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Sunday, February 20, 2011

Rock Springs Park Had Its Own Hippodrome


While I have seen postcard images of animal circus acts performing at Rock Springs Park, like the one pictured above, I never knew the park had a large building for such acts until I read about the “mammoth Hippodrome” added in 1910. I still have not seen any pictures of it.

Beaver (PA) The Daily Times, May 28, 1910 – For weeks Rock Springs Park has been a veritable hive of industry. The grounds have received attention from competent and experienced landscape gardeners, who have changed the designs and added new verdure. Hundreds of workmen have put the finishing touches to the mammoth Hippodrome – an entirely new amusement feature - the animals for which arrived at the park several days ago; and in addition to all this, every other attraction on the grounds has been improved and beautified, remodeled and enlarged until even those most familiar with the numberless attractions at the great pleasure resort will be unable to recognize any of them as the same features. The opening of the regular picnic season was today, it is estimated that more than $50,000 will have been invested by the owners of Rock Springs Park in placing the resort in shape for 1910.

While not so large or expensive as the great Frederick Thompson Hippodrome enterprises (see images below), that at the Rock Springs resort will be fully equal to the biggest features. No expense has been spared in securing trained animals, which will be part of each of day’s attraction at the park. In the regular circus department of the mammoth Hippodrome the management of Rock Springs has arranged for the very best talent to be obtained and a change of program will occur at regular intervals.

Decoration Day, May 30, is usually one of the most enjoyable of the entire season at the popular resort, and this year the added attractions will make it doubly so. On that day there will be a matinee at the Hippodrome and each evening thereafter.

Arrangements have already been completed for special car services on all interurban systems into the city and a special low rate will be granted out-of-town people within a radius of 50 miles on both steam roads and trolly [sic] lines at least once a week. This concession attracted thousands last year, and promises to be more popular this season.






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