West Virginia joined the Lincoln Highway in 1928 when the road between Pittsburgh and Ohio was rerouted through the the town of Chester in the state’s panhandle. Today, the big teapot is the best-known attraction, but back then by far is was Rock Spring Park. Now the amusement park has been given star treatment by Joe Comm, a teacher in Greensburg, Pa., who recently released Rock Springs Park for Arcadia Publishing’s “Images of America” series.
The Review of East Liverpool, Ohio, featured Joe in a story about the books launch along with this photo and caption:
Joseph Comm, author of “Rock Springs Park,” signs a book for Patty Swiger at a signing event held Monday at the Chester Municipal Building. Prior to the signing, Comm talked about how his book came to be. (Photo by Nancy Tullis).
As the article explains, “The park was all but a memory during his boyhood in Chester, and its remnants raised many questions in Comm’s mind. He sought out the answers, and along the way, Rock Springs Park took on a life of its own.” In the early 1970s, the park was demolished to make way for ramps and lanes to the new US 30 bridge across the Ohio River.
From the book jacket:
In its hey-day this unique panhandle playground attracted twenty thousand visitors a day with a number of popular attractions including the World’s Greatest Scenic Railway, the Cyclone Roller Coaster, and the classic hand-carved 1927 Dentzel Carousel. The book features over 200 rarely seen images and portrays the life of Rock Springs Park from its earliest history as a Native American hunting ground to its development as a local trolley park and full-fledged amusement park.
You can find Joe’s book in stores for $21.99 or $14.95 on Amazon.
Lincoln Highway News 