Powy's Amusement Park

 

Powy's Amusement Park

Carson Brothers Powy's Park

Wolfe's Inn Powy's Park

On our Sunday drive last month, one of the sights we stopped to see is the location of Powy's Amusement Park, near Trout Run.

Questions:

Was it ever actually an amusement park? There was a playground, merry go round (carousel? If so, what happened to that?), swings.. but was it truly an amusement park? (Charter for an Amusement Park issued in 1923)

Was the building destroyed in the 72 flood? Some say yes, that it was rebuilt after the flood? The current building looks very similar in design to the old photos.

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ASSORTED NOTES

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Bands that played there included:
Hybrid Ice, Uriah Heap, The Barron Mountain Boys, Louise Mandrell

Softball fields/games were held there - including state tournaments. In the 1970s Powy's Park was Williamsports Home field for softball.

In the 1950's/60's, there was a candy & tobacco store in the front, ice cream, etc. In the back was a restaurant and bar.

Shuffleboard.

Carson Brothers - Harvey & Leon.

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TIME LINE

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1923 Charter issued: Powy's Amusement Park, Newberry, $10,00; Charles R. Lose of Newberry. - Department Reports of Pennsylvania
Volume 9, Part 3 1923

1923, October - "A state charter was issued to the Powy's Amusement Park Company. The Incorporators are Charles R. Lose, David Lupton, and Howard R.B. Jones. Authorized capitol, $10,000

1925 - Powy's Park, with 8 acres of land, for sale. Building and stock equipment.

(Same place?) 1926 August - The tourist Inn And Gas Station of the late W.B. Yeager on State Highway at Powy's Pa for sale. This 12 room home, Hot cold water, new bathroom, too close estate must be sold.

In 1932 the 16 foot bar was smashed (destroyed) and the bar was padlocked for one year. Owner was Bert L. Breen

1937 sheriff's sale - "with the improvements thereon, consisting of a small frame cabin and large stucco block building used as a store room, dance floor and dwelling place, and known as the Powys amusement park building"

1938

1948 - Wolfe's Inn - Found mention of it as Wolfe's Inn from 1948 to 1962.  (Use those dates as "at least from" - just a general idea of years - not exact start and end dates)  

In a 1948 article by Shoemaker on an Alpine Club hike (I know.  But sometimes there are some facts in his stories too) he mentioned Wolfe's Inn at Powy's with the comment: "An interesting feature, the landlord [William Wolfe] was a son of late W. Howard Wolfe, whose priceless stories of the olden days often appeared in the column, and the landlord's wife a daughter of the compilers old friend Oscar Buckingham, of English Centre, noted for his knowledge of lumbering days."

1957 - Donkey basketball under the lights at powy's park

Softball Under The Lights

At Powy's Park

First In Area

1972

In 1981, retired U.S. Marshal John Buck of Orangeville was being charged with theft of electric panels from Powy's, in 1976. According to the article in the Berwick newspaper: "Hanlon had argued that the commonwealth has no right to bring charged against the former marshal, because the amusement park was under the jurisdiction of the marshal's service and that Buck was performing official business for the federal government"

The Amusement park was apparently under the marshal service, because Zerby, the former owner, had defaulted on a federal small business administration loan.

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Carson Brothers Grocery Store

1300 Scott Street, Williamsport

In the 1940s, the Carson farm in Powy's had a lot of cabbage.  In 1945 there were numerous advertisements for "1,000 tons of cabbage" for sale at Powy's Park.