Photo TR: White City and Willow Grove Park.

[Jds03]

So today, after waking up and working on cartoons for about two hours, I decided I really needed a break or I was going to loose my mind. I've been working continuously on my cartoons for the past 3 days with not allot of success, sadly. So, today, rather than work further and go completely insane, I decided I was going to take a walk around my neighborhood to our township park, and work on cartoons when I feel ready instead of forcing it on myself.

 

So your probably wondering what this has to do with theme parks, and I'm getting their don't worry.

 

Cisco Park, otherwise known as Hillcrest Pond, is an outdoor public park in our township, which I grew up around going to, fishing, playing soccer and all that other cliché, blah whatever... Well the point is that one hundred years ago, It was allot more important that that. In the year 1909, it was in its third to last operating season as "White City Amusement park"!

 

It even has a page on RCDB if you don't believe me:

 

http://www.rcdb.com/pd1038.htm

 

I thought this might be a cool trip report, since theirs actually allot more historic things hidden around the park than people care to acknowledge, and there's actually a big chunk of Amusement park history right in my backyard. I took a bunch of pictures to share:

 

Also on a related note to come, after I got home from the park, my family decided they wanted to go to the mall, which is amazingly the former site of Willow Grove Park! (Actually, they still call it that, but it's really a mall now). So I decided to make a Photo TR their as well. (Wait for an update soon.)

As I was walking home I passed by this house. HoHoHo, HaHaHa, IT'S JUNE!!!!!

Oh yeah. Try to guess the reasoning behind this one too.

Now tell me why this is called terminal ave.

Ok, so first look down to the very end of this street.

At least theirs still an operating concession stand today!

This is the other side.

This is where they store the cut lumber. You can't see it on the map to well, but it's a little building that says transfer on it. I think it was to transfer parts of the trains from the track which loops around to another track which runs down the street today.

I'll give you a hint. These were train tracks. Also this building was connected to a covered carousel which greeted the guests as they entered the park from the train station (oh wait, I gave it away...)

So this is where they cut the wood. Any Guesses as to what it may have been?

So today this is Rittenhouse lumbermill. Part of this building used to be the powerhouse for the park. (see # 23)

You can see it says it was built in 1732.

Actuly, It's not going to be a lamp shop for much longer...

This building is number 24 on the map. It was the Inn for people to stay over night when they visited. When I first moved here it was a restaurant. Now it's a lamp shop.

This was and still is the boundaries for the park.

This is my bus now! ( No, just kidding. I don't even take a bus now)

This was my bus in elementary school. Our bus driver was awesome. His name was rick and he always gave us pencils as presents for holidays. Also one time he was drinking from a can while driving, and one kid asked "is that beer?" and he told them to shut up.

My school now keeps it's bus grage here.

This is the dam which creates the pond. It's the same one that was used by white city. Note the similarity to the stone wall shown earlier.

This is one of the llamas. His name used to be Osama Bin Llama, but they changed it to Barak O'Llamma. I sometimes see him being walked around my neighborhood.

This is an Emu. They are related to Ostriches. Also, I have absolutely no idea why the residents have them. I've even asked them personally, and they replied by saying they like having pets.

This is an important house. It was first the house of Daniel Yeakle, who was a farmer who owned the land the park was built on. However as the park became more popular the house was occupied by the builder and owner of the park, Henry B. Auchy, who eventually became the owner of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. Today, I know the people who live here. One of them is my Sunday school teacher. They actually own two lamas and a bunch of emus. I'm not kidding! See for yourself!!! V

You can see it fading out better here.

This is the trail from higher up. With all the trees I can understand why it might have been called "Forrest Coaster".

I never realized it, because I thought it was for the school to practice track, however I always wondered why it just faded away into the bushes like that.

Now this is the really cool part. As I was taking these pictures, I suddenly realized what this trail of gravel I had seen for the longest time was. It was the footprint of Toboggan/Forest Coaster!

So this is the school's tennis courts, but it was the former location of the other coaster. I'm actually not completely sure what it's called because the sign says it was called "Toboggan" but RCDB say "Forest coaster". I'm not sure who to trust.

I played pee-wee soccer here. One hundred years before that there was an operating roller coaster here. Actually two, the first one was struck by lightning and burned down in 1905 but they rebuilt it and added "mountain" to its name.

This playground is sitting on the former grounds of the Mountain Scenic Railway's station building.

This has absolutely no significance to anything. So I took a picture of it!

Where I am standing while taking this picture used to be the island where the bandstand and the two "Human Roullette Wheels" were.

Right next to the school is a baseball diamond. This is the former location of the casino.

This is the school which was built on the grounds.

I think that willow tree was here when White City operated.

So this is the pond today. They added a fountain three years ago.

This is the creek scene from a bridge. When the park was here, only a little bit of the creek was here and it bent around and re-connected to the pond. It was for people to ride boats through. Today they filled in part of the original stream and connected the other part to the "whirlpool" to create a natural flowing stream.

This is importaint. It's one of the last remaining structures from White City that's left.

Ok, so on to the pictures of what the park looks like today... in 2009.

This is a map of the park. You can refer back to this with the other photos I have.

It's a shame, there's not a single trace of the cassino left.

Time Line.

Here's a blurb on the park.

So the park has this little sign to acknowledge the park's history.

This is the park's sign. It doesn't have any of those fancy fountains, or LCD lights.

This is the main gates! Well... Kind of...

[astroworldfan1]

 

I don't know if you care or not, but you rode on one of the most rare school bus known to the school bus industry, the Carpenter Coach RE (rear engine). I envy you.....I'm a school bus fanatic.

 

BTW, very nice P:TR! It's nice that this park was somewhat "saved".

 

-Tatum "Never ridden of a Carpenter Coach RE before "

[John Peck]

Very Nice.

 

I've gotta wonder what "landmarks" of Geauga Lake will exist 30 years from now.

[Jds03]

Part 2!

 

So as I was saying before, as soon as I got home my family members decided they wanted to go to the mall, which totally smashed my plans of finishing any cartoons today. (Actually, making this trip report did.) I'm so stupid.

 

So anyway, it's really cool because the mall we went to is located on the former site of Willow Grove Park! So I decided to continue my TR of closed amusement parks.

RAWR!!! I'M A GIANT KOI FISH!!! GIMME SOME CANDY!!!! (Oh and thanks for reading) RAWR!!!!!!!

This is the bootleg nemo.

Look! It's the bubble fish!

I like this guy hidding behind the rocks. He's cool. Also if you touch the spikes on his back, you die.

This fish is really cool, but he cost 70 freakin' dollars!

Actuly, I found allot of Nemos.

I found Nemo.

Yay!!! Fishies!!!

This is why I came. I wanted to buy a salt water fish!

This mall looks huge from the back.

Try to imagine what was here before a four story parking grage.

ok, so I guess it's a "Park Mall"?

The mall...er...park has these murals printed in random places. This one was on the side of an escelator.

Can somebody please tell me what this is?

There's a close up of one of the figures.

It's actualy really tall.

See? It dangles above the fountain.

I think this display holds the actual parts to the original carousel, and the operating carousel is fake. But again, if I'm wrong please don't kill me.

Ok now I'm going to walk around the "Park" some more.

"Mountain Scenic Railway"... Wait... Why is that so familiar to me?

The electric fountain was some sort of centerpeice for this place.

Here's an airal shot of the park.

The tables in the food court are really cool! They're coverd in all sorts of memorabilia.

Yep, three floors of theme park. not mall... park.

I *think* this was part of the original park, but don't kill me if it actuly isn't.

This supposed "park" also has a three story subterranean shopping complex.

So, is this a Carosel or a Merry-go-round?

GASP!!!! A ride!!! I guess that means that this is technically still a theme park!

See, this sign clearly indicates that it is still a park!

Here you can order desserts with more calories than a 20 oz steak!

Now it's a massive shopping complex.

They still call it "Willow Grove Park" although it's not really a park anymore.

[YoshiFan]

I was at the Willow Grove mall today too.

 

I hate the fact I live less than 10 minutes from what was once a park and now it's just a boring mall (all the fun stores like Challenge's arcade are gone) but it closed before I had a chance to go.

 

I always used to like watching that merry go round display above the fountain when I was younger.

 

 

I also had no idea there was a park in Glenside. So that makes 2 local parks lost.

[U2Rox]

Very interesting Photo Trip report.

I'm intrigued by the amount of parks and coasters that didn't have a chance of survival against the changes of time.

Thanks for posting!

[Hercules]

That is kind of funny - I was at that Petco yesterday doing a dog adoption.

 

I have some old aerial photos of what once was Willow Grove Park. I also know someone that says one of the coasters was about the equivalent of Phoenix.

[Jds03]

^&^^^ wow, I can't believe I almost ran into two TPR members yesterday! Did either of you guys see me? I was wearing a black Lightning Racers t-shirt and jeans and had a cannon camcorder around my neck which I was taking pictures with.

 

I don't know if you care or not, but you rode on one of the most rare school bus known to the school bus industry, the Carpenter Coach RE (rear engine). I envy you.....I'm a school bus fanatic

 

That's actually pretty cool. I always noticed there was something different about my bus, but I sort of just accepted it. I think our district has something with one of a kind school busses since next year we’re supposedly getting the nation's first electric powered school bus.

[Teacups Make Me Sick]

This is an Emu. They are related to Ostriches. Also, I have absolutely no idea why the residents have them. I've even asked them personally, and they replied by saying they like having pets.

 

Most people eat Emu's....but they are really cool bird. Suppositively closes relative to dinosaurs. They also vocalize using what sounds like a drum in there chest. You might be able to pull up the sound on a website, or if you ever go to a zoo on an empty day, you should be able to hear them.

[Electerik]

I don't know if you care or not, but you rode on one of the most rare school bus known to the school bus industry, the Carpenter Coach RE (rear engine). I envy you.....I'm a school bus fanatic.

 

Dude, I know I'm in no position to judge or anything...but you're a school bus fanatic?

 

Are there websites?! Like, School Bus Review?

[YoshiFan]

^&^^^ wow, I can't believe I almost ran into two TPR members yesterday! Did either of you guys see me? I was wearing a black Lightning Racers t-shirt and jeans and had a cannon camcorder around my neck which I was taking pictures with.

 

No, I didn't see you. I was there from around 3 - 5:30 but didn't go to the 3rd floor at all and spent a lot of the time in Macy's (Father's Day gift shopping)

[Hercules]

^ I went to PetCo around 8PM and was there for 10 minutes. Then I got the hell out of that pithole they call Willow Grove.

[Pirouettes907]

I was SO excited to see this! Jeeze, first the Bebes' Philadelphia TR and now this! (although your TR takes place closer to home.) This sure makes it seem like I'm still home and didn't just move halfway across the country!

 

It really is a shame there's no more Willow Grove Park--or at least, WGP as it should be (although I do enjoy riding the carousel whenever I'm there). I didn't know about the park in Glenside, though. It's really neat to see pictures comparing "then" and "now." One thing I was wondering--how do you know that was the footprint of the roller coaster in the first TR? To me, it looks like a dirt path, so I'm curious to know how one can tell the difference.

 

This was great. Thanks for making my day!

[astroworldfan1]

I don't know if you care or not, but you rode on one of the most rare school bus known to the school bus industry, the Carpenter Coach RE (rear engine). I envy you.....I'm a school bus fanatic.

 

Dude, I know I'm in no position to judge or anything...but you're a school bus fanatic?

 

Are there websites?! Like, School Bus Review?

 

Yes! I love school buses!

 

http://www.schoolbuscentral.com

http://www.schoolbusfleet.com

 

And many, many more!

 

Anyway, back on topic. I wish there were more P:TRs of historical places like these.

[Jds03]

^ I honestly can't believe I'm seeing that correctly.

[astroworldfan1]

Yeah. I know, I'm weird.

 

-Tatum

[GGMac]

To Jds03 - I hope you see this; it's been several years since you posted photos of the site of the willow Grove Amusement Park.

I have thoroughly enjoyed your photos - especially of the carousel. I'm 76 years old now, but very clearly remember riding on that carousel in the early 1940s. We lived within an hour or so of the park, so visited many times. The carousel figures were beautiful, and very uncommon - as you've noted. In my time, there were two "bench-type" figures - for the grannies who didn't want to climb up on the animals. One of these is visible in your photo, right there in the middle, in front of the white elephant. It looks like a circus wagon design. The other, one in my day, was a large white swan decorated with garlands of [painted] flowers. If the one in operation today isn't the original, is certainly is a close facsimile.

Thank you SO much for posting these.

[Philrad71]

^GGMac:

 

THANK YOU so much for reviving this thread as I just uncovered what I now consider the best amusement park documentary that I have ever watched. If you haven't seen this video yet, I hope you enjoy watching it for the first time...I know I sure did!!!!

 

 

TPR folks:

 

Please take the time to watch this video despite that it clocks in at about 20 minutes. What an AMAZING flashback to a completely awesome looking amusement park from the 1950's.

 

I apologize as I'm not a mod, but this video is just too awesome to ignore. It's like seeing Kennywood, Knoebels & Idlewild all rolled up into one and the commentary is probably the best thing I have ever heard in my life!

 

 

Hope everyone enjoys this video as much as I did...how about those PTC trolley/buses?