My earliest memories were at the swimming pool. Our family always had a season pass.

We went swimming just about ever night after my father got home from work and most weekends. I recall a family that had seven or eight kids and they would bring the babies to the pool to teach them to swim and not fear the water. They were swimming before they could walk.

I also remember the "riot" at the park in the 1950s. The local police chief drove through the neighborhood and told us to stay away from the park because a big crowd was anticipated that included both blacks and whites. It was at a time when integration was in its infancy and some people didn't accept mixing the races.

Some of the blacks, who had come on a special train, fled the park and into town looking for the train station. Their own train couldn't be used to take them home because it was damaged. Also, traffic was bumper to bumper with people leaving.

A few days after the riot, I remember going to the park and see the damaged train and debris left from the riot. As I recall, the park closed and never reopened that year. The riot was on Memorial Day, as I recall, in about 1955 or '56 but I'm not sure about the year.

My brother worked at the park a few years later and helped during the winter months to paint and get it ready for the next year. He sometimes didn't get paid and the local Justice of the Peace, Harry Reble (not sure of spelling) had to collect his pay for him.

I spent a lot of time at the park on weekends and holidays. I never officially worked there but got to know those who did and "helped" them run the rides. Two of the rides -- the Salt and Pepper Shaker and the Octopus — would go upside down and spin. It caused some riders to loose change out of their pockets that would fall to the ground. The workers let me collect the change and keep it for helping them. However, I returned large sums of money or wallets that I found.

I also remember the row boats and the Swan ride in the middle of the park. It was fun to row up and down the creek.

On Sundays, they always had a featured string band from Philadelphia come and play at the pavilion next to the creek and not far from the pool. It drew a lot of people.

There was a large merry-go-round in the center of the park. I used to help the worker run it and would walk around collecting tickets. One problem they had for a while is that the large belt that ran the merry-go-round kept coming off and had to be put back on. I'd help with that by spraying the belt with some liquid that helped it to grip the pullies.

The train ride also was a favorite attraction It was a long ride, as I recall, and went to Frontier Town that was an old west town. As I recall, most of it burned one winter and wasn't replaced.

It was sad when the park closed. I used to take my dog down there to run after it closed. As I went through the park, I'd recall the locations of rides and entertainment facilities and food service areas.

- July, 2007