s planning is plagued by fears that toxic fumes and odors wafting from Rikers Island (after 30 years of serving as the primary location for the city’s waste) will deter visitors. Robert Moses, who is Parks Commissioner at the time, devises a plan to halt the use of the island as a landfill and cover the millions of cubic yards of garbage and ash.