Louis Pellessier,
the head of the Holyoke Street Railway Company at the time, embarked
upon an ambitious expansion of the Mountain Park midway in 1929, just as the Great Depression
hit. Even so, Pellissier was able to shepherd the park through
the ensuing twenty years and keep the park's reputation as a prime leisure
destination in the Pioneer Valley. |
Even with a decline in trolley
ridership and the demise of the Summit House, Louis Pellissier was undeterred. To accomodate the new mode
of travel, he tore down sections of the beautiful picnic groves and
turned them into automobile parking lots. |
Pellissier created what we now
recognize as a tradition amusement park midway, filled with rides and
games of chance. Clockwise from the upper left is the Aeroplane,
a Traver Engineering Circle Swing; the PTC-built Mountain Wildcat
rollercoaster; various concession stands. At the bottom of the
image is the ballroom/Tap Room complex. Next to the Aeroplane is
the building for the former dance hall and arcade, converted into a
carousel pavilion. |
This is how the midway looked in
1941. Not a lot had changed in ten years. The center of the
midway is still fairly open, with just a few shade trees. In the
foreground is a stage for light musical acts and circus-style
performers. On the right is the pavilion for the Whip, a popular
Mangels ride. The carousel pavilion is just beyond it.
Visible in the far center background is the ballroom and Tap Room. |
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