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Thanks to fellow historian Dan MacKellar for locating the 1911 Sanborn Map and coaster image. Map from UNC Archives
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Street car service improved in 1910 with the opening of the double line. New, larger trains were purchased in 1915 to increase capacity.
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Guests arriving at Lakewood Park will stop at this new, up-to-date station. The lake and Pavilion can be seen in the distance. This postcard is postmarked 1911.
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This aerial postcard is undated but it is likely from the late 1910's to early 20's. You can see the Pavilion building with the red roof that juts out slightly over the lake in the small cove. Just behind that building is the electric trolley lines. The narrow white-roofed building on the water's edge to the left of the Pavilion would be the boat house, where you would board your row boat. The amusement park would lie directly behind the boat house. Some of the roads you see in the background are still in use today.
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This 1910 postcard shows an electric trolley that ran to Lakewood Park. The banner at the bottom reads, "Boating and Refreshments Lakewood Park." The sign at the top of the car reads, "Fourth Ward." A sign on the gate at the doorway reads, "Baseball today Charlotte vs Anderson." The sign on side of the car reads, "Charlotte Electric Railway."
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A photo of the new trolley cars put into service by the Southern Public Utilities Company in 1915 for service to Lakewood Park.
photo: courtesy the Robinson-Spangler Carolina Room of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library |
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Lakewood Park touted it's new lighting system for the 1910 season. Strings of lights were placed around the lake giving couples a well lit stroll along the walkway at night. The amusement rides were placed on the southern side of the trolley line which divided the park. A tunnel was built under the tracks so patrons could easily access the amusement park or the lake side without crossing the tracks. If you look closely towards the center of the postcard above, you can see the stairway that led from the parks main trolley station to this tunnel.
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Lakewood was also known for it's beautiful flower gardens like the one in this postcard postmarked Sept. 4, 1917. In the distance you can see several structures, including the stairs leading up to the roller coaster entrance in the center structure slightly obscured by the trees.
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The Roller Coaster, or "Scenic Railway" as it was called, opened on July 9, 1910 at a cost of $15,000. It was the largest size constructed by the Cincinnati Amusement Co. with 7, three-seated, richly upholstered cars traveling on 2,200ft of track which included seven dips. The 100 passenger Carousel was touted as the largest in the country when it opened in 1910. It was 44ft. in diameter and had 3 rows of horses and chariots. A new merry-go-round was added to Lakewood Park in 1924.
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Row-boating was a popular past-time at Lakewood Park. One newspaper article stated that 44 new steel boats were purchased for the 1910 season.
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Pictured above are "Ruth" & "Boaz", the 2 Nubian ostriches Lakewood brought in from Arizona in 1915. The zoo at Lakewood Park opened in 1915 as a small petting zoo. Ten years later it had grown to be what was considered the most extensive zoo between Washington and Memphis. It had a variety of animals including monkeys from Brazil, a black bear from PA., a wildcat from the Dismal Swamp, water buffalo, wolves, a skunk and even a Gila Monster. Some of the old animal cages, which were made of concrete and steel, were left standing until the early 1960's, long after the zoo closed in 1936.
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photo of Lakewood Park's black bear & keeper, 1926
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The trolley line pictured here brought patrons to and from Lakewood Park. The amusement rides were built on the left side of the tracks in 1910 and a tunnel was built under the tracks so patrons could easily access the lake and the midway.
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Lakewood Park's Casino opened in 1915. The 800 seat Casino offered a variety of entertainment including plays performed by the Bijou Stock Co. for 10¢ or 15¢.
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