Carousel at Kinderhook Lake's Electric Park
By Amy Krzanik Don your finest bonnet and gather up the children, because it's 1920 and we're boarding the train for Electric Park in Kinderhook. Or perhaps you'd prefer we take the steamship up the Hudson River to Woodcliff Pleasure Park in Poughkeepsie? Either way, we're in for a treat. Beginning in the early 1900s, weekend steamship voyages and electric trolley trips from New York City up the Hudson Valley corridor became more popular than ever. As factory jobs usurped farming as an occupation, many families moved to New York City for work. But during the steamy summer months, the city's denizens would escape tenement life and travel upstate to a string of popular amusement parks, including Kinderhook Electric Park at Kinderhook Lake and Woodcliff Pleasure Park which was located on what is now the athletic fields and dormitory of Marist College, among others.
Construction of the Blue Streak roller coaster at Woodcliff Pleasure Park in Poughkeepsie
These forgotten landmarks will be explored on Wednesday, April 30 at 6 p.m., when authors and historians Wes and Barbara Gottlock present an illustrated talk based on their book Lost Amusement Parks of the Hudson Valley at the Rhinebeck Antique Emporium. During their heyday, “Hordes of people were coming up from the city, up to 100,000 every weekend," says Wes Gottlock. Dressed in their Sunday best, the throngs would come to relax by the lake, picnic under tents or go for a swim. The more daring could ride the wooden roller coasters, go for a whirl on the electric or steam-powered ferris wheels or take a trip on what were the precursors to log flume rides. Other types of entertainment included "refined" vaudeville acts (a.k.a. "family friendly" performances), ballroom dancing, athletic events, fireworks and games, carousels and petting zoos for the kids.
Though souvenirs, including advertisements, postcards, photographs and other ephemera from the long-gone parks are difficult to find, the Gottlocks have collected around 60 or 70 images in their book, some of which are shown here and many more of which will be exhibited at the lecture. Rhinebeck Antique Emporium"Lost Amusement Parks of the Hudson Valley" lecture on Wednesday, April 30 at 6 p.m. 5229 Albany Post Rd. (Route 9) Staatsburg, NY (845) 889-4462
