Rocky Glen Park
Encyclopedia
Known by a variety of names over its 101-year existence, Rocky Glen Park was a park near Moosic, Pennsylvania
, USA. Founded by Arthur Frothingham in 1886 as a picnic park
, it was transformed into an amusement park
by engineer and entrepreneur Frederick Ingersoll
in 1905. The trolley park
was a popular Pennsylvania
attraction that featured rides, arcades, and restaurants - even as a "wild west" theme park in the 1970s - until its closure in 1987.
in 1885. The following year, Rocky Glenn was open to the public as a picnic park. About 1900, Frothingham contracted E. S. Williams to dam
Dry Valley Run Creek to create a lake on the property; when Frothingham failed to pay Williams for the work, Williams sued and was awarded one-half interest in the park.
Soon afterward, Frothingham obtained a Pennsylvania state cemetery charter for the park after learning of plans of extending tracks of the Lehigh Valley Railroad
over the grounds. To avoid losing the park via eminent domain
, Frothingham interred two bodies (one of a man who died in a mining accident, one of a man who died in a train accident) in the proposed route of the track; the Lehigh Valley Railway purchased a parcel of the cemetery for $25,000 and agreed to build a Laurel Line station nearby.
In 1904, Frederick Ingersoll
added amusement park
rides and concessions, and the newly-rechristened Rocky Glen Park became a local sensation. The following year saw the debut of Ingersoll's signature figure eight
roller coaster
as the Pittsburgh engineer started diverting his energies to his soon-to-open Luna Parks in Pittsburgh
and Cleveland
(his Luna Park in nearby Scranton
was to open the following year). A rift between park owner Frothingham and park manager Ingersoll led to the parting of their ways in 1906.
Interest in the park waned in the 1910s, and Frothingham wished to sell his half of the property. After failed attempts to sell the park to MGM and Federal Feature Film Corporation of New York, Williams and Frothingham sold it to a trio of businessmen (John Nallin, Joe Jennings, and Ben Sterling) in 1919. After a tumultuous period in which the three partners disagreed about park management (at one point, Rocky Glen Park was divided in two by a fence), Sterling ultimately gained complete control in 1950 and renamed the park Sterling's Rocky Glen, the name he used for his half of the park when it was divided (eventually the name was shortened to Sterling's).
By 1945, Rocky Glen Park's popularity was on the upswing when Sterling added the Million Dollar Coaster, a 96-foot-tall, 4700-foot-long, out-and-back
roller coaster
that became the park's new signature attraction. Despite its name, the ride cost Sterling only $100,000 to build. Shoehorned between Glen Lake and the tracks of the Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad
, it was one of the world's largest roller coasters at the time. It carried more than one million passengers in the first three years of its existence (it was dismantled in 1957).
The post-World War II
increase in use of the automobile
contributed to the gradual decline in the use of the railroad, and the few remaining trolley parks were slowly fading into the sunset. Sterling's/Rocky Glen was no exception (its plight exacerbated by the decline in the coal
industry at the same time), and by 1970, Ben Sterling opted to sell the park to an Atlanta, Georgia
-based entertainment company, National Recreation Service.
The new owners promptly converted the grounds into a theme park, renaming it Ghost Town in the Glen (later Ghost Town Amusement Park) and gave it a western theme. The rebranding was not successful: the park changed hands once again in 1979 and became New Rocky Glen. The lake became a venue for concert
s starting in 1980. The park closed for the last time in 1987.
attempted to purchase the Rocky Glen Park grounds so it could erect a walled "City of God" on the site. Seven hundred residents signed petitions protesting the proposed sale, which fell through as a result.
Eventually, the grounds became part of Glenmaura National Golf Club, a private golf course
.
Moosic, Pennsylvania
Moosic is a borough in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania six miles south of Scranton and northeast of Wilkes-Barre on the Lackawanna River....
, USA. Founded by Arthur Frothingham in 1886 as a picnic park
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
, it was transformed into an amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
by engineer and entrepreneur Frederick Ingersoll
Frederick Ingersoll
Frederick Ingersoll was an inventor, designer, and builder who created the world's first chain of amusement parks and whose manufacturing company built 277 roller coasters, fueling the popularity of trolley parks in the first third of the Twentieth Century...
in 1905. The trolley park
Trolley park
In the United States, trolley parks, which started in the 19th century, were picnic and recreation areas along or at the ends of streetcar lines in most of the larger cities. These were precursors to amusement parks. These trolley parks were created by the streetcar companies to give people a...
was a popular Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
attraction that featured rides, arcades, and restaurants - even as a "wild west" theme park in the 1970s - until its closure in 1987.
History
Land developer Arthur Frothingham purchased the site for $15 at a tax saleTax sale
A tax sale refers to property being sold by a taxing authority or the court to recover delinquent taxes. In the tax sale arena, the taxing jurisdiction is usually the county .Two main methods are used by...
in 1885. The following year, Rocky Glenn was open to the public as a picnic park. About 1900, Frothingham contracted E. S. Williams to dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
Dry Valley Run Creek to create a lake on the property; when Frothingham failed to pay Williams for the work, Williams sued and was awarded one-half interest in the park.
Soon afterward, Frothingham obtained a Pennsylvania state cemetery charter for the park after learning of plans of extending tracks of the Lehigh Valley Railroad
Lehigh Valley Railroad
The Lehigh Valley Railroad was one of a number of railroads built in the northeastern United States primarily to haul anthracite coal.It was authorized April 21, 1846 in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and incorporated September 20, 1847 as the Delaware, Lehigh, Schuylkill and Susquehanna Railroad...
over the grounds. To avoid losing the park via eminent domain
Eminent domain
Eminent domain , compulsory purchase , resumption/compulsory acquisition , or expropriation is an action of the state to seize a citizen's private property, expropriate property, or seize a citizen's rights in property with due monetary compensation, but without the owner's consent...
, Frothingham interred two bodies (one of a man who died in a mining accident, one of a man who died in a train accident) in the proposed route of the track; the Lehigh Valley Railway purchased a parcel of the cemetery for $25,000 and agreed to build a Laurel Line station nearby.
In 1904, Frederick Ingersoll
Frederick Ingersoll
Frederick Ingersoll was an inventor, designer, and builder who created the world's first chain of amusement parks and whose manufacturing company built 277 roller coasters, fueling the popularity of trolley parks in the first third of the Twentieth Century...
added amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
rides and concessions, and the newly-rechristened Rocky Glen Park became a local sensation. The following year saw the debut of Ingersoll's signature figure eight
Figure 8 roller coaster
A Figure 8 roller coaster is the generic name given to any roller coaster where the train runs through a figure 8 shaped course before returning to the boarding station. This design was one of the first designs to be featured in roller coaster design, along with the out and back roller coaster...
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
as the Pittsburgh engineer started diverting his energies to his soon-to-open Luna Parks in Pittsburgh
Luna Park, Pittsburgh
Luna Park was an amusement park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, from 1905 to 1909. Constructed and owned by Frederick Ingersoll, the park occupied a 16 acre hilly site bounded by Baum Boulevard, North Craig Street, and Centre Avenue, and included roller coasters, picnic pavilions, carousels, a...
and Cleveland
Luna Park, Cleveland
Luna Park was an amusement park in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, from 1905 to 1929. Constructed by Frederick Ingersoll, the park occupied a hilly site bounded by Woodland Avenue, Woodhill, Mt...
(his Luna Park in nearby Scranton
Luna Park, Scranton
Luna Park was an amusement park in Scranton, Pennsylvania, USA, from 1906 to 1916. Constructed and owned by Frederick Ingersoll, the park occupied a hilly site and included roller coasters, picnic pavilions, carousels, a fun house, a roller rink, a concert shell, a dance hall, bumper cars, and a...
was to open the following year). A rift between park owner Frothingham and park manager Ingersoll led to the parting of their ways in 1906.
Interest in the park waned in the 1910s, and Frothingham wished to sell his half of the property. After failed attempts to sell the park to MGM and Federal Feature Film Corporation of New York, Williams and Frothingham sold it to a trio of businessmen (John Nallin, Joe Jennings, and Ben Sterling) in 1919. After a tumultuous period in which the three partners disagreed about park management (at one point, Rocky Glen Park was divided in two by a fence), Sterling ultimately gained complete control in 1950 and renamed the park Sterling's Rocky Glen, the name he used for his half of the park when it was divided (eventually the name was shortened to Sterling's).
By 1945, Rocky Glen Park's popularity was on the upswing when Sterling added the Million Dollar Coaster, a 96-foot-tall, 4700-foot-long, out-and-back
Out and Back roller coaster
Out and back refers to the layout of a roller coaster. An out and back coaster is one that climbs a lift hill, races out to the far end of the track, performs a 180 degree turn and then races its way back to the station....
roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
that became the park's new signature attraction. Despite its name, the ride cost Sterling only $100,000 to build. Shoehorned between Glen Lake and the tracks of the Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad
Lackawanna and Wyoming Valley Railroad
The Lackawanna & Wyoming Valley Railroad, more commonly known as the Laurel Line, was a Pennsylvania third rail electric interurban streetcar line which operated commuter train service from 1903 to 1952, and freight service until 1976.-History:...
, it was one of the world's largest roller coasters at the time. It carried more than one million passengers in the first three years of its existence (it was dismantled in 1957).
The post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
increase in use of the automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
contributed to the gradual decline in the use of the railroad, and the few remaining trolley parks were slowly fading into the sunset. Sterling's/Rocky Glen was no exception (its plight exacerbated by the decline in the coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
industry at the same time), and by 1970, Ben Sterling opted to sell the park to an Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
-based entertainment company, National Recreation Service.
The new owners promptly converted the grounds into a theme park, renaming it Ghost Town in the Glen (later Ghost Town Amusement Park) and gave it a western theme. The rebranding was not successful: the park changed hands once again in 1979 and became New Rocky Glen. The lake became a venue for concert
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s starting in 1980. The park closed for the last time in 1987.
After the closure
In 1988, the park's 1902-vintage carousel was sold in auction for $220,000 as the park's facilities were being dismantled. Later, the local congregation of Hare KrishnaInternational Society for Krishna Consciousness
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness , known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. It was founded in 1966 in New York City by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada...
attempted to purchase the Rocky Glen Park grounds so it could erect a walled "City of God" on the site. Seven hundred residents signed petitions protesting the proposed sale, which fell through as a result.
Eventually, the grounds became part of Glenmaura National Golf Club, a private golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
.