Max M. Brown Memorial Park
In 1922, Jacob C. Brown and his family, owners of Standard Wood Pipe Company, donated the land for the park to the city in memory of Jacob's brother Max. The park, formally named Max M. Brown Memorial Park, included baseball fields, playgrounds, a track, tennis and volleyball courts, bathing pools and beaches, and added amusements such as a zoo, a roller coaster, & bumper cars, in 1924.
After the Amusement Company went into receivership in 1930, the rides went to the new Sunset Park on Lycoming Creek Road [opening in 1931] the zoo declined until the 1936 flood ended it, and the dance hall burned down in 1946.
Today Bowman Field is at the park, along with a swimming pool, playground area, and basketball courts.
Memorial Park Playground, 1921
In August of 1921 Jacob Brown purchased the land lying on both side of fourth street bordering Lycoming Creek. He formed the Max M. Brown Realty Company, and planned to fill the area with modest houses, since his brother Max had once said that "the most desirable citizens were those who owned their own homes."
In an article about the purchase, in the Gazette and Bulletin, the location was described as an "excellent one, in the rapidly growing west end, and is contiguous to the Memorial playgrounds, which Mr. Brown once offered to help the city secure."
Picnic At Memorial Park, 1938
In May of 1922, Jacob & Sarah Brown deeded to the city of Williamsport a 22 acre tract in memory of Jacobs Brother, Max M. Brown. The deed was officially turned over on Friday November 25th 1922. It included land along both sides of Lycoming Creek, and the West Fourth Street Extension, and adjoined Memorial field, which was already the property of the city. The land had been in virtual possession of the city since the previous spring, and a considerable portion of the ground had already been cleared of underbrush.
The final transfer was dependent upon the purchase of three small adjoining pieces of land, by the city, which is what caused the delay.
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Memorial Park Monument: World War I Gun, 1936
The only other condition of the transfer was that suitable tablets marking several pieces of the Brown plot were to be erected.
An attractive stucco building, known as the coffee house, had been constructed for picnickers, to allow for preparation of food and coffee at the park. Lumber for this coffee house was supplied by the Brown family.
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THE AMUSEMENT PARK RIDES
May 1924
In July of 1922, there was discussion in the Williamsport papers about so many from the city traveling to Edgewood Amusement Park in Shamokin, and how Williamsport could benefit from having their own Amusement Park. In April of 1923 the Grit reported that "inquiries regarding a merry-go-round, a roller coaster, and other park amusements" had been received and were likely to be at the park that year, but it appears to have been 1924 when the Amusement Park was first opened.
Memorial Park, 1929
The "Big Eli" Ferris Wheel on the right
May 1924
A Balloon Racer, and Kentucky Derby were two new amusements added in 1926
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THE MEMORIAL PARK
ROLLER COASTER
ROLLER COASTER
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The Big Roller Coaster
A roller coaster enthusiasts forum gives the following stats for the coaster:
Big Roller Coaster
Memorial Park (Williamsport, Pennsylvania, United States)
Removed, Operated from 1924 to 1930
Roller CoasterWoodSit Down
Make: Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc.
Tracks
Height 66.7 ft
Inversions 0
Details
Serial Number 43
Designer Herbert Paul Schmeck
Building the coaster, 1924
Modeled after a roller coaster in Pottsville, the Memorial Park Coaster was about a half mile long and constructed during the spring of 1924 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company at a cost of about $45,000.
The cost for a ride was initially 15 cents but was later reduced to 10 cents.
In this photo, taken July 1930, the Memorial Park Roller Coaster can still be seen behind the baseball stadium.
In 1927, improvements to the park included: Closing the road through the midway to vehicular traffic, erecting a new pavilion, adding "Big Eli" - a Ferris wheel [which would "help to illuminate the park"], the Whip was to be moved to a "point in line with the merry go round" and a station was to be erected for the mini railroad. Plans were also made to add a dancing pavilion.
The Whip, Max M. Brown Memorial Park
In 1928 the Grit reported that Memorial Park charged no admission, and that all games and rides were 10 cents each, with special 5 cent days advertised. No gambling, nor wheels of chance, were permitted in the park. "Nothing but good clean wholesome FUN and plenty of it."
1927
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THE MEMORIAL PARK
ARTIFICIAL POND
ARTIFICIAL POND
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The train ride can be seen on the right.
In August 1923, an artificial lake was "the latest addition to memorial Park". The southeast part of the park was cleared, with a dam added at either end. The mosser dam on Lycoming Creek was tapped to pipe into the park. (Today, roughly the area of the basketball and pickleball courts)
A miniature railway ran around the lake, and eight ponies were available for children to ride around a bridle path laid out along the lake bank. Two telephones were installed at the park, along with additional electrical lights and toilets.
The lake remained until the early 1940s, when it was filled in to expand the playground.
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THE MEMORIAL PARK
ZOO
ZOO
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In these years, almost all parks had bear kept in cages. But at Memorial park, there was a full zoo - with bison, deer, snakes, alligators, a bobcat, monkeys, and even pelicans. In the early 1930s, zoo director, Ralph McCollin, made headlines when he threatened to release some of the animals into the wild if enough water wasn't provided.
An article for the Historical Review in Berks County, by Edwin Bell (see bottom of the page for full article) tells us that many of the animals came from a park in Reading Pa - and had been originally donated to that park by Henry W. Shoemaker, the folklorist.
"Williamsport City Council had approved an appropriation on May 9, 1924, made by George Fleming, of not more than $3,000 to construct pens and proper enclosures for the animals. Fences for the elk and deer were estimated at $345 each, and a bear pit was estimated to cost $350. The animal shipments were from Reading and McElhatten, with the latter city [or perhaps Col. Shoemaker] contributing one timber wolf, one wildcat, and two coyotes. Col. Shoemaker is reported to have donated an eagle."
"The Memorial Park Zoo was a delight to both children and adults. The zoo complex was situated parallel to Beeber St. just north of the West Fourth St. entrance to the park. The complex was most popular in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and contained a Canada Lynx donated by J. August Beck, a male mountain lion, anteaters, a bison, a raven, wolves, jackals, barn owls, opossums, roosters, alligators, turtles, and waterfowl. A children’s contest to name a newly born bison was quite popular. Names submitted were “Nickel,” “Nickey,” “Bill Nick” (meaning “Billtown Nickels”), “Scott, “Uno,” “Tiney,” and “Billy.” Reading can be proud of its contribution to this zoo.
Exchanged animals with the Philadelphia Zoo
Bulletin. (1926). United States: (n.p.).
Parks & Recreation. (1928). United States: American Institute of Park Executives..
The Depression took its toll on the once-popular zoo. As the animals died off, they were not replaced and in the spring of 1933 only a few cages remained." - Mineral Spring Park, Pendora Park, The Zoo of the City of Reading, and Removal of Animals to Memorial Park, Williamsport, Pennsylvania by Edwin Bell
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GOLF
AT MEMORIAL PARK
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Golf Links At Memorial Park
Opening Day, 1928
In 1925, construction of a 9 hole public golf course began at the park. The plans included two water hazards over Lycoming Creek, and was expected to be completed in the Spring of 1926.
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MEMORIAL PARK BASEBALL FIELD
RENAMED BOWMAN FIELD
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Late in the summer of 1924, Williamsport baseball officials and city officials met at "Williamsport's venerable Ross Club" to discuss building a new ballpark, In, at Memorial park, land owned by the Williamsport Water Company. Negotiations continued into 1925, when an agreement was reached. A field would be built at Memorial Park.
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Field is on the other side of the bank. (I do not know who the man is in this photo - but possibly Bowman.)
Memorial Field was renamed Bowman Field on Wednesday June 26th, 1929.
Read more here:
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Little League Game At Memorial Park
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MEMORIAL PARK AMUSEMENTS
CLOSED - MOVED TO SUNSET PARK
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In 1930, The Park Amusement Company, the Municipal Amusement Company, and the Kerstetter Corporation entered into an agreement to combine all Amusement Enterprises in Williamsport "under one direction." In July of 1930 a judge ordered the "bankrupt corporation" to remove all rides from Memorial Park, to a site outside of the City [Sunset Park]. $1,200 was owed to the city from the previous year.
Sunset Park, along Lycoming creek north of the High St bridge in Williamsport opened on Memorial Day, 1931, replacing the Amusement Park at the Max M. Brown park. The roller coaster was reportedly 2 feet taller, at it's new location.
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MEMORIAL PARK
IN THE 1936 FLOOD
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Bowman Field, with the Lycoming creek in the background, during the 1936 flood.
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All of the "amusements" had been removed years prior to the flood. The picnic pavilion can be seen to the left here, a pavilion is still at the same location, beside the parking area, today.
This building may have been removed after the flood.
This photo is in the James V. Brown Archives, labeled as "View of memorial park from Beeber"
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MEMORIAL PARK
BEACH
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Memorial Park Beach, 1921
Memorial Park Beach, 1924
. The foot bridge at left spanned Lycoming Creek south of Original League Field, which is south side of West Fourth Street near Beeber Street.
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The Footbridge
[The ends still stand today]
Today, the cement supports [is that the right word?] from the old walking bridge still stand, and can be seen from the Lycoming Bike Path, just north of 3rd street, along Lycoming Creek,
Location of the remains, on a map view
The foot bridge at spanned Lycoming Creek south of Original League Field, which is south side of West Fourth Street near Beeber Street.
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Tourist Camp
1934 Memorial Park Tourist Camp
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Max M. Brown
Max M. Brown died October 10th 1920, in University Hospital in Philadelphia. He had come to Williamsport from Elmira NY in 1911, and opened the Standard Wood Pipe company in the old Fischer Plant. Soon the mill outgrew that property, and a new plant was built "at the foot of Jefferson Street". Max was survived by two sisters, Bertha Erickson of Philadelphia and Lena of Williamsport, and three brothers, Jacob, Benjamin, and Paul.
In those early years, wood pipes were preferred over cast iron and metal, because they held up better. Electrolysis, caused by electrical rail lines running over the pipes, often caused metal pipes to disintegrate and burst. According to the Williamsport Gazette:
Sulfur, salts, mineral water and chemicals also quickly destroyed metal piping but surprisingly, had little effect on wood pipes.
During 1914, orders for the Williamsport wood pipe placed by municipalities and railroad, coal and manufacturing companies totaled in the millions of dollars. In one mail delivery alone, orders for more than $1M in pipe arrived at the Williamsport mill.
During WWI, The Standard Wood Pipe Co worked day and night under the supervision of Army officers, making pipe for army camps and a shipyard. Shiploads of Williamsport wood pipe were sent to France under special guard and laid right up to the front-line trenches.
The company went out of business in the 1930s, during the Great Depression. A decade later it re-opened as Easter Wood Products, which then supplied piping during WWII, when metal was scarce.
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An Index Of More Local Amusement Parks, Past & Present
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READ MORE
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The Grit 9/6/1925 -
Albert Brown 92 years old died at his home 1067 West 4th Street on Friday evening. He was born in Europe & came to this country 35 years ago. He resided in Williamsport for 15 years. He left 3 sons: Jacob C, Benjamin & Paul & 2 daughters: Mrs. Lena (Brown) Mink & Mrs. Bertha Etticson.
Lion and Tiger Training Planned
(did this ever happen??)
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Mineral Spring Park, Pendora Park, The Zoo of the City of Reading, and Removal of Animals to Memorial Park, Williamsport, Pennsylvania
By EDWIN L. BELL, Professor Emeritus, Albright College
Editor’s Note: Dr. Edwin L. Bell, a resident of Reading, is a graduate of Bucknell University, the Pennsylvania State University and the University of Illinois (where he received his Ph.D. in biology).
Mineral Spring Road leads eastward from Reading and passes over the Lindbergh Viaduct into the town of Mt. Penn. The name of this road came from the nearly forgotten Mineral Spring Park, located just north of the Viaduct in Rose Valley. In 1815 two Reading businessmen, Charles Kessler and John Spade erected a stone textile mill, powered by water, at the lower end of the glen. The factory failed in 1818, allegedly because the business could not compete with foreign goods. A spring was discovered upon the property, and the building was eventually named the Mineral Spring Hotel. In 1818 the mineral water from a spring was promoted: “The analysis of these waters will show it does contain some of the same mineral ingredients as those of Schooly’s mountain in Jersey, and other mineral waters. Experience has already shown their efficacy in strengthening weak nerves, [guards] against water in the chest, against gravel [kidney stones], and as a tonic in general. Persons being afflicted with sore eyes have been relieved by the application of these waters.
“The subscriber therefore invites all those who wish to make use of these waters to call at his tavern and he shall make it his duty to entertain them so well and agreeable, and at such moderate prices as shall be in his power”.
“His endeavors shall likewise be directed to entertain with the best liquors and victuals all those who may wish to visit this place merely for their amusement. Therefore he generally solicits the custom of a generous public. Jacob Schneider, proprietor.”
Dr. Isaac Hiester, one of Reading’s most notable physicians of that era reported that the water contained iron, held in solution with carbonic acid gas, together with a small quantity of soda. At that time fresh air, herbal medicines, and mineral waters were recommended for a variety of ailments.
From 1827 to 1837 Mrs. Catherine Kessler and her two daughters managed the hotel, and generally enjoyed a profit of $1600 a season, which was quite a sum in those times.
Mineral Spring H6tel was converted into a “fashionable hotel” in 1837, and ran until 1856, when the Reading Water Company purchased the property. The East End Athletic Club is the surviving remnant of the Hotel, and is still in operation. During the nineteenth century James Buchanan, George Dallas (James Polk’s vice president), and probably Rutherford B. Hayes were some of the guests of the Hotel.’ Buchanan, who was then a Senator from Pennsylvania, addressed a gathering of 1500 persons there on July 4, 1840. Three militia bands accompanied Buchanan, Congressman George May Keim from Berks County, and Vice-president Richard Johnson (under President Martin Van Buren) to a podium in the Park. Hayes visited Reading on October 26, 1875. His host, General Lemuel Todd of Carlisle, is reputed to have remarked that the rum punch served at Mineral Springs Hotel was beyond price or praise.
During the nineteenth century the Democrats of Reading held annual Fourth of July celebrations in the park.’
A spring, with an estimated daily minimum flow of 120,000 gallons, was once one of the main sources of Reading water. However, the city has not used the area as a water source since about 1880. The mineral spring no longer flows, and has been abandoned. Montgomery (1886) describes the water source: “The mineral spring was walled at that time, and an octagonal building erected atop eight iron pillars with open sides and a roof.”’ No such structure exists today.
A commercial amusement park, Pendora Park, was opened on July 25, 1907, with a reported 20,000 persons attending.’ Admission to Pendora Park was five cents, whereas there was no admission fee to Mineral Springs Park. William P. Sweny was the owner-manager of Pendora Park, which had a 2,250 ft. midway, and a miniature railroad.
The former Sweny’s ice dam became a large lagoon. The midway had a roller skating rink, a bowling alley, a shoot the chutes (a water slide upon which a boat could shoot downward into the lagoon) a penny arcade, ice cream parlors, and a merry-go-round. On Jan. 3, 1911, the park burned, and only a band shell and the merry-go-round were saved. Pendora Park never opened again as a commercial venture. In 1917 a severe thunderstorm caused a flood down Rose Valley, which burst the ice dam, causing a wall of water to rush down 18th St. and Perkiomen Avenue. Under pressure from William L. Moser, president of the Sixteenth Ward Improvement Association, the City of Reading bought the land in 1918 and converted it into a city playground, which still is called Pendora Park.6 The ice dam was filled in and presently is a baseball diamond.
The dam embankments are still visible around the present baseball field in Pendora Park, and little imagination is required to see it as a former spacious lagoon filled with water. Rose Valley Creek is confined by a stone bed and walls laid by stone masons in Mineral Spring Park, which eventually empties into a storm sewer at 18th and Forest streets. Stone archways cross the creek, and several stone-enclosed springs still are visible. Presently several pavilions are being restored by the City of Reading. This sixty-three acre recreational area was a popular picturesque place in the early nineteen twenties, being visited by many Sunday school outings. One of the main junctions of the Mount Penn Gravity Railroad was in Mineral Spring Park. A slab of concrete at the east end of the Lindbergh Viaduct is the only remnant of a car barn, the Gravity Station, for the Gravity Railroad. The slab overlooks the present tennis courts of Pendora Park.7 The old railroad grade can plainly be seen on the east side of Mineral Spring Park. The railroad proceeded northward through the glen, and passed just east of the dam in Egelman ‘s Park. A photo of an open railroad car at Egelman’s dam is in the Passing Parade, Vol. 1, No. 1, p. 247, (Meiser and Meiser, 1982).
Henry Wharton Shoemaker (1882-1958) was a banker, diplomat (to Portugal, 1904; Berlin, Germany, 1904-1905; and Sofia, Bulgaria, 1930), and newspaper publisher. He had a philosophy of conservation far ahead of his time. He served in the Pennsylvania National Guard from 1905 to his death, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. As a youth he spent many summers at his maternal grandparents’ home, Restless Oaks, in McElhatten, Clinton County, Pennsylvania. He became fascinated by the folktales he heard from the settlers in central Pennsylvania, and was greatly interested in the animals of the area. He was the author of twelve books of folktales, and wrote many articles on various animals, which were published in the Altoona Times-Tribune, or as short pamphlets. He was the successive owner and publisher of newspapers in Jersey Shore, Bradford, Reading, and Altoona. From 1912 through 1950 he was the owner and publisher of the Altoona Times-Tribune. In 1908 he purchased the Reading Times and Dispatch, and changed the name to the Reading Times. The last time his name appears as President of the Reading Times was late June, 1912.
He strongly advocated the elimination of the bounty for large predators such as the mountain lion, bobcat, and wolf. He was particularly enamored by the mountain lion. He stated that one must promote the survival of these large mammals which perform a valuable service by preying on rodents, by removing aged and sickly prey, and by keeping the deer herd in check. He clearly stated that bounties were a waste of the state’s money.”
In 1913, while Pendora Park was in operation, and before the dam for the lagoon was ruptured in 1917, Colonel Shoemaker donated a number of animals to the City of Reading, to be the nucleus of the Zoo of the City of Reading. The offer was made in 1911, to the then Mayor William Rick, but the donor’s name was not revealed until later. Col. Shoemaker was a frequent visitor to Mount Penn (the mountain), and is said to have greatly enjoyed the social life of Reading. The zoo was comprised of at least two elk, two fallow deer, two black bears, two Canada geese, two horned owls, a silver pheasant, and a number of squirrels. Pens housed the animals in either Mineral Spring Park or the adjacent area of the defunct Pendora Park. Several swans were donated by William H. Luden, and could be seen on the lagoon. The zookeeper was John Jacob Roth (personal communication from his grandson, Norman F. Butt).
Due to complaints that the cost of feeding them was too great, and from the Humane Society that the animals were not being properly cared for, the City of Reading arranged to transport the animals to the Williamsport Memorial Park, for a zoo there. On 29 May, 1924 a number of men supervised the crating and removal by truck of the animals.
Those responsible were George R. Flemming, Superintendent of the Williamsport Department of Parks and Public Property; Reading councilman Edward C. Hunter, Reading Park Superintendent; William I. Hoch, Park Engineer; Charles F. Fenstermacher, state game protector; C. E. Logue, of Woolrich, trapping instructor for the Game Commission; J. J. Slautterbach of Harrisburg, chief of the Game Commission’s bounty division; and Frank Keller, superintendent of the Williams-port Memorial Park.
The transfer of the animals met with the approval of Col. Shoemaker. The swans were returned to William H. Luden, and the ducks were returned to Mr. Roth. However, the crating and removal of the animals was both frustrating and amusing, as the animals protested by making various kicks, grunts, and growls. They made front page news in the Reading Tribune.Io Crates were made for all the large animals. The fallow deer refused to enter their crates, and had to be rounded up and carried kicking to their crates. “Rose,” the female bear entered her crate willingly, but her mate “Teddy” fought the workmen for two hours. He ignored the bribery of food placed in the crate. A hose was turned on him to attempt to get him to enter, but he shook himself and sprayed water over his would-be captors. Two attempts to use blazing torches to scare him into the crate were futile, since he slapped them out with his paws. Finally he was captured and crated.
“Buck” and “Kitty,” the bull and cow elks, caused some excitement. They were not easily captured, but no one was injured by their hoofs and horns. Hoping to entice her into the crate, Jacob Roth placed a wheelbarrow load of freshly cut grass in her crate. “Kitty” went to the rear end of the crate and got a meal of the grass by pulling it out through the openings of the bars. “Buck” was the last animal to be crated. The truck crossed the Penn Street bridge at 4:00 P.M., and the animals were taken to their new homes.”
Williamsport City Council had approved an appropriation on May 9, 1924, made by George Fleming, of not more than $3,000 to construct pens and proper enclosures for the animals. Fences for the elk and deer were estimated at $345 each, and a bear pit was estimated to cost $350. The animal shipments were from Reading and McElhatten, with the latter city [or perhaps Col. Shoemaker] contributing one timber wolf, one wildcat, and two coyotes. Col. Shoemaker is reported to have donated an eagle.
The Memorial Park Zoo was a delight to both children and adults. The zoo complex was situated parallel to Beeber St. just north of the West Fourth St. entrance to the park. The complex was most popular in the late 1920s and early 1930s, and contained a Canada Lynx donated by J. August Beck, a male mountain lion, anteaters, a bison, a raven, wolves, jackals, barn owls, opossums, roosters, alligators, turtles, and waterfowl. A children’s contest to name a newly born bison was quite popular. Names submitted were “Nickel,” “Nickey,” “Bill Nick” (meaning “Billtown Nickels”), “Scott, “Uno,” “Tiney,” and “Billy.” Reading can be proud of its contribution to this zoo.
The Depression took its toll on the once-popular zoo. As the animals died off, they were not replaced and in the spring of 1933 only a few cages remained.
The author is grateful to Mr. George M. Meiser IX for providing advice and photographs for this article; to Barbara Gill, Librarian of the Historical Society of Berks County; and to Robina Rader, Reference Librarian of the James V. Brown Library of Williamsport for providing information on the Memorial Park Zoo.
This article originally appeared in the Spring 1995 issue of The Historical Review of Berks County.
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Fourth and Beeber Streets, 1912
Setley Black Smith and Carriage Shop
Sat at the corner of Beeber & W 4th
(entrance to memorial park today)
Previously Yeagle's Blacksmith shop, built in 1878.
Carriage Shop in part of the building, owned by George Connor
Building destroyed by a fire on March 6th 1905
Gospel Tabernacle at the corner of Beeber & Memorial
Building still stands today
Residence of D. Kavanaugh, West Fourth Street and Beeber Street
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