Why were there so many amusement parks in Ohio?

Primarily, look at the number of traction companies that existed in OH and PA during the first two decades of the 20th Century. Streetcar companies were the principal builders and operaters of amusement parks. There were a lot of them, not to mention their big brothers, the interurban electric railway( which is a streetcar on steroids that goes cross crounty). Most of these companies had at least one park somewhere along their line that they owned, some like Pittsburgh Rys. had several. Then there are the independent operations that sprang up along the tracks as well.

Kinda related to what gator and matt are saying was the issue of the trolley lines. The trolley companies wanted to give people a reason to use their lines on the weekends instead of just for traveling to work. This increased revenues and made the lines more efficient. So many trolley companies built amusement parks at the ends of the lines.

Even where there weren't trolleys, many parks were built close to railroad tracks. Little passenger stations were built near the park entrance, and people would get on and off the trains, picnic baskets in tow.

WV actually had quite a few amusement parks back "in the day" as well. The trolley lines had a lot to do with their initial successes. Once people started buying cars, most of those parks closed. The Great Depression also had a lot to do with it from what little research I can find on these defunct WV parks. The only one left is obviously Camden Park.

Luckily PA and OH were able to hold onto some of their parks through that time!

-Tina

You guys do know there's one of these "trolly parks" that still survies to this day in New England. It also happens to be mt home park and ride my first "adult" coaster.

Drumroll please...

It's... CANOBIE LAKE!

Many people outside the Mass/NH area have a clue about it, but I enjoy it.

Dorney was also a trolley park as well as Kennywood I believe...

^ I think so. Lakemont too, and probably Waldameer.

This brings up the question...why have there not been as many parks in Michigan? I mean, Detroit was a huge blue coller area.

Detroit had several parks, I believe. There was Electric Park and Edgewater, and a few others that escape me. Some of them were indeed trolley parks.

There were a great many parks in the Detroit area. Have we forgotten BobLo already? Lake Lansing? Bois Blanc Island? I don't have access to it right at the moment, but the PTC records show a lot of carousels and coasters that were installed in that general area at one time. Many didn't survive the Great Depression, some survived into the 1950's and 60's only to be succumb to a revitalized Cedar Point.

People are too broke to take real vacations, so they pack up the kids and go to Cedar Point every summer. At least that was my experience growing up in the Midwest.

A: 'Because it's there'

Seriously, maybe it has something to do with 1st designer of the full-circuit coaster being from Hamilton?

A very important company opened in Dayton, OH in 1920 known as National Amusement Devices. They built at least 400 coasters until they closed in 1973. This may have been one of the reasons so many amusement parks existed in Ohio & PA.

http://www.rcdb.com/cd44.htm

To answer this, you need to look a bit at the us population centers and demographics. In 1900, when a lot of amusement parks, trolley parks, etc. were starting, Ohio was a huge industrial center. It ranked 4th in population numbers behind NY, IL, and PA, and had 5% of the total US population. Given the technological revolution, Ohio was part of the 1900's "Silicon Valley" so to speak. Thus, there were a lot of people to entertain, and amusement parks were new and the fad. Plus, between the natural lakes of Ohio, Lake Erie, and the Ohio River areas, there were many good spots for amusement parks.This is a bit of a contrast to today, where Ohio ranks 7th in population and has 4% of the US population.

...Because Ohio is the heart of it all

I think it was because near the turn of the century the west was not as developed as the East.

Trolly lines opened many parks so did Railways.

Some Trolley Parks include (not all were owned by Trolley Companies)

Canobie, Kennywood, Lakemont, Waldameer, Geauga Lake, West View, Luna, Dorney, Hershey, Chippewa, Idora,

Cedar point was a railroad park as patrons were droped off at the Docks before being Ferried to the Park

And Conneaut was a trolly and Train park with its own station where Kiddieland is now.

Below is a list of all parks that have ever been in Pennsylvaina

http://www.defunctparks.com/parks/PA/indexPA.htm

Below is a list of all parks that have ever been in Ohio

http://www.defunctparks.com/parks/OH/indexOH.htm

I can't believe i've miss this thread.Wahoo is right in many instances. Many forget the importance dancing had in early amusement park buisness. Dancing was the draw in many early 1900s amusment parks. expecially in the 20s thru -60s. The rest was concession on that. Kennywood. Cedar Point, Coney Island Cincinnat. Peony park. Dancing was the draw.Mom stil to this day talk about riding down to the Public landing on the trolley, Catching the Island queen and dancing all the way to Coney and Dancing at Moonlight Gardens (Coney) taking a break to ride coasters or whatever, Then dancing some more and doing it all the way back to the landing on the Island Queen.That big 'ole indian pyloned building at CP wasn't always just for offices and a game room, ya know?

It seemed like every park had a Ballroom in the day. As Charles said Dancing started most parks along with Trolleys. Conneaut Lake Parks Dreamland Ballroom use to be "the Largest this side of the Mississippi. Waldameer has Rainbow Gardens, Idora Chippiwa used to have one. Kennywood did too. West View had a nice one as well. Its sad most of them are now gone most due to fires and Arsons. All those memorys just gone in as simple as a blink of an eye.

The memories are still there. Just not the ballroom.