WEST POINT PARK, West Point, PA
Amusement Parks Lakes, Ponds, Rivers, Streams No Longer There Nostalgia
3
Virtual
WEST POINT PARK, West Point, PA
This was the location for the Zeiber's Park from 1868 to the 1940s, and then West Point Park until 1987. My grade school in Cornwells Heights used to have an outing there every year during the last week of classes. In the old yellow buses, it seemed like we were going to the other end of the world. There is a photo of the swan boat from the early 1920s at http://media.thereporteronline.com/2015/07/03/photos-days-gone-by-lansdale-and-its-surrounding-areas/#4. The Woody Woodpecker photo mentioned below was lost during a system upgrade. I'll try to re-post it when I get a chance.
| Publication date | Jun 24, 2018 |
Property ID: 210
Updated on: Apr 08, 2022
This was the location for the Zeiber's Park from 1868 to the 1940s, and then West Point Park until 1987. My grade school in Cornwells Heights used to have an outing there every year during the last week of classes. In the old yellow buses, it seemed like we were going to the other end of the world. There is a photo of the swan boat from the early 1920s at http://media.thereporteronline.com/2015/07/03/photos-days-gone-by-lansdale-and-its-surrounding-areas/#4. The Woody Woodpecker photo mentioned below was lost during a system upgrade. I'll try to re-post it when I get a chance.
info
Location:
West Point Park , 765 Park Road, Lansdale, Pennsylvania, 19446, United States
Listing Category:
Amusement Parks Lakes, Ponds, Rivers, Streams No Longer There Nostalgia
Virtual / Real:
Virtual
Created Date:
06-24-2018
Created by
Our Gallery
Comments
Name : plaquemaster
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : //www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20161003/lansdale-historical-society-to-remember-west-point-park-oct-11. The Lansdale Historical Society always does a good job so it promises to be good.
Date : 2016-10-04
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : //www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20161003/lansdale-historical-society-to-remember-west-point-park-oct-11. The Lansdale Historical Society always does a good job so it promises to be good.
Date : 2016-10-04
Name : plaquemaster
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : The Lansdale Historical Societys Steve Moyer hosted a great program last night, in front of maybe 250 people, all who had visited West Point Park, and many of whom worked there. Two guests were sons of the owners, Bruce Bill Evans and Leo Booz. (I hope my notes are right.) Some interesting things I learned follow. The site was once Lukens Station, a train station. There is a building in the area that still exists that was a station. There are still goldfish in the pond that are descendants of goldfish that had been won and let loose. Gypsies had visited and camped there in 1910 when it was Zeibers, and Mr. Moyer had a picture of their palmist. The carousel at WPP was a Denzel menagerie. The Jumper roller coaster was bought used from Topeka, Kansas, disassembled by Native Americans, and the first roller coaster ever moved. It was manufactured by National and was a wood/steel combo. When the park closed it had a buyer who backed out, and it was sold for scrap. I asked Mr. Evans about the story I recalled where it was not cataloged when disassembled and could not be sold, and he said not true, all parts were carefully numbered. (Could I be thinking of Lakeview in Royersford, PA?) The Jumper got its name because it jumped the track early on, leading to a change to a safer braking system. WPP had the first flat rate tickets of any amusement park. The Ferris wheel was an Eli. Some trees that were planted (catalpas, oaks, maples) still exist at the site. The late Frank Blaze was the sign painter for the park, and some of his signs are now used at nearby Mermaid Lakes. The Philadelphia Zoo Band would play at WPP, and Mr. Evans learned that the zoo did not realize it ever had a band. When WPP closed, the kiddie rides went to a park in Canada. The park was enjoyed by adults in that it served beer. Owner Howard Booz had a slogan, We sell fun. WPP closed after the 1988 summer, in part because of increasing insurance rates. Also, NIMBY neighbors had the township require public sewage that it could not afford (1/2 million dollars at the time). Bill Evans hopes that a picnic for fans of WPP can be scheduled. I asked him about what was on the mutoscope that I was afraid to peer into, and he did not remember it, but agreed it must have been tame, maybe a woman dancing with a feather boa.
Date : 2016-10-12
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : The Lansdale Historical Societys Steve Moyer hosted a great program last night, in front of maybe 250 people, all who had visited West Point Park, and many of whom worked there. Two guests were sons of the owners, Bruce Bill Evans and Leo Booz. (I hope my notes are right.) Some interesting things I learned follow. The site was once Lukens Station, a train station. There is a building in the area that still exists that was a station. There are still goldfish in the pond that are descendants of goldfish that had been won and let loose. Gypsies had visited and camped there in 1910 when it was Zeibers, and Mr. Moyer had a picture of their palmist. The carousel at WPP was a Denzel menagerie. The Jumper roller coaster was bought used from Topeka, Kansas, disassembled by Native Americans, and the first roller coaster ever moved. It was manufactured by National and was a wood/steel combo. When the park closed it had a buyer who backed out, and it was sold for scrap. I asked Mr. Evans about the story I recalled where it was not cataloged when disassembled and could not be sold, and he said not true, all parts were carefully numbered. (Could I be thinking of Lakeview in Royersford, PA?) The Jumper got its name because it jumped the track early on, leading to a change to a safer braking system. WPP had the first flat rate tickets of any amusement park. The Ferris wheel was an Eli. Some trees that were planted (catalpas, oaks, maples) still exist at the site. The late Frank Blaze was the sign painter for the park, and some of his signs are now used at nearby Mermaid Lakes. The Philadelphia Zoo Band would play at WPP, and Mr. Evans learned that the zoo did not realize it ever had a band. When WPP closed, the kiddie rides went to a park in Canada. The park was enjoyed by adults in that it served beer. Owner Howard Booz had a slogan, We sell fun. WPP closed after the 1988 summer, in part because of increasing insurance rates. Also, NIMBY neighbors had the township require public sewage that it could not afford (1/2 million dollars at the time). Bill Evans hopes that a picnic for fans of WPP can be scheduled. I asked him about what was on the mutoscope that I was afraid to peer into, and he did not remember it, but agreed it must have been tame, maybe a woman dancing with a feather boa.
Date : 2016-10-12
Name : plaquemaster
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : //www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20161012/hundreds-turn-out-to-share-memories-of-west-point-park.
Date : 2016-10-12
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : //www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20161012/hundreds-turn-out-to-share-memories-of-west-point-park.
Date : 2016-10-12
Name : plaquemaster
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : The Woody Woodpecker sign pictured was part of the memorabilia on display at the Lansdale Historical Society program on West Point Park on 10/11/16.
Date : 2016-10-13
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : The Woody Woodpecker sign pictured was part of the memorabilia on display at the Lansdale Historical Society program on West Point Park on 10/11/16.
Date : 2016-10-13
Name : markerwriter
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : An article about the program by the historical society- /www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20161012/hundreds-turn-out-to-share-memories-of-west-point-park.
Date : 2021-03-20
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : An article about the program by the historical society- /www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20161012/hundreds-turn-out-to-share-memories-of-west-point-park.
Date : 2021-03-20
Name : markerwriter
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : An article about the program by the historical society- /www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20161012/hundreds-turn-out-to-share-memories-of-west-point-park.
Date : 2021-03-20
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : An article about the program by the historical society- /www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20161012/hundreds-turn-out-to-share-memories-of-west-point-park.
Date : 2021-03-20
Name : markerwriter
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : An article about the program by the historical society- /www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20161012/hundreds-turn-out-to-share-memories-of-west-point-park.
Date : 2021-03-20
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : An article about the program by the historical society- /www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20161012/hundreds-turn-out-to-share-memories-of-west-point-park.
Date : 2021-03-20
Name : markerwriter
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : An article about the program by the historical society- /www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20161012/hundreds-turn-out-to-share-memories-of-west-point-park.
Date : 2021-03-20
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : An article about the program by the historical society- /www.thereporteronline.com/general-news/20161012/hundreds-turn-out-to-share-memories-of-west-point-park.
Date : 2021-03-20
Name : markerwriter
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : There is a photo of the swan boat from the early 1920s at http://media.thereporteronline.com/2015/07/03/photos-days-gone-by-lansdale-and-its-surrounding-areas/#4.
Date : 2021-03-20
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : There is a photo of the swan boat from the early 1920s at http://media.thereporteronline.com/2015/07/03/photos-days-gone-by-lansdale-and-its-surrounding-areas/#4.
Date : 2021-03-20
Name : markerwriter
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : There is a photo of the swan boat from the early 1920s at http://media.thereporteronline.com/2015/07/03/photos-days-gone-by-lansdale-and-its-surrounding-areas/#4.
Date : 2021-03-20
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : There is a photo of the swan boat from the early 1920s at http://media.thereporteronline.com/2015/07/03/photos-days-gone-by-lansdale-and-its-surrounding-areas/#4.
Date : 2021-03-20
Email : sjkc0072@aol.com
Comments : //media.thereporteronline.com/2015/07/03/photos-days-gone-by-lansdale-and-its-surrounding-areas/#4.
Date : 2015-07-07