Conneaut Lake Park Letter

P.O. Box 871 Lombard, IL 60148-0871 www.napha.org To Whom it May Concern: There are few states that embody the history of the amusement park industry more than Pennsylvania. Among the state’s dozen major amusement parks, nine have been in operation for more than a century. It is home to four of the ten oldest operating amusement parks in the country (including Conneaut Lake Park), the oldest operating roller coaster, one of only two amusement parks to be listed as a National Historic Landmark and a wealth of historic carousels. A critical part of this historical record is Conneaut Lake Park. Located on the shores of the largest freshwater lake in Pennsylvania, Conneaut Lake Park is one of the few operating amusement parks in the country that was founded by a railroad. In addition, it retains many historical features that are rare in today’s amusement industry including the Hotel Conneaut, Carousel, Tumble Bug and the Blue Streak roller coaster. While Conneaut Lake Park has seen its challenges in the past couple of decades, we are very fortunate that the park has managed to slowly come back from what many thought would be its demise thanks to a dedicated group of community minded individuals. Now in the hands of an owner with a vision to transform the property into a viable private business, we would like to encourage Keldon Holdings to remember its rich heritage and include these assets as part of its revitalization plans. While we realize that much of its history has been lost over the past few decades and certain parts of the property need to be removed out of necessity to prepare Conneaut Lake Park for the next phase of its resilient life, there are remain many unique, historic features that give the property its unique character. Retaining these remaining features will help it maintain a critical link to the past and help it stand out in a competitive marketplace. These assets, which we encourage Kelton Holdings to retain and restore, include: • The Blue Streak – Conneaut Lake Park’s most famous attraction, the Blue Streak is one of the few remaining roller coasters built in 1938 by Ed Vettel, one of history’s great designers, and represents a classic example of an out and back roller coaster and a beloved tradition for generations of Conneaut Lake Park’s guests. • The Carousel – In 1910, as Conneaut Lake Park was recovering from a devastating fire, a new carousel was installed in an elaborate new carousel building at the corner of Park Avenue and Comstock Street. Built by T.M. Harton, one of the most important ride manufacturers in the early days of the industry, it has remained in that location for more than 110 years. • The Tumble Bug – The years following World War I were a period of great technological advancement for the industry as many rides that are staples today appeared for the first time. One of these was the Tumble Bug. Created by the Traver Engineering Co. of Beaver Falls, PA, the ride was once a midway staple with a high capacity and great appeal for the entire family. Installed in 1925, Conneaut Lake Park’s was one of the first ones to open and today is one of the last two Tumble Bugs in operation in the world. • Devils Den – Founded in 1928, the Pretzel Amusement Ride Company that pioneered the classic dark ride. During its 50 years of existence, it was the leading provider of dark rides to the global amusement industry. Most of their rides had individually powered cars, each with its own electric motor. But Pretzel also created a unique version which used a lift hill to take the cars to the highest point on the ride and it coasted through the remainder under the power of gravity. Unfortunately, only a handful of Pretzel dark rides remain in operation and Conneaut Lake Park’s Devil’s Den, installed in 1968, is one of the last two Pretzel gravity-powered dark rides in existence. Thanks to the volunteer efforts of Tom Broadfoot, the ride has been lovingly restored and is in the best condition it has been in decades. • Flying Scooter – Created by the Bisch Rocco Company of Chicago in the late-1930s, the Flying Scooter was one of the first participatory attractions where the riders controlled the action. While Bisch Rocco went out of business, their rides remained popular well into the theme park era and were sought after in the used ride market. As a result, Larson International started manufacturing a version of the Flying Scooter in the twenty-first century version. While the Larson version is popular with amusement parks worldwide, the original Bisch Rocco version is still the best performer. • Kiddieland – While kiddie rides have been an important part of the amusement park experience since the 1920s, they really came into their own in the 1950s with the post-war Baby Boom. Kiddielands, miniature amusement parks specifically built for small children, opened in rapidly growing suburbs throughout America, while established amusement parks added large kiddielands to appeal to a new generation or riders. The Allan Herschell Company of North Tonawanda, NY, seized this opportunity to become the world’s largest ride manufacturer and even today, their kiddie rides are known as popular and reliable attractions. Conneaut Lake Park’s kiddieland is fortunate to have several classic Allan Herschell rides including the kiddie cars (1951), Jeeps (1951), Sky Fighter (1952), Little Dipper (1954) and Jolly Caterpillar (purchased from the shuttered West View Park, Pittsburgh, PA in 1975). • The Post Office and Fire Department Buildings – Constructed of fire-retardant rock-faced concrete block, these two structures are all that remain of the wave of development that occurred at the park after the 1908 fire that leveled much of the park. The importance of these buildings is punctuated by the fact that their original uses highlight CLP's unique standing as one of only two surviving summer resorts/amusement parks that also were the nucleus of a self-sustaining residential community (the other being Arnold's Park in Iowa). The Post Office and Fire Department were among an inventory of other services the park offered residents at the time, along with a grocery store, water company, police force and power plant. • Hotel Conneaut – Originally advertised with a 1903 opening date, the hotel has a storied history of evolution - one that parallels CLP’s. Additions over the years and downsizing after a 1943 fire are milestones in a history that dates to the earliest days of the oldest part of the structure which was built in the 1890s. The hotel is another unique feature for an amusement park resort due to its position on the shore of Conneaut Lake, steps away from the amusement rides. There is an old saying in the industry that the soul of an amusement park is its carousel, but its heart is its roller coaster. We encourage you to help support the ongoing preservation of the heart and soul of Conneaut Lake Park along with the other unique, historic attractions that give it so much of its personality. I thank you for in advance for your support and consideration. Sincerely, Jim Futrell Historian National Amusement Park Historical Association Author Amusement Parks of Pennsylvania.

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