[PRCo] Re: pix of Eldora Park

[Ken & Tracie]

I remember your surprise when you found out Lagoon, built by the Salt Lake & Ogden interurban, was still open during your 2000 visit.

K.

-----Original Message-----
>From: Fred Schneider <fwschneider at comcast.net>
>Sent: Jun 11, 2007 8:32 AM
>To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
>Subject: [PRCo] Re: pix of Eldora Park
>
>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
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>