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Lost Wonderland : the brief and brilliant life of Boston's million dollar amusement park / Stephen R. Wilk.

Van Pelt Library GV1853.3.M42 W668 2020
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Format:
Book
Author/Creator:
Wilk, Stephen R., author.
Contributor:
James Lader Fund.
Language:
English
Subjects (All):
Wonderland (Revere, Mass.)--History.
Wonderland (Revere, Mass.).
Boston (Mass.)--Social life and customs--20th century.
Boston (Mass.).
Massachusetts--Boston.
Manners and customs.
Genre:
History.
Physical Description:
xvi, 265 pages : illustrations, map ; 23 cm
Place of Publication:
Amherst : Bright Leaf, an imprint of University of Massachusetts Press, [2020]
Summary:
"If you take Boston's Blue Line to its northern end, you'll reach the Wonderland stop. Few realize that a twenty-three-acre amusement park once sat nearby-the largest in New England, and grander than any of the Coney Island parks that inspired it. Opened in Revere on Memorial Day in 1906 to great fanfare, Wonderland offered hundreds of thousands of visitors recreation by the sea, just a short distance from downtown Boston. The story of the park's creation and wild, but brief, success is full of larger-than-life characters who hoped to thrill attendees and rake in profits. Stephen R. Wilk describes the planning and history of the park, which featured early roller coasters, a scenic railway, a central lagoon in which a Shoot-the-Chutes boat plunged, an aerial swing, a funhouse, and more. Performances ran throughout the day, including a daring Fires and Flames show; a Wild West show; a children's theater; and numerous circus acts. While nothing remains of what was once called "Boston's Regal Home of Pleasure" and the park would close in 1910, this book resurrects Wonderland by transporting readers through its magical gates"-- Provided by publisher.
Contents:
Machine generated contents note: ch. 1 Opening Day and Background
ch. 2 The Boulanger ofWonderland
ch. 3 Year One
ipo6 (The Northern Half of the Park)
ch. 4 Year One
1906 (The Southern Half of the Park)
ch. 5 The Rise and Fall of Floyd C. Thompson
ch. 6 Year Two
1907
ch. 7 Year Three
1908
ch. 8 Year Four
ipop
ch. 9 Finale
ipio
ch. 10 After the Ball Was Over
ipu and Beyond.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Local Notes:
Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the James Lader Fund.
ISBN:
9781625345578
1625345577
9781625345585
1625345585
OCLC:
1154507405
Publisher Number:
99985676727

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