[PRCo] Re: pix of Eldora Park

[Fred Schneider]

The voods ver vool of amusement parks in the olden times!

Yes, many were built as an adjunct to the railways that served  
them.   And many of the electric railways sold them into private  
hands when they discovered that it took a lot of expertise to run a  
park and detracted from running a trolley company during the  
summer.   It was probably better to let some other fool have the  
headaches.

West Penn had Olympia in Uniontown and Oakford in Jeanette and  
Christy in McKeesport and one other one I can't r'mem'er south of  
McKeesport and one near Latrobe and one in Kittanning.   And Mozart  
in Wheeling.   I'm probably forgetting because I'm just writing off  
the top of my head.

Pittsburgh Railways served West View, Kennywood, Eldora, White City  
and one whose name slips my mind that was up on the 78 line outside  
of Wilkinsburg.

Even here in Lancaster, Pennsylvania ... just a small city ...  
Conestoga Traction served Conestoga Park (dance and vaudeville),  
Rocky Springs (it closed in 1963), Maple Grove (the roller coaster  
came down about 1939 but the swimming pool was still there until  
1972), Chickies (between Marietta and Columbia ... the caretaker's  
house was still there in 1931 but the park closed maybe 10 years  
earlier).

Allentown had Dorney Park, which is still open even though its  
founder, the Allentown and Reading Traction Co. quit in 1936.   There  
was a second park halfway between Allentown and Bethlehem until about  
1950.  It was called Central Park and the village next to it was  
called Rittersville, which I think has long since been absorbed by  
the city of Allentown.

Hershey Park is still open ... what was the connection to the trolley  
company?   Nada.   But Milton S.  Hershey, who owned the candy  
company, owned the town, the theater, the park, the store, the arena,  
the boys school and the trolley company.

McGraw's directory listed those parks that were owned by the trolley  
companies.   So did the Moody's and Poor's public utility investment  
manuals.

You could all have some fun using google or dogpile to search  
amusement parks.   There are a lot of clubs out there just like the  
trolley fan types that specialize in amusement parks.

On Jun 11, 2007, at 10:48 AM, <mtoytrain at bellsouth.net>  
<mtoytrain at bellsouth.net> wrote:

> Mark
> The "Dance Hall" was a 45 minute hike thru the woods from my house  
> on 2nd Street Ext in Donora, strange all the years that have gone  
> by and not once did I ever know that Eldora Park was actually
> an amusement park?   Move over Kennywood!
>
> Jerry M
>>
>> From: Jim Holland <PRCoPCC at P-R-Co.com>
>> Date: 2007/06/11 Mon AM 12:10:26 EST
>> To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>> Subject: [PRCo] Re: pix of Eldora Park
>>
>> What's more, Mark, is that Robert indicates that the Dance Hall  
>> remained
>> well into the 1960s, or into the  ({[pat]})  era --- long after
>> TrolleyCars Ceased here in June-1953!
>>
>>
>>
>> Mark McGuire wrote:
>>
>>> Agreed! I'd love to see more. Seems like photos of Eldora Park are a
>>> rare find indeed. Curious as when searching the Penn Pilot aerial
>>> views of 1938-39 I can't seem to find a trace of Eldora Park.  
>>> Perhaps
>>> I'm just looking in the wrong place but I know where in general to
>>> look. The trolley line can clearly be seen.
>>>
>>> -- Jim Holland <PRCoPCC at P-R-Co.com> wrote:
>>> Fantastic Find! Where was the photo published? Wonder if it would be
>>> of value to contact Pat Sanders Murphy of Hidden Valley for other
>>> associated photos and historic notes.
>>>
>>> Jim___Holland
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ROBERT R ROCKWELL wrote:
>>>> Eldora Park on the Charleroi line was between Black Diamond Jct and
>>>> the three trestles to Charleroi.
>>>>
>>>> The dance building on the left survived through the 60's as  
>>>> GirlScout
>>>> property.
>>>>
>>>> Robert Rockwell
>>>> w3syt1 at msn.com<mailto:w3syt1 at msn.com>
>>
>> http://lists.dementia.org/files/pittsburgh-railways/Eldora100- 
>> Gray0001.jpg
>>
>>
>
>