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The history of Dorney Park in Allentown Pennsylvania
>> YOUR LINK HERE: ___ http://youtube.com/watch?v=cg0DhasTs-A
Original airdate: 8/22/2017 | ALLENTOWN, Pa. - On any given warm summer day, there is a line at Dorney Park. The amusement mecca, whose history goes back over 150 years, can be found full of patrons, some of whom arrive by the busload, to ride on or dive in any one of a number of attractions. Some hail from as far away as New York or Philadelphia. Others are from any one of the local suburbs of Allentown and Bethlehem. • Born in an era when beating the heat meant a cool walk in the woods, not an air-conditioned room, Dorney has always had its devoted fans. Some old timers claim it has changed too much and miss the rides of their youth. But in truth, like it has in the past, Dorney reflects the era of which it is in. Always has. • The park’s founder, Solomon P. Dorney, was a Pennsylvania German farmer who lived in Cetronia. He acquired the land the park was on from his father. It had been in the family since the 1770s. Now a lot of people of Dorney’s generation were content to plow the land just as their fathers had. But from somewhere he got the idea that people would might just pay to fish there. So Dorney established a small fish weir or dam that water would flow over, making a pool for the fish that could be used by fishermen. • The late Bob Ott, whose family was to own Dorney Park for much of the 20th century, recalled in 2003 how the land was laid out: • “The Dorney Park Road went right through where the park is today. Solomon Dorney owned the southern part along the stream. Cedar Creek, that went through Dorney Park around where the road is. Later on, the trolley track went through that same area. Dorney owned the property south of the road. Later on Dorney acquired a property. That’s where the Mansion House, the restaurant and hotel was added. That’s where they had the fish weir, on that side. Later on Dorney acquired a property. It originally was a farmhouse, but then it became a hotel. The whole conglomerate became Dorney’s Park. Dorney put a couple of antique rides in.” • Read the full story at WFMZ.com: • http://www.wfmz.com/features/historys...
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