The New York Times runs an article detailing the "wild dash" of a Rock Springs Trolley down a 25-foot embankment on the west end of East Liverpool. See it at http://rockspringspark.blogspot.com/2011/08/trolley-cars-wild-dash.html.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Wild Dash Detailed
The New York Times runs an article detailing the "wild dash" of a Rock Springs Trolley down a 25-foot embankment on the west end of East Liverpool. See it at http://rockspringspark.blogspot.com/2011/08/trolley-cars-wild-dash.html.
Saturday, December 8, 2012
Trolley Plunges at Jethro Trestle
Trolley which serviced Rock Springs Park along the East Liverpool Traction & Light Company line plunges over a twenty-five foot embankment at the Jethro Trestle in East Liverpool. See an image and read more at http://rockspringspark.blogspot.com/2011/08/jethro-trestle.html.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
George Washington Visits Rock Springs
Sunday, October 21, 1770
On this date in park history, George Washington reputedly drank from Rock Springs when he and his party, including the Indians Half King, Pheasant, and White Feather, camped near the entrance to the park on this night.
On this date in park history, George Washington reputedly drank from Rock Springs when he and his party, including the Indians Half King, Pheasant, and White Feather, camped near the entrance to the park on this night.
Birth of Dr. James Walter Smith Jr.
Friday, October 29, 1926
On this date, Dr. James Walter Smith Jr., plastic surgeon and noted collector of late 19th century to the mid-20th, coin-operated games and similar machines, including Rock Springs’ Wurlitzer Carousel Band Organ, was born. Like so many men and women of his generation, Dr. Smith first saw the magical machines in childhood. Born in East Liverpool, Ohio, Rock Springs amusement park beckoned from across the river. Young Smith would slip away from his family at the park to the gaudy clangor of the penny arcade. There was worse to come. By the time he was a teenager, James Jr. was frequenting the local pool hall, where he played coin-operated baseball and horse-racing games. ''What were you doing in there sinning?'' his father, James Walter Sr., would bellow as he swooped down on the pool hall just long enough to extract his son by the ear. The son turned respectable. He served two years in the Navy; earned an undergraduate degree in 1948 from Adelbert College, later part of Case Western Reserve University; and in 1952 received an M.D. degree from Columbia. Dr. Smith became a prominent surgeon with a string of publications to his credit, was sent by the State Department to research leprosy in India and gained recognition for his work in hand reconstruction.
Friday, October 19, 2012
This Week in Rock Springs Park History
On October 17, 1930, The three governors of Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania met at the junction of the William Penn Highway (U.S. Route 22) and the Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30) in Imperial, PA, for a ribbon cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of both roads during the Depression. This included the recently completed 3-mile stretch through Chester. Read more at http://rockspringspark.blogspot.com/2011/07/governor-of-wv-attends-celebratory.html.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Not Too Shabby
C.A. Smith Died On This Date
Charles A. Smith Dies in Chester
(left) Charles (C.A.) Smith from the 2001 Class of Lou Holtz/Upper Ohio Valley Hall of Fame Inductees.
East Liverpool, Oct. 14 - Funeral arrangements will be made here today for Charles A. Smith, 86, transit company owner, pottery manufacturer, oil operator and gentleman farmer, who died Tuesday at his home in Chester, W.Va.
Mr. Smith founded the village of Chester and named it after his uncle, Chester Mahan.
He was principal owner of the old Steubenville, East Liverpool and Beaver Valley Traction Co., now the Valley Motor Transit Co., the Taylor, Smith & Taylor Pottery Co., extensive oil and real estate interests and the 4,000-acre Hillcrest Farms.
He was formerly owner of the Ohio River bridge between East Liverpool and Chester, which he sold to the state of Ohio for $2,135,000. For many years he also operated Rock Springs Park, an amusement resort in Chester, which he built at the same time he was starting Chester.
Mr. Smith once owned light and power rights for East Liverpool and Steubenville, but sold them to what is now the Ohio Power Co. in 1917. One of the founders of the old Pennsylvania-Ohio-Maryland Baseball League, he sponsored a baseball team known as the "World Champions," which he sent around the world in 1906-'09.
He was born April 14, 1867, in Wellsville, where he began his climb from gas company waterboy to one of the Ohio Valley's wealthiest men. He made money first in West Virginia oil drilling operations.
The body is at the Dawson Funeral Home.
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Rock Springs Park Sold
The Evening Review reported that Frances D. Schatt of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company is repainting the ponies of the Merry-Go-Round at Rock Springs Park. This would contradict claims, at the time the horses were auctioned off 37 years later, that they were still in their original paint. See them at http://rockspringspark.blogspot.com/2011/08/trinket-or-tradition.html.
Saturday, October 7, 1950
East Liverpool, Oct. 7 - Charles A. Smith Jr., today announced the sale for $70,000 of Rock Springs Park at nearby Chester, W. Va., to Mr. and Mrs. R.L. Hand, who have managed the 50-year-old amusement resort since 1935. The 45-acre park was established by the retiring owners father Charles A. Smith, in 1898, when Ohio River steamboats carried picnic excursions. (The Youngstown Vindicator, October 7, 1950)
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Don't Miss Out!
Rock Springs Park is currently part of a special offer by Arcadia to celebrate the availability of their “Images of America” series on eReaders. A special $2.99 price promotion is being offered now until midnight Tuesday October 1st, 2012.
Johnny Appleseed's Birthday
I missed an entry this week and was reminded by my first grade daughter, when she brought home a map showing the travels of Johnny Appleseed, that Wednesday was his birthday. John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman was born in Leominster, Massachusetts, on Monday, September 26, 1774.
According to John Chaney in his 1965 book, The Old Stone House, Chapman very likely passed through Rock Springs Farm on his way to Ohio. His name is carved into a wooden border in the kitchen of the nearly 200-year old stone home familiar to area residents. Read more at http://rockspringspark.blogspot.com/2011/09/old-stone-house-part-iii.html.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Book Talk at the Orchards
On this date, Joe Comm gives a book talk at the Orchards at Foxcrest’s Harvest Festival and breaks the number one rule of "showbiz" - NEVER FOLLOW AN ANIMAL ACT! Read all about it at http://rockspringspark.blogspot.com/2011/10/number-one-rule-of-showbiz.html.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Historical Marker Respotted
Monday, September 22, 1980
On this date, the historical marker honoring Rock Springs Park was respotted from Route 30 to the inbound turn of the Jennings Randolph Bridge off-ramp. Do you know how many times it has been moved? Read http://rockspringspark.blogspot.com/2011/06/historical-marker-moved-three-times.html.
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Annual Tri-State Exposition and Live Stock Show Kicks Off
Tuesday, September 20, 1910
On this date in history, the Third Annual Tri-State Exposition and Live Stock Show kicked off at Rock Springs Park. An advertisement for the event which appeared on September 10, 1910 in the Daily Times of Beaver, PA, boasted "$5,000 in premiums and $2,000 in prizes, including four Smith & Phillips pianos." Every purchaser of a ticket at the gate was given a number.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Rochester Excursion Threatened
For two days in August 1936 headlines in the Daily Times of Beaver, PA, warned of the possibility that the annual Rochester Businessmen's picnic to Rock Springs Park might be cancelled due to the steamship on which the group was to travel being severely damaged in an accident just hours before the event. The large bold print declaring “Ride Cancelled” was very upsetting to area residents as their picnic was the highlight of the year. All Businesses in fact planned to close and the whole town was scheduled to attend.
According to the paper, “Officers of the Rochester Businessmen's Association anxiously awaited the outcome of an inspection of the Ohio River excursion steamer Washington to determine whether or not the craft will be available for the annual Rochester community boat ride and outing scheduled for Wednesday, August 19.” The boat was severely damaged when it crashed into the lower lock gate at U.S. Lock No. 8 near Newell, WV. Her hold began filling up with water and all 650 passengers were immediately evacuated. The Captain explained that he was returning the excursionists to Wheeling after their day at Rock Springs Park. A special train was dispatched from the Pennsylvania Railroad in Pittsburgh to carry them home that evening. 
The inspection of the steamer Washington found that a pin had sheared off the ship's reversing gear as she was passing through the lock. It was expected that she would be repaired at Neville Island in time for participation in the celebration of the Montgomery Island Dam to be held on August 29, but not in time for the Rochester Picnic. The businessmen quickly set to work making other arrangements for transportation to Rock Springs. The outing would continue as planned but excursionists would have to rely on private automobiles and buses.
“Lower valley children and adults who for weeks have been looking forward to the annual outing will not be denied the picnic pleasures despite the accident that has prevented use of the Steamer Washington in transporting the picnickers to Rock Springs Park," The Daily Times reported on August 18. "Carefully laid plans for the picnic dashed almost on the very eve of the affair. Oliver Kunsman, chairman, announced that the picnic would be held as scheduled with the complete program to take place. The exodus of Rochester and the lower valley residents will start early in the morning and continue until mid-afternoon. The merrymakers with their well filled baskets will travel either by bus or by private automobiles. Buses to the park will operate on regular schedules between Beaver and East Liverpool where the picnickers may transfer to Chester-bound streetcars. The picnic committee also announced that all persons who had purchased boat ride tickets may obtain refunds."
650 Million Brings Instant History
This is the whole Dentzel carousel from Rock Springs Park in Chester, WV. It measures 50 feet in diameter with 48 replacement animals. The trim is still all in original paint. It is a deluxe machine with a full ceiling kit from the factory (a very rare upgrade from the Dentzel factory). The only other deluxe original paint Dentzel machine is Glen Echo Park in Maryland owned by the Federal Government. This machine is the only one in private hands and was the last carousel ever made by the Dentzel carousel company in 1927. It has only operated in one place its whole life and has been in storage since the 70's. The picture of the whole machine was taken just prior to its removal. The original animals were sold off in the 90's. We are offering the machine with a complete set of new Dentzel horses and menagerie pieces. Being sold in “as is” condition as removed from the park and the animals needing paint. This is a true piece of American history on a budget. This machine in complete with the original animals fully restored would be in the 3 to 4 million dollar range. Even with replacement animals restored this is still a 2 million dollar machine when finished. We can provide a full restoration if needed. You can see our work at carousel.com we have been performing museum restorations on carousels for over 30 years. Most of the replacement animals are pieces made from the famous Dentzel Lagoon carousel from Knotts Berry Farm. The pieces were made from molds taken from the original animals. Some of the finest animals ever made by the Dentzel company. This machine brings instant history to any location it goes.
Smith Collection Sold
On this date, Sotheby's auctioned James W. Smith’s collection of antique penny-arcade games. It sold in New York for more than $3.3 million. Smith would donate his Carousel Wurlitzer 153 Band Organ from Rock Springs Park to the East Liverpool Alumni Association. See it at http://rockspringspark.blogspot.com/2011/06/carousel-wurlitzer-153-band-organ.html.
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Kindle Edition Coming Soon!
Merry-Go-Round Concessions
Photographs, taken by Clarence Durbin in the waning years of Rock Springs Park (1968-1970), show concession stands along the midway near the Merry-Go-Round. Many today recall the cotton candy stand at the top of the staircase which led past the spring and the lower picnic park and the lunch stand next to the octagonal carousel pavilion. However, the photograph below, part of a series belonging to Sayre W. Graham and illustrating the many structures built by The Finley Brothers Construction Company, reveals for the first time that during C.C. Macdonald’s time as owner of the park, concession stands were constructed as part of the carousel’s waiting platform. An ice cream stand (right) and a popcorn stand (left) border the entrance and share the red and green striped roof in 1928.
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| (Courtesy of Sayre Graham, Jr.) |
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Idlewild Park: Number 1 for Kids
On this date, Rock Springs’ sister park, Idlewild Park, in Ligonier, PA, was ranked number one for kids. Read more at http://rockspringspark.blogspot.com/2010/10/idlewild-park-named-1-kids-park.html.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
First Annual Tri-State Fair
On this date, the first annual Tri-State Fair began at Rock Springs Park. An ad from the time exclaimed, "Big sensation promised."
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