Island Amusement Park, Sunbury Pa

 Island Park 

The Original Island Park opened in 1894, and operated until about 1914 - at which time, Rolling Green Park had opened.  

James C. Packer developed a part of Island Park, promoting it as an add on to the Sunbury And Northumberland Electric Line (The trolley).  This new park was in direct competition with the Park built by Ira Clement for his ferry service.  One of my favorite newspaper quotes about this time reads:

"After that, neither park produced a profit, but that mattered not to the two rich families.  They were satisfied with the annoyance each caused the other"

Read more about that, and the history of Packer Island here

 In 1923, the park was refashioned into an Amusement Park.  The Amusement Park  operated for 11 years, closing in 1934.  A skating rink and bandstand continued to operate at the location for a number of years after the  park closed.

Original Island Park Amusement Park

A new amusement park was opened on the grounds 40+ years later, named Island Park Amusement Center.  It appears to have had a ferris wheel, and it planned to include a roller coaster, but I am not certain if the coaster was actually added.  

Look to the left and you can make out the trolley.  The Park sign is in the middle.

Look close and you can make out a trolley in the middle of the bridge to Island Park

Aerial View Of Sunbury Island Park

Island Park Amusement Park,  Revived

It was in  May of 1923,  that a group of capitalists headed by S.M. Weist purchased 18 acres of land on Packers Island for an Amusement park. Nine acres were to the south of the concrete highway, and nine acres were to the north.  

A concrete driveway and walk was planned to be built under the abutment of the bridge, to connect the two sections of the park. 

Plans included building a dance pavilion, a restaurant, an athletic field, a theater, boat and bath houses, and various rides and "amusement contrivances"

The park opened on June 30, 1923, and operated for 11 years, closing in 1934. 

A sign for Island Park can be seen in this postcard of Cameron Park in Sunbury

You could board the trolley here, to ride over to Island Park

Entrance to Island Park - Trolley tracks shown.

"Pop Corn" Concession Truck at Island Park

Boxing Match at Island Amusement Park, Sunbury

The park featured one roller coaster, a Philadelphia Toboggan Company wooden coaster, called Island Flyer. 

Another view of the roller coaster - look back between the trees - this was a LONG coaster.

At least 5 dips.

The Island Flyer opened on May 30, 1925, and closed with the removal of all rides from the park in 1934.

Carousel, possibly, to the left?  Many of these photos are terrible resolution - but they are the only photos I have seen of the park. 

A fire in February of 1933, believed to have been arson, destroyed a frame building on Island Park, opposite the park grove.  The building had been used by Sunbury Automobile Sales, and was valued at $500.

Auto Shows were held at the Amusement Park, in the 1930s.

March 1934

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BANKRUPTCY

1933-1934

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Large pavilion at Island Park

Island Park was sold in June of 1933.  

The first national bank purchased it at a bankruptcy sale  June 24th, 1933.  "There were no other bidders, and it was said that the bank made he purchase to protect a $30,000 mortgage and make possible the sale of the place with a clear title."  It was estimated that the large pavilion in the park, alone, was worth $30,000.  The park continued to operate throughout the 1933 season.

In October of 1933, the park was purchased by L.J. Chamberlin, "coal region theater operator".

Possibly taken in 1933/4  - when the Coaster was removed

The Pool, which reportedly was the "largest in central Pennsylvania" was to be kept.  The Roller Coaster was to be sold. The Dodgem building was to be turned into a roller skating rink.

I think this is likely a photo of the roller coaster being torn down, 1933/34

It appears to be the carousel to the right of the photo

In January of 1934, several of the lots again were up for sheriffs sale - but the Dance Pavilion and Pool continued to be operated, presumably by Chamberlin.

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Remnants Of The Island Park Carousel

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Photo of the Dentzel Carousel at New Castle Pa.

This carousel was moved  to Island Park in Sunbury in 1923.  

"Dentzel carousel was traded to PTC [Philadelphia Toboggan Company] in 1922 and was converted into 364R"

"PTC #64R was sold to Island Park in Sunbury Pa in 1923.  Island park closed in 1936 and the carousel was sold for $300.  It's fate is unknown".   NOTE - although the flood of 1936 would have been the obvious cause of the parks end, according to newspapers, the amusement park rides were sold off in 1934 [1933?] - two years prior.  Since the carousel building still remains today, it IS possible the carousel was not sold until after the 1936 flood.

The enclosed rec room at Fantasy Island Campground in Sunbury is the old Carousel Building.

A 2010 Issue of Carousel News & Trader features the Pennsylvania Toboggan Company Carousels. Their listing dates he carousel to 1923 - which would be the year that the carousel was converted from a Dentzel to a PTC.  PTC #64R

PTC #64R

According to a sign in the Carousel Museum at Knoebels, Island park sold the carousel for $300 "when it closed in 1936".  It seems likely that the carousel was sold after the 1936 flood.

The lion from the carousel ended up in Ashland, as a swing in Higher Ups Park, until 1976.

Knoebels acquired the lion swing  in 1976, fully restoring it in 1981.  Today it is displayed in the carousel museum located in Knoebels Park.

This "2nd row jumper" horse was on sale online, with the following note:

  This beautiful horse from PTC made in Germantown, Pa,  had been restored, the original wooden horses were sold off individually after the complete amusement ride did not sell.....

 PTC #64R 1923 (-?) Unknown 2-row. First operated at Cascade Park, New Castle, PA, then to Island Park, Sunbury, PA, in 1923. Owned there by the Wiest Amusement Co. The carousel building still exists; now Fantasy Island Campground, Sunbury, PA, being used as a recreation center"

Note - although the description mentions the entire carousel not selling, that does not necessarily refer to the 1936 sale.  This could have been used elsewhere after 1936.

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The Island Park Ballroom & Skating Rink
1935-?

Although the Roller coaster and rides were removed, part of the park continued to operate. 

 In 1935 "Pop" Baumgart was the amusement director for the Island Park Ballroom.  Orchestra's and dances were scheduled first on Wednesday nights, and later on Wednesday and Thursday nights, with roller skating the rest of the week.  There were occasional dances on Friday nights too, and the ballroom could be rented out for events.

The skating rink on the Island was popular for many years.

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Entrance to Island Park during the 1936 Flood

Service station at the entrance to Island Park, 1936 Flood

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Girl Scout Day Camp at Island Park

Year Unknown

In 1961, James Sgro Kulpmont sold  the "Former Island Park Amusement Park", the land in Park Grove "from the vicinity of the Sunbury Airport to the abandoned swimming pool located in the park"

Labeled "Ride At Island park Swimming Pool" Sunbury Pa

Year unknown - but likely prior to 1961 when the pool was referred to as abandoned.

Part of the amusement park was retained however, and used for concerts through the 1970s.  In 1972, a group of concert goe-ers trashed the island, and for years there were complaints about the noise, cars parked in private drive ways, "lack of bathroom facilities for the concert goers", and the amount of trash left behind all over the island after the concerts.

By 1977, Sunbury council was working on an ordinance to stop the events.

I'm told by several that Dick Clark's Caravan came to the Ballroom at Island Park, and that many in our area saw the Supremes there, before they were the sensation they were to become.  The above ad is from the Dick Clarks Caravan that year, and although some of the groups changed from stop to stop, it gives an idea of who all may have been at that concert in 1964. 

A Toy Railroad [Train Ride] was on the island for the 1972 flood

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NEW 

ISLAND AMUSEMENT PARK CENTER

1977

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1977

Reserved space for community fundraising projects

In April of 1977 Lester Benner, of Selinsgrove, announced that the Island Park Amusement Center would have a large Ferris wheel, a carousel , and a large roller coaster among it's 12 rides.

Rides in 1977 included:

Moon Walk

Clown & Car Rides

Roller Coaster [kiddie]

Merry -go-Round

Octopus

Whizzer

Ferris Wheel

A haunted house, steam train, and adult roller coaster were expected to be available a week after the May Opening

At the end of 1977 it was announced that the park would be converted to a kiddie park in 1978 - 

"The three major rides have been sold, he said. They will be replaced by a miniature golf course, an arcade and a go cart racing track. During the park's first year, he said, it did "about as well as we expected.' The park opened the middle of May and closed Labor Day. It had 11 rides' during the 1977 season. The park employs six persons, he said."

As late as 1977, there were still amusements, and mini golf, on the island

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FEUD OVER CONCERTS

SUNBURY Daily Item

September 18 1979

 "The feud between the Rumbergers and the Islanders someday may take its place beside the feud between the Hatfields and McCoys. 

If nothing else, it promises to give birth to an anti-rock concert ordinance. "I want to give them something to stew about." former Northumberland County Commissioner Dr. William Rumberger declared Monday night. "I've been aggravated by these people long enough.' The "stew" to which Rumberger referred involved two Sunday afternoon benefit rock concerts at his Island Park Amusement Park.

The concerts, scheduled to raise money for charity, attracted some 2,000 rock enthusiasts Sept. 2 and 9....

There were literally hundreds of underaged kids who were drunk or stoned, said another resident there."

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Local Amusement Parks, Past & Present

An Index of Posts

https://susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2024/06/the-amusement-parks-past-present.html

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Read More

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In 1972 Dr William Rumberger announced plants to open an Amusement park on Packer Island.

He purchased The miniature train, a 25 passenger paddle-wheel steamboat replica, and the children's roller coaster, from Rolling Green.  Much of the equipment was damaged in the 1972 flood, and the park only operated into part of 1973.

I.O.O.F. Central Pennsylvania Orphans Home Picnic, Island Park, Sunbury, Pa., July 19th, 1899

Boxing matches were popular in the 30s

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Island Park, located on Packer Island between Sunbury and Northumberland, was a popular destination for picnickers and pleasure seekers. People came to the park from far and wide. According to contemporary accounts about the park, its popularity was owed to its easy accessibility, its magnificent grove of trees and its location along the Susquehanna River. The park was abandoned at one time when the Sunbury and Northumberland Street Railway Company, which had promoted Island Park, merged with the Sunbury and Selinsgrove Street Railway Company, and the promoters found Rolling Green Park more profitable. However, Island Park again attained success under the management of Alvin Wiest and Wiest Amusement Company, which ran Edgewood Park in Shamokin for some years. The Wiest company rejuvenated Island Park and quickly built it into one a first-class recreation center.

"The dancing pavilion is one of the most commodious and best appointed to be found anywhere and with the excellent orchestras that the management has been securing since the beginning of last summer, it has proven to be a very popular dancing center," a contemporary account of the park noted. "Located right near the improved highway over the Island and near the water's edge, the pavilion does not escape many automobile parties who have some time to spend at such a resort." Island Park added a mammoth roller coaster at a cost of $50,000. The coaster was comparable to one located at Willow Grove, near Philadelphia.