Anyone else remember Lenape Park?
It's the subject of today's Delco Daily Top Ten, by my ace blogger Mary Ann Fiebert.
She certainly struck a chord with me.
Every year, my elementary school, Assumption BVM School in West Grove, would hold our end-of-year picnic at the park, out on Route 52 on the Brandywine River outside West Chester.
It was a classic, featuring an old, rickety wooden roller-coaster that always seemed like it was ready to fall apart. I think all the noise and bouncing back and forth only added to the thrill. I can still hear that sound of the huge chain slowly pulling the cars all the way to the top, inevitably followed by the shrieks of kids as the cars plummeted down the other side.
The Merry-Go-Round featured horses that you would 'ride' and try to grab a ring as you went around. Legend had it that there was supposed to be a gold ring in there somewhere, which you could redeem for free rides for life. We never saw hide nor hair of it.
There were huge canoe swing rides, on which you had to pull a long rope to propel the wooden canoes higher and higher.
If that didn't satisfy you, there were real canoes you could take out on the Brandywine.
All of this was followed up by a dip in what is still the biggest pool I've ever seen.
The place is no longer an amusement park. The rides are all gone. I believe the famous Merry-Go-Round was sold off. The roller coaster is long gone. It's now called Brandywine Picnic Park.
But it will always be Lenape Park to me.
What are you memories? Post a comment if any of this strikes a chord.
Thanks for the trip down memory lane, Mary Ann.
Comments
the potato sack race and my sister and I went on the rides all day long! I know I must sound old but they really are the good old days!!
The Merry Go Round, holding on to a pole, and reaching for a ring. It was the greatest park of my life. (Seaworld was a close second.)
It always seemed cooler there. I guess because there were a lot of trees,and it was close to the water.
The Coaster was totally controlled by large wooden leavers that moved slide brakes to set the speed and to stop the rumbling four car train. At 15 I had the lives of all the riders in my hands every time the train left the loading platform. A huge responsibility for a High School Junior. The job also allowed Me to meet lots of girls there on school picnics. Best job I ever had.
Remembering one wicked hot day day, June 1956 .. my baby brother was only a few weeks old .. and after we got there with our picnic lunch .. Mom & Dad decided to go home, no rides, no swimming .. too fierce heat for baby ..
I threw a fit, temper tantrum, jealous of baby brother, and oh! so mad .. when we got home .. East Pleasant Grove Road .. Mom put me in the tub, dowsed me with cold water to shut-up my hysteria.
They had photos of me on the bumper cars .. and Lenape Park was the go to place for summer fieworks, also learned at a very young age that Rt 202 was a Lenni Lenape Indian Trail.
I worked for PECO and without going into detail, my first date with my husband was at Lenape Park on June 17, 1954. PECO was holding their annual picnic and my future husband called and asked if I would like to attend; it was a blind date and I thought the picnic was at their country club which I could walk to and I thought if I didn't like this guy, I could just walk home or go across the street to my girl friend's house. Well, to my surprise, I found out the picnic was not at the country club. We were married January 5, 1957.