[PRCo] Re: pix of Eldora Park

[Edward H. Lybarger]

Oakwood Park was in Pittsburgh's West End.

-----Original Message-----
From: pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org
[mailto:pittsburgh-railways-bounce at lists.dementia.org]On Behalf Of Boris
Cefer
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 2:09 PM
To: pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org
Subject: [PRCo] Re: pix of Eldora Park


And Oakwood park?

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fred Schneider" <fwschneider at comcast.net>
To: <pittsburgh-railways at dementia.org>
Sent: Monday, June 11, 2007 5:32 PM
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.
>