Edgewood Park Hotel and Entrance, Shamokin PA
Edgewood Amusement Park in Shamokin was once the largest Amusement Park in Eastern Pennsylvania.
Trolley Station At Edgewood Park
Congressman Monroe "Farmer" Kulp was president of the Shamokin and Edgewood Electric Railway [Trolley Line] from 1900 until his death in 1911.
Kulp was responsible for the development of 97 acres into a destination that would provide a welcome escape from summer heat.
"Thousands of dollars have been expended on beautifying the resort, laying out beautiful walks, erecting pavilions, sheds, cade, skating rink, carousel and other amusement enterprises. A splendidly equipped theater, where the best theatrical productions are produced, baseball field, school of mines, toboggan, bowling alleys, shooting gallery, rowboats, golf links, Ferris wheel, moving picture theater, deer park and innumerable other attractions have been provided with a lavish hand." - Reading Times, Sept. 1908
Entrance to Edgewood Park, showing the roller skating rink and trolley. The sign on the trolley reads "Dancing at the park tonight".
From 1893 to 1900, the park was known as "Indian Park". In September of 1899, the Daily News (Mount Carmel) mentioned that a hotel was to be built at Indian Park, Shamokin.
The Hotel at the entrance to Edgewood Park - a tree appears to be down in front of the trolley.
The 1913 Sanborn Fire Map gives us an excellent view of the layout of the park
Below I cropped the map even more, to make it more readable:
"Hundreds of long tables and benches and camp ovens are for the free use of picnickers and fuel and ice are furnished free of charge. But no feature is more popular with visitors than the splendid large dancing pavilion with it's fine floor, which too is available to the patrons of the park without expense. A military band of 35 pieces alternates with an orchestra of string music in providing high-class dance and concert selections. There is an abundance of shelter in case of rain and a splendidly appointed ladies waiting room." - Reading Times, Sept. 1908
"The park had beautiful walks, shaded by foliage of majestic oaks under which rustic picnic tables had been located." Shamokin News, 1964
At one time, deer, bear, angora goats, and other animals were on exhibition at the park.
"One of the principal attractions of the old park was the lake, which covered several acres. Here swimming and boating were popular amusement, and the area added to the beauty of the overall park picture."
Shamokin News, 1964
At the lake you could ride a water sled down the "chute the chute".
Boats on the lake, with the Touring The Alps ride in the background
"Touring The Alps" Scenic Railway ride
A stairway on the base of the hill lead to a motor house, where a large electric motor drove the lift cables.
The tracks of the Scenic Railway had their starting point immediately east of the Temple Of Mirth. The tracks stretched back the width of the baseball park, and extended over a section of the lake at it's western end.
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"Breathlessly we waited as the car moved slowly to the top of the first incline, crossed over the top and then began its maddening descent down the other side. Then came a rush of wind and a series of twists and turns that prevents us from taking a full breath. We were jostled back and forth as the car sped along its tracks and we held on with all of our might until the ride came to an end." Paul MacElwee's reminisces of Edgewood
On March 28 1923, the Scenic Railway ride was destroyed by a windstorm.
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The front of the Scenic Railway structure was converted into a ride known as the "dodgem" [bumper cars].
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"The steel base of the Dodge 'Em Ride" will be erected on a platform forty by eighty feet, with an overhead ceiling of heavy poultry wire, used to convey electric current. Each car, seating two persons, will be operated by individual drivers, powered by an overhead trolley in touch with the screen of the ceiling. The merry game will be in dodging the other fellows car, each carrier of passengers being equipped with steel bumpers and other devices, insuring perfect safely."
Touring The Alps & Temple Of Mirth
In 1964, Paul T. MacElwee reminisced about his time at Edgewood park as a boy. His description of the Temple of Mirth tells us:
that on school outings, each student would receive a variety of free tickets, including one to the Temple Of Mirth, the "choicest of Play Centers". "We decided we would use this special ticket later in the day, because once inside we would spend several hours making use of the various slides, Chinese puzzle, swings, rolling barrel, etc."
"We raced up a stairway leading to the landing above the front sliding board, flipped ourselves onto the smooth surface and rode down on the seat of our pants. We went through this procedure many times before deciding to visit other sections of the temple. To the right at the bottom of the sliding board was a tunnel and into this we went in search of further adventure. We shouted encouragement to one another as we felt our way through the darkened passage, occasionally stepping on a hinged floor that gave way beneath our weight. We finally made our way through the dark corridor and came into an area in which was a large barrel and two more slides, one of them made of metal. We used that metal slide a number of times, then climbed on top of the revolving barrel. As we moved, the barrel spun faster and faster until we slid of fell off. The third slide beckoned and we "rode" this a number of times. Then came a visit to the second floor front of the Temple of Mirth, where we walked through a series of swings at various heights. Another section was still to be investigated. It was the so called "Chinese puzzle". Into this maize of corridors we went, weaving in and out and finally coming to a dead end. We back tracked, took another course, and finally made our way through the puzzle."
Penny Arcade, 1923
In the midway could be found a Penny Arcade, Merry Go Round, Scooter, Dodge 'Em Cars, a junior roller coaster, billiards bowling, a shooting gallery and an ice cream stand.
In the penny arcade, "We placed a number of pennies in slot machines, watching the coins fall between metal pegs at the bottom and hoping one would enter the slit which would result in a payoff. No one ever seemed to win. We tried our hand at a squeezing device to test our strength, obtained (for a penny, of course) copies of our favorite screen stars and baseball players, and then rather slyly and guiltily inserted a penny into another machine, gazed into the lens, turned a hand crank and saw a brief series of naughty pictures""
Paul MacElwee's reminisces of Edgewood
The carousel at Edgewood had iron rings to catch as you went around, and if you caught the brass ring, you won a free ride.
Carousel Tickets (Ebay Listing)
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The School Of Mines ride at Edgewood was a roller coaster style ride in a four story structure, whizzing around curves with sharp up and downs, simulating a coal mine.
Throughout the ride there were dimly lit scenes of the coal industry, and mannequin figures depicting coal miners at work. The ride's cars took visitors through coal, gold, lead, and rock salt mines which displayed the mineral deposits in their natural formations.
The "School Of Mines" ride was similar to the Black Diamond ride at Knoebels today.
"We were now ready to go for a ride in the School Of Mines - something that was always adventurous and sometimes brought on a feeling of apprehension. We climbed into one of the cars and soon were off on a trip into a tunnel that was pitch black. Up a slow incline we went, and in an eerie light frightening objects leered at us and other objects fell towards our car as though to crush us. Then came a brief ride into the outside sunlight before we plunged back into darkness again. Later we ran over outside tracks on a different level, sped back into the tunnel and then, with shrieks of excitement, came out into the open again and stopped at the starting point, where we made our exit." - Paul MacElwee's reminisces of Edgewood
Miniature Train at Edgewood Park
In July of 1926, a 2 million gallon swimming pool opened at the park. The pool was separated from the lake by a wall. The pool had large locker rooms, a refreshment stand, several diving boards and a shallow water pool for young children.
The Pavilion
1923, Shamokin News
On Sunday afternoons there were free band concerts in the pavilion.
Evening dances were free to the public, and drew large crowds.
December 11 1935, Duke Ellington at Edgewood Park
Duke Ellington and Kay Kyser were just two of the entertainers to perform at the large Dance Pavilion.
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Vaudeville shows and Live Motion Pictures Advertised.
Company picnics, family reunions, church outings, were held at the park, with many traveling from the towns of Milton, Lewisburg, and Danville, to visit Edgewood.
"The popularity of Edgewood park during its early years was not confined to residents of the Shamokin area. Excursions from neighboring towns brought people to the community to spend a day at the park, and on many occasions excursions brought people from Philadelphia also." Shamokin News, 1964
Shamokin News, 1937
Football matches were regularly played at Edgewood Park. Bucknell even played games there. Today, the high school football field is located on part of what was once Edgewood Park.
Trolley Station, Edgewood Park
"In 1929, the Shamokin and Edgewood Electric Railway Company converted from streetcars to motorbus service. For many years, its trolleys provided transportation to Edgewood Park, Treverton, and Weigh Scales. The other local line replaced its streetcars with buses at a later date." - 125 years City of Shamokin, Pennsylvania
1864-1989
Bus at Edgewood Park
By the 1930s, the parks popularity was in a steady decline, as automobiles offered the ability for families to travel to many more locations. Soon, the merry-go-round, School Of Mines, and the pavilion were the only major attractions left.
"One by one, the buildings disappeared and finally when the carousel, dance pavilion and School of Mines were razed, Edgewood Park drew its last breath. Bulldozers were quickly pressed into service to clear the land... within a short time, a number of houses began springing up."
By the mid 1950s, only the pool and lake remained. In 1964, Edgewood Park officially closed. The 97 acre property was divided and sold.
A housing development, named Edgewood Gardens, soon filled most of the area that was once the park.
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December 1964
Shamokin News, June 26 1964
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Sanborn Maps
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1913
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