Amusement Parks and West View Park

[brathke at juno.com]

Growing up on the North Side, it was natural that my family went to West
View Park at least once or twice a summer via trolley.  The connection
between routes 5 and 10 was downtown, so to save time we'd walk down the
"City Steps" from Buente St. to East St., and catch the 10-West View car
there; returning at night we'd ride the 10-West View car downtown and
catch the 5-Spring Hill there.  I remember a couple of times when the
evening connection wasn't convenient, and we got off the 10 car on East
St. and walked up Spring Hill (we lived near the top of the hill).  

A couple of other recollections:

- We saw the 10-West View trolley as a preview to our rides at the park. 
Thanks to rough track, the trolley ride could be a bit of an amusement
park ride itself.  We called the PRW that bypassed Perrysville Ave. just
south of Keating, "The Dips".  The motormen always floored it there, and
although I never experienced a derailment, I remember one trip when our
picnic lunch basket tipped over and a couple of tomatoes rolled down the
aisle of the car.

- Each Summer in the 1940's, the North Side Businessmen's Assn. (mainly
merchants on E. Ohio St.) held a community day at West View Park.  My
family went to the picnic in 1947, and in my excitement I tripped and
fell on a broken glass pop bottle near the main stage.  I got a 3" gash
in my right hand, and so the Park nurse sent us to the doctor - on the
North Side - for stitches.  In those days, emergency treatment wasn't
what it is today - no need for an ambulance or a hospital emergency room.
 So, we boarded a 10-West View trolley for the trip to the North Side. 
It was a low-floor orange car, and I remember the rocking ride, the open
windows and the safety grills.  I survived, although I still have the
scar on my hand.

- Being on the other side of the universe, we went to Kennywood maybe
ever other year.  The last time I rode the 68 trolley there was the
summer of 1957, although I photographed it on a trip to Kennywood by auto
in 1958.  It was a LONG ride, but we always enjoyed it.

Bob 10/7

-----------------------------

> > I'm wondering, though: it all arose out of an item about 
> Kennywood,
> > but nobody ever made any reference to West View. Is there a
> > south side bias in this group?
> >
> > D2

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