Tempo SEWICKLEY HERALD | JULY 1, 2010 | PAGE 13

1895

1900

1905

1910

1915

1920

1925

1930

1935

1940

1945

1950

1955

1960

1901 – Maple Grove Park, Pittsburgh;Eldora Park, Eldora; Alameda Park,Butler; Homestead Park, Homestead

1902 – OakwoodAmusement Park, Crafton

1904 – InterurbanPark, Pittsburgh

1906 – West View Park, West View;Dreamland, Pittsburgh; Coney Island,Neville Island; Dream City, Wilkinsburg

1897 – CalhounPark, Lincoln Place

1903 – Southern Park,Carrick; Oakford Park,Jeannette

1924 – RainbowGardens, White Oak

1928 – MapleviewPark, Canonsburg

1927 – Burkes Glen Park, Mon-roeville; Harmerville Park, Blawnox

1955 – White Swan Park, Findlay1905 – Luna Park, Oakland

Families could choose from dozens of small amusement parks in the early part of the century for entertainment. Below is a list and when the parks opened. Source: Staff researchA GOLDEN AGE OF AMUSEMENT PARKSA GOLDEN AGE OF AMUSEMENT PARKS

All roller coasters were made of wood until 1959 when theMatterhorn, the first tubular-tracked steel roller coaster inthe world, debuted at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif.

Ride Through TimeRide Through TimeBY BOBBY CHERRY ANDKRISTINA SERAFINISTAFF WRITERS

FFor more than 100 years, Americanamusement parks have enter-tained and thrilled those looking

for summertime excitement.But as cultures shifted and competi-

tion increased, thrills from many parksstopped and left only memories behind.

Around the turn of the century “wasthe time when trolley companies wereexpanding and opening parks at the end-ing of the line to generate traffic onevenings and weekends,” said JimFutrell, author of “Amusement Parks ofPennsylvania” and historian for the Na-tional Amusement Park Historical Asso-ciation, based in Lombard, Ill.

“They were a much different animalthan what parks are today,” he said.“They offered picnics, dances andmaybe a roller coaster. It was a muchdifferent type of environment than whatyou see today.”

The number of parks in the region —at least 21 opened between 1878 and 1955— was a reflection of Pittsburgh’s size,Futrell said. Topography and industrial-ized river towns gave rise to more parksin the area.

“Initially, the parks could not have awide drawing area,” he said. “It was a

testament to the topography and the in-dustrialized nature of the region that somany parks existed.”

In 1906 alone, four parks opened:West View Park, now a shopping plazathat includes a Giant Eagle supermarketand other stores, Dreamland in Pitts-burgh, Coney Island in Neville Islandand Dream City in Wilkinsburg.

At least one park — White SwanPark, opened in 1955 and situated on theMoon and Findlay townships border —was designed as a roadside stop alongthe Parkway West to the then-GreaterPittsburgh International Airport.

“At the time, people would travelfrom miles and miles away to drive onthe parkway,” said Bill Kleeman ofSewickley, whose parents, Edward andMargaret Kleeman, and uncle, RoyTodd, owned White Swan Park.

When trolley companies merged intolarger entities, many owned multipleamusement parks, like the PittsburghRailways Company that — at one time— owned Calhoun Park in LincolnPlace, Oakwood in Crafton, SouthernPark in Carrick and Kennywood Park inWest Mifflin.

The trolley company sold the parksto the Henninger family, which eventu-ally sold or closed three of the fourparks. Kennywood opened in 1898, andtoday is among one of the few “old-fash-

ioned” amusement parks to remainopen.

Few records exist from many of theparks in the region, including Coney Is-land, a short-lived park that opened onNeville Island on June 27, 1907. The parkfeatured a 50-foot boardwalk, shoot-the-chutes ride and a 1,000-foot beach.

The Great Depression later threat-ened the local amusement park indus-try, and left a handful of parks, includ-ing Kennywood, Idlewild Park and WestView, Futrell said.

As parks matured, visitors expectedmore, he said.

“The industry was maturing, andpeople wanted more thrill rides,” Futrellsaid. “Smaller parks didn’t have space

or funds for thrill rides.”But as parks continue to thrill riders

with bigger coasters, gone are the daysof the family-owned amusement park.The region’s last family-owned park —Kennywood and its sister parks ofIdlewild Park and Sandcastle Waterpark— were sold in late 2007 by longtimeowners the Henninger and McSwiganfamilies to Spain-based Parques Re-unidos.

“You don’t get that personable feelingfrom any park today,” said Steve Mca-teer of North Fayette, a former WhiteSwan Park employee “They’ve gone toocommercial and too big.”

A look at the region’s rich amusement park historyA look at the region’s rich amusement park history

MORE ON PAGE 14

LUNA PARK, above, located in Oakland, once was known for its manylights and unique shows.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

TempoPAGE 14 | JULY 1, 2010 | SEWICKLEY HERALD

Southwestern Pennsylvania once home to many popular parksBY BOBBY CHERRY ANDKRISTINA SERAFINISTAFF WRITERS

TTake a look at just a few of theparks that once offered thrillsand fun to the people of South-

western Pennsylvania.

Luna ParkLuna ParkOpened in 1905, Luna Park in

Oakland was known for its perform-ances and odd attractions.

But it was most notable for its useof electricity.

More than 67,000 lights illumi-nated the park’s attractions situatednear Craig Street and what now isBaum Boulevard.

“At the time, most people had one,maybe two lights in their house ifthey were lucky,” said Jim Futrell,an amusement park historian.

Owned by Frederick Ingersoll, aninventor who owned 38 similarparks across the country, Luna Parkoffered concerts, foreign landmarkreplicas and rides.

In 1995, Kennywood Park paidhomage to Luna by recreating theShoot-the-Chutes ride and waterfountain features in its Lost Kenny-wood addition.

Attractions such as Infant Incuba-tor dazzled visitors.

A 1906 brochure for the park ad-vertised, “Little mites of humanity,whose lives were despaired of, weretaken to the incubator, where, underthe care of learned physicians, and

the gentle ministrations of trainednurses, the park patrons saw themgrow strong and sturdy again.”

Ingersoll filed for bankruptcy inMarch 1908. The park closed in Au-gust 1909, nearly two years after alion escaped and killed a visitor.

White Swan ParkWhite Swan ParkWhite Swan Park had everything

from roller coasters to Skee-Ball.Everything that is, but white

swans.“Dad always wanted to put white

swans on the lakes in the park,” saidBill Kleeman, son of White SwanPark owners Edward and MargaretKleeman. The park also was ownedby Margaret Kleeman’s brother RoyTodd.

Like the rest of the park, the lakesare gone. Rides and attractions weretorn down nearly 20 years ago, as thepark was forced to close in 1990 afterstate Department of Transportationofficials relocated the Parkway Westto the new Pittsburgh InternationalAirport in Findlay Township.

The summer of 1989 would be thelast for the park, which entertainedlocals for 34 years.

“Every time I drive past it, I lookup and realize I’m driving overWhite Swan Park,” said Steve Mca-teer, who worked most of the ridesbefore becoming a maintenance manfor the park in the late 1960s andearly 1970s.

“It was a grand old thing. It waslike one big family.”

Known for its Galaxy, Mad Mouseand large slide, White Swan Park en-tertained celebrities heading to andfrom the airport and children fromaround the West Hills.

“There was a constant flow of pic-nics, too,” said Mcateer, of NorthFayette. “There was always some-thing going on at the park.”

Generations of visitors enjoyedthe park, Mcateer said.

“They remembered it as a child,”he said. “And then they’d take theirkids until it closed.

“The nice part about it was, if youwanted a Sunday afternoon thing todo, it was cheap. You could eat at thepark, spend all day down there andenjoy yourself.”

Now, 20 years since the park’srides were dismantled and sold at anauction, Mcateer said, he still misseshaving the local attraction nearby.

“It was a great place,” he said.“It’d still be around, but not just be-cause it was a family-operated busi-ness, but because they catered tofamilies.”

West View ParkWest View ParkThe factors that originally made

West View Park prosper also con-tributed to its demise.

During the beginning of its 71-year run, the park, located on Per-rysville Avenue in West View, was ahot spot for community picnicsthroughout the years. More than 100

ABOVE, VISITORS to West View Park in the1930s or ‘40s enjoy the Dips. Below, the shop-ping center where the park once was.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 15

ABOVE PHOTO FROM FILE/BOTTOM PHOTO BY KRISTINA SERAFINI

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