W8USR - Special Events

Muscoot Farm Spring Fest On-Air Activation

The Special Event

This Amateur Radio special event took place over the Memorial Day holiday weekend in 2006. The 1x1 callsign used for the event was W2F, issued jointly via the American Radio Relay League (ARRL) and the FCC to grant operating authorization for a temporary radio station celebrating local heritage. The location of the physical activation was at Muscoot Farm in Katonah/Somers, New York, within Westchester County. During the event, I was able to make a solid contact with an on-site operator named Ray on the 20-meter band.

The History of Muscoot Farm

Alfred B. DelBello Muscoot Farm is a historic, 777-acre interpretive county park managed by Westchester County Parks. It preserves and replicates the daily agricultural operations of an early 20th-century "gentleman's farm."

A Gentleman's Farm: In the 1880s, Ferdinand T. Hopkins, a wealthy New York City pharmaceutical executive, purchased several smaller subsistence farms and unified them into a cohesive summer estate and hobby farm. Hopkins took these subsistence farms and developed them into a "Gentleman's Farm"—a term applied to hobby farms owned by wealthy businessmen who wished to maintain a connection with nature or with the farm life of their youth.

The Dairy Era: From 1880 until 1967, the estate operated primarily as a prominent dairy supplier for New York City, leveraging regional rail links to ship fresh farm goods down to the metropolitan area.

County Preservation: Westchester County officially acquired the property in 1967, opening it as a public park in 1975 to preserve local agricultural heritage as modern suburban development rapidly replaced nearby traditional farmlands.

Modern Features & Key Attractions

Historic Outbuildings: Visitors can tour more than a dozen original, fully restored late-19th-century farm buildings. These include the Milk House, Ice House, Blacksmith Shop, and the Carriage House. The Main House regularly doubles as an art gallery featuring regional artists.

Rare Breed Livestock: The grounds house historical and minor rare breeds of cattle, sheep, goats, horses, donkeys, pigs, and poultry, providing a living window into early agricultural history.

Hiking Trails: The property encompasses 6 to 7 miles of wide, well-marked walking trails that wind through scenic fields, woodlands, and wetlands—ideal for regional bird watching and family-friendly wildlife observation.

Station Log: Contact History

Date / Year	Special Event Call	My Callsign Used	Time (UTC)	Frequency	Band	Mode	RST	Operator's Name
May 28, 2006	W2F	W8USR	15:46 UTC	14.265 MHz	20 Meters	SSB	58	Ray