{"id":608,"date":"2016-01-23T22:34:47","date_gmt":"2016-01-24T03:34:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lowerpottsgrovehistoricalsociety.org\/site\/?page_id=608"},"modified":"2018-02-05T00:22:30","modified_gmt":"2018-02-05T05:22:30","slug":"sanatoga-park","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/lowerpottsgrovehistoricalsociety.org\/site\/index.php\/gallery\/sanatoga-park\/","title":{"rendered":"SANATOGA PARK"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sanatoga Park was built in the mid 1890’s.\u00a0 It was another “trolley park” owned and operated by the Pottstown Passenger Railway Company as a destination site to give people more incentive\u00a0 to ride the trolleys.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\"Boathouse<\/a>
BOATHOUSE AND LAKE<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The main attraction was a beautiful lake that was once 300 ft. wide and over a half mile in length.\u00a0 There was\u00a0plenty of room for a swimming area and for boating and canoeing, which was a\u00a0popular activity in those days.\u00a0 Boats and canoes were available for rent, and the Naptha Launch\u00a0 carried passengers up and down the length of the lake.<\/span><\/p>\n

Built on the hill overlooking the lake was the Park restaurant, with a rustic pavilion attached that could seat 300 persons.\u00a0\u00a0 This later became the Dance Pavilion, which attracted\u00a0 as many as 1,000 dancers on Sat. nights to enjoy the music of name bands.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
THE ALPINE DIPS ROLLER COASTER<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At the turn of the century, the Alpine Dips roller coaster was <\/span>built. <\/span>It\u00a0 <\/span>was nearly a mile in length and dominated the hillside.\u00a0\u00a0 B<\/span>uilt<\/span> by the <\/span>Philadelphia Toboggan Company, it was\u00a0\u00a0the very first ride <\/span>of its kind <\/span>built in an <\/span>amusement park<\/span>.\u00a0 Other amusements were also available, including the Palace Carousel, the Whip, the Airplane Swing, and Hilarity Hall Fun House.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
THE MIDWAY<\/strong><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

There were also more games and entertainments along the Midway which ran diagonally up the side of the hill.\u00a0 These included the Shooting Gallery, the Kentucky Derby, the High Slide, Pitch Till You Win,\u00a0Palmistry and many more.\u00a0 All in all, the park encompassed forty acres.<\/span><\/p>\n

By the end of the “Roaring Twenties”, the park had begun to decline.\u00a0 In the late 1930’s the roller coaster was sold for dismantling to Amandus D. Moyer, who founded the A. D. Moyer Lumber Company in 1939 by selling the used wood from the Alpine Dips.\u00a0 In 1944, the Pavilion burned to the ground.\u00a0 It had been the last building standing.\u00a0 The once glorious Sanatoga Park was gone.<\/span><\/p>\n

Today there has been a band shell erected, and there is regular musical entertainment provided throughout the summer on Sunday evenings.<\/span><\/p>\n