Ohio's Amusement Parks in Vintage Postcards


Book Description

By 1912, there were 54 amusement parks in Ohio. The parks came in all sizes, and featured such attractions as the Flying Ponies carousel, the Chute-the-Chutes water ride, and the Cyclone, Racer, and Dip-the-Dips roller coasters. Some, like Cleveland's White City, seemed to be courted by bad luck from the beginning, and folded after only a few disappointing seasons. Others, like Youngstown's Idora Park, enjoyed long lives and fostered beloved memories, but eventually closed down in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. A few, like Sandusky's Cedar Point, have grown to be considered among the greatest amusement parks in the world. But most are now forgotten.




The Golden Age of Roller Coasters


Book Description

The Roller Coaster-the Cyclone at Coney Island, the Racer at Pittsburgh's Kenywood Park, the Blue Streak at Sandusky's Cedar Point-icon of the midway, capable of reducing even the strongest of grown men to screaming, white-knuckled hysterics. During the early decades of the 20th century, daring designers pushed the limits of these high-speed thrillers, reaching hundreds of feet in height and thousands of feet in length, with ever more miles of winding, twisting, lurching track dominating the landscapes of America's amusement parks. Most of the roller coasters from that golden age are gone today. Thankfully, they live on in memory, preserved in vintage postcards that provide a lasting record of the magnificent wooden structures that thrilled our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents.




Ohio's Lake Erie Vacationland in Vintage Postcards


Book Description

Ohios Lake Erie Shore began to blossom as a resort area in the mid 1800s, and came into full bloom around the turn of the century when the prospering steamboat navigation industry started to bring thousands of tourists to Put-in-Bay, Cedar Point, and the spiritual retreats at Lakeside on Marblehead.




Wheeling in Vintage Postcards


Book Description

The history of Wheeling and Ohio County is both eclectic and engaging. Beginning in the colonial era when the legendary Betty Zane saved Fort Henry from an Indian attack by hiding gunpowder in her skirt, Wheeling eventually emerged as an important link between Eastern cities and the rest of the United States. The Wheeling Suspension Bridge, the Old National Road, and the B&O Railroad all passed through the bustling Ohio County. Over the years, Wheeling has been labeled everything from "Victorian Wheeling" to "Sintown USA," and these monikers represent the diverse qualities of a town molded and shaped by the steel, coal, tobacco, and transportation industries. Whether residents and visitors frequented the impressive Victorian mansions or Wheeling's infamous brothel district, they always had something to write home about. The incomparable collection showcased in this book spans five decades and was begun and continued by the Carney family.







Cedar Point


Book Description

In 1870, Louis Zistel began ferrying passengers from Sandusky to the Cedar Point Peninsula's beer garden and sandy beaches. In 1888, the Grand Pavilion was built, housing a massive theatre, bowling alley, photographic studio, and kitchen, and shortly thereafter, the resort's first roller coaster was installed. George Boeckling transformed the resort into a self-sufficient city and amusement park, but the park suffered badly in the 1930s economic depression. However, after Cedar Point changed hands several times in the 1950s, it became one of America's leading amusement parks. Today, the park is best known as the world's largest amusement park and the "Roller Coaster Capital of the World."




Story Land


Book Description

Collection of vintage photograph postcards of the amusement park in Glen, N.H.




Parkersburg in Vintage Postcards


Book Description

Historically, ParkersburgA[a¬a[s rapid development can be attributed to its position at the junction of the Ohio and Little Kanawha Rivers. Steamboats and, later, rail transportation sealed the areaA[a¬a[s destiny as a successful community. In 1896, Parkersburg resident Gustavus Edward Smith produced images of Parkersburg on a newly developing novelty, the picture postcard. The first in West Virginia, these picture postcards were created two years before the cards were even legally recognized by the United States Postal Service. At the turn of the 20th century, as citizens were enjoying ParkersburgA[a¬a[s business, political, and social atmosphere, the postcards industry was thriving on the publicA[a¬a[s demand for likenesses of interesting buildings, streets, parks, events, and even disasters.




Cleveland and the Western Reserve in Vintage Postcards


Book Description

It was the dawn of the 20th century, and Cleveland, Ohio, the nation's sixth largest city, was on a roll. Featuring a magnificent downtown with skyscrapers and classic public buildings, a waterfront bristling with shipping, cruises, and industry, thriving neighborhoods of millionaire mansions and suburban bungalows, fine parks linked by scenic boulevards, and unrivaled cultural institutions, this powerhouse city was in the midst of its genesis. Balancing this forward growth were the towns of the Western Reserve, which retained their distinctive New England character and provided a peaceful contrast to the vigorous city that was expanding daily.




Newport in Vintage Postcards


Book Description

Newport's recent revitalization gives its citizens all the more reason to remember the city's storied past. Before Newport boomed with tourism, it was dubbed "the Sin City of the South," infamous for its abundant casinos and nightclubs. Prior to that, though, Newport thrived as a street car suburb and an industrial hub, relying on the Ohio River for transportation. Along with its neighbor, the Queen City of Cincinnati, Newport blossomed into the vibrant community that it is today. The vintage postcards in this volume depict the fascinating legacy left by Newport's people and places.