Following its opening in 1894 as a
picturesque retreat on the side of Mount Tom, Mountain Park expanded
and evolved into one of the most beloved amusement parks in New
England. At the beginning of the 20th century, Holyoke was the most
prosperous community in the state and the first planned industrial
city in the United States. The city’s progress drew crowds of
visitors to Mountain Park, and the park gradually developed into a
bustling destination. Although the park closed its gates in 1987,
the echoes of laughter from generations of visitors still
reverberate throughout the Pioneer Valley.
About the author
Jay Ducharme worked at Mountain Park
for over a decade, just as his father before him, and has spent much
of his life preserving and sharing the history of the park. He is a
member of the board of directors for the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round, the
only part of Mountain Park that has remained in the city. The rarely
seen images in this book have been gathered from the collections of
the Holyoke Public Library, Wistariahurst Museum, local newspapers,
and residents.
|
