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wvgazettemail.com/dailymailwv Charleston Gazette-Mail | Friday, May 21, 2021 Trolley parks: A bygone era of entertainment

By JAMES E. CASTO For Daily Mail WV

Before today’s giant theme parks with elaborate rides named for cartoons, movies and superheroes, there were trolley parks. The parks were built by trolley companies in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as a way to get workers and their families to ride the trolleys on weekends and holidays. At first they were simple picnic groves, but most later added , other rides and live entertainment. By 1919, just after World War I, there were more than 1,500 amusement parks around the country, and most of them were trolley parks, according to the National His- torical Association. But as autos replaced trolleys, the streetcars and their parks faded away. Today, the association says, only 11 of the nation’s trolley parks remain in operation. Cam- den Park in Huntington, West ’s only operating amuse- ment park, is one of them. But West Virginia once had a number of other trolley parks, all of them long closed. Here’s a look at a few of them: Rock Springs Park was an amusement park located at Ches- ter, in Hancock County, at the tip of West Virginia’s Northern Pan- handle. While its lush valley of CAMDEN PARK | Courtesy photos shade trees and cool springs at- On hot summer days, riders of all ages enjoy a refreshing dip at the West Virginia Logging Company, a log flume ride at Camden Park. tracted picnickers as early as the 1880s, Rock Springs was opened as a commercial park in May 1897. A retro summer at Camden Park Like many other parks, its de- velopment was connected to the street car system. A new bridge Only amusement over the Ohio River had opened a few months before, carrying a park in W.Va. rolls trolley line directly to the park’s entrance. During the next de- out new season of cade, developers J. E. McDonald and C. A. Smith made the park a vintage attractions regional showcase. In its peak years, Rock Springs By JAMES E. CASTO employed 350 workers and had For Daily Mail WV daily attendances as high as 20,000. Popular rides were the Young children marvel at Old Mill, Shoot-the-Chutes and their first visit. Their older the Scenic Railway. Fun seekers brothers and sisters are could also swim, boat, stroll the thrilled to be back again. (“Am gardens, see a stage production, I big enough to ride the Big visit the zoo or dance in the casi- Dipper this year?”) And walk- no. ing the Midway can take their By the 1950s, the park was parents and grandparents vastly reduced in size and gran- down memory lane as they deur, but continued to operate recall hot summer days filled until 1970 when the rerouting of with fun rides and cotton can- U.S. Route 30 began. The rerout- dy. ing would take the highway On Saturday, May 22, Cam- straight through the old park. All den Park is set to welcome fun the buildings were sold at public seekers for its 118th summer auction in 1974 to make way for since it was established in the rerouted road and a new 1903. Ohio River bridge that replaced The historic family-run the old Chester bridge that once park, West Virginia’s only brought in thousands of park amusement park, is located on patrons. U.S. 60 five miles west of Hun- tington. A jumbo sign showing a smiling clown marks the Luna Park, a trolley park park’s entrance and is hard to served by the Charleston Interur- miss even if you’re a first-time ban Railway Company, was built visitor. Camden Park’s antique was the first ride installed at the park. The current horses are replicas of the in 1912 on the north bank of the The 26-acre park has more original wooden ones. Kanawha River. than two dozen major rides At the park’s main entrance on and attractions, including a Park Avenue stood a large, wood- carousel that dates to the en fence with two flag-topped park’s earliest days, a popular spires. Behind the fence, a foot- Haunted House ride and the bridge led to level ground where Big Dipper, a vintage-1958 park-goers could ride the Royal wooden that at- Giant Dips Coaster, a merry-go- tracts die-hard coaster fans round and . Visitors from all over the country. could play games of chance and Ordinarily, the park opens skill on the midway and picnic its season in May. But last year under shade trees. the COVID-19 pandemic de- Other park attractions includ- layed the park’s opening day ed a zoo, skating rink, boxing ring until July 1. When it opened, and dance pavilion. Special masks were not required but were encouraged, as was social SEE TROLLEY, 7A distancing. Sanitizing stations were installed at multiple loca- tions on the grounds. Owner-manager Jack Boylin Charley West says ... said the same precautions will be in place this season. “Attendance was really light when we first opened up last U.S. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS | Courtesy photo The park’s vintage Haunted House takes riders along dark, winding corridors that feature sudden and unexpect- year,” Boylin said. “We had our ed lights and noises, luminescent images and animated props. worst July ever, but as the summer wore on attendance steadily picked up. We ended the 19th century, most towns way, to establish Camden Park. amusement parks. up with one of our best Octo- had streetcar lines, and many A 1919 estimate put the na- The streetcar line hired Col. bers ever. We’re hoping this of those opened picnic groves tion’s number of trolley parks E.G. Via as Camden Park’s year’s season will be a good along their routes to boost at more than 1,500. Today, al- manager when it opened in one — if the rain will just stay summer-time traffic on week- most all of them have long 1903. Via bought the park in away.” ends and holidays. That’s what since vanished. The very few 1916 and ran it until his death prompted U.S. Sen. Johnson M. that are still open have been in 1946. Jack Boylin’s grandfa- Trolley park beginnings Camden, the principal stock- able to succeed because, like ther, Huntington furniture Camden Park originated as holder in the local trolley line, Camden Park, they grew from Your ticket to summer a “trolley park.” By the end of the Camden Interstate Rail- picnic groves into full-fledged SEE CAMDEN, 7A amusement can be found right here in W.Va. at the historic Camden Park.