Serious Accident and Entertaining Acts

Wednesday, June 17, 1908

On this day in Rock Springs Park history, Miss Alice Beaulean, of Hinds Street, Rochester, met with a serious accident while attending Rock Springs Park. "She, with several friends, were enjoying a ride on the Shoot the Shoots [sic] and was thrown to the bottom of the boat in some manner the ligaments of her liver were torn loose. She was brought to Rochester last evening and conveyed to her home in a carriage, and said to be resting as easy as could be expected." See a Chutes Ride in action at http://rockspringspark.blogspot.com/2011/06/ouch.html.

Sunday, June 17, 1928

On a lighter note, on this day The "Big Free Act" Fink's Comedy Circus with trained mules, ponies and dogs appeared in Rock Springs Park. "Famous Trick Mules, Wall-Scaling Police Dogs, Clowns, Ponies, Monkeys - A Real One-Ring Circus."

Pinterest Interest

A new website called Pinterest, a self-described online pinboard, offers users the chance to "organize and share things (they) love."

What is shared under the heading "History and Vintage" are images of historical figures, newspaper headlines, antique advertisements, vintage gowns, and unusual toys and signage. Most have some heavy historical significance, including the assassination of JFK, the construction of the Statue of Liberty in Paris, and many photographs of Abraham Lincoln, ranging from his youthful beardless days to weathered and worn war portraits.

Of the 108 "pins" uploaded so far, one includes Rock Springs Park; a postcard image which also appears on the dedication page of Images of America: Rock Springs Park. It shows a wedding ceremony held in the park in 1908.

Rock Springs Park hosted an outdoor wedding in 1908. The wedding party stands on the arched bridge that once spanned the Shoot-the-Chutes ride in the upper park. In the background, park patrons take a thrilling ride on the Figure Eight coaster, while the bride and groom, dressed like two figures atop a wedding cake, exchange their vows.

The pinup from appalachianhistory.net incorrectly describes the wedding as taking place "on the roller coaster track." Closer inspection shows the coaster in the background and the soon-to-be-married couple standing on an arched bridge which spanned the Shoot-the-Chutes Ride. Still, it is nice to see the park get a nod among so many iconic images.

Here, Leap the Dips replaces the Figure Eight, but the arched bridge still spans the Chutes drop.

See the image at http://pinterest.com/pin/149533650097889191/.

Dog Days of Summer Spurred Soap Opera

Postcard messages like this one with the note, “I knew you would miss me when I was gone,” remind me that even our great-grandparents were once young and in love and felt all the things that go along with both.

I always assumed soap operas started in the 1950s with the introduction of television, but that was before I read the drama below between two former lovers that began at a dance in Rock Springs Park in 1900.

Youngstown Vindicator - August 29, 1900

Novel Street Scene

Peculiar Occurrence in Public Between Former Lovers

Quite a novel scene occurred on Fifth Street, Monday morning about 9 o'clock, says the East Liverpool Crisis. A young woman arrived in the city from Youngstown on Saturday and attended the dance at Rock Springs Park on that evening. At the dance she saw her old lover, who has lately taken to himself a wife. She followed the couple home, but did not make any advance to make herself known. On Sunday morning, she was out bright and early, and waited patiently for her old lover to leave the house, which he did shortly after 8 o'clock. The young woman followed him to Fifth Street, where she sought to win back the affection which had been estranged from her. She fell on her knees and exclaimed: "Dear - do you not love me?" But he only replied, "I am married now, and have no further use for you." Still the young woman pleaded, but in vain. When she dropped her hands from her tearful eyes, the man had made good his escape, and was making his way to his home to seek comfort from his lawful wife.

About 200 people witnessed the scene on Fifth Street, and said that the man ran home like a deer.

At first I found this story to be quite humorous, especially the ending, but overall, I was left feeling sorry for the jilted young woman. It must have been embarrassing to raise herself back on her feet and wipe her eyes only to see 200 witnesses staring back or, worse yet, laughing at her. Plus, the guy seems like a “jerk.” Doesn't he? Especially his comment, before running away like a deer, of "I have no further use for you!" That's cold!

Apparently, the modern translation of "She followed the couple home, but did not make any advance to make herself known" is “STALKER!”

Never let it be said that our great-grandparents didn’t do anything crazy in their day. They may have walked twenty miles in the snow to get to school, but in the dog days of summer they were just as nuts as you and I.

"Dog Days" - The name comes from the ancient belief that Sirius, also called the Dog Star, in close proximity to the sun was responsible for the hot weather.

Baby Show at Rock Springs Park Offered Handsome Prizes

Today amusement parks offer wagon or stroller rentals for park guests. In 1910 the Pennsylvania Railroad offered “Free Baby Carriage Cars” for pleasure seekers of the pint-size variety.

In an advertisement featured in The Daily Times, Beaver, PA on August 20, 1910, carriage cars were listed as available for couples planning to visit Rock Springs Park during the East Liverpool Morning Tribune’s Picnic and Baby Show. The event featured a decorated baby carriage parade, the winner of which was given $500.00 in “Handsome Prizes!” (No small prize considering 500 dollars in 1910 is valued at nearly 10,000 dollars today.) The Baby show also included the Carnival of Babies and presents for the Kings and Queens of Babyland. For adults, a Masked Carnival was held in the evening and a Public Wedding was another “Special Feature” performed in the morning on the arched bridge which spanned the Chutes Ride (pictured). According to the ad, a free entry blank could be secured by writing to the Baby Show Manager, Rock Springs Park, Chester, W. Va.