Rock Springs Park Traditional Geocache
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A memory of the former Rock Springs Park, Chester, WV. Now, 'Virginia Gardens', named for the parks dance hall, is one of few reminders of what once was... Nearly a park n' grab at a nice little park with a ton of memories. BTW George Washington camped here in October 1770. Also, the benches inside the gazebo are originals from the park. DAYLIGHT ONLY PLEASE!
Reminders of Rock Springs: 1975-present While most traces of Rock Springs Park are gone, a few still remain around Chester. The log cabin built in 1927 still stands, having been moved from its original location but still visible from U.S. 30 with the "Almost Heaven" sign. Owner C. A. Smith's home still stands nearby with its terraced front yard. The Virginia Gardens Memorial Park can also be found not too far from the Chester exit of U.S. 30. A historical marker stands along Carolina avenue near 30, but incorrectly reads "Rock Spring Park." The old Rock Springs themselves still exist too, but the waters are carried by pipe into a drainage ditch.
laurelhollowpark.net
Visit link for pics & historic postcards http://www.laurelhollowpark.net/chester/rockspringspark.html
or
https://www.facebook.com/#!/rocksprings.park?fref=ts
Pre-opening: Up to 1896 - The area that would become Rock Springs Park had been attracting people as early as 4,000 years ago. The Archaic Indians once thought of the spot as a sacred hunting ground. Interest in the area came about again during the years of Colonial America, when George Washington visited the vicinity on two separate occasions. In July 1758, his journal states that he was on Babb's Island, just across from the site on the Ohio River, where, to lighten his load, he buried a crate of crackers, which he never retrieved. Later, in October 1770, he reportedly camped near the park entrance and drank from the mineral waters of Rock Springs.
The park itself marks its earliest beginnings in 1857, when Rock Springs Grove (as it was known at the time) was donated by the Marks Farm for church picnics. Then, the park merely consisted of hiking trails, picnic pavilions, and a small dancing platform. As time went on, a lunchroom, baseball diamond, roller rink, and merry-go-round were added.
In 1890, East Liverpool attorney James "J. E." McDonald bought 170 acres (0.69 km2) of the A. E. Marks Estate for $170,000 with plans of expanding the hilly pottery town of East Liverpool to the flat headlands of the "Southside." Eleven of those acres were Rock Springs Grove. In 1893, McDonald announced plans to erect a new bridge over the Ohio River, open up a streetcar line, and turn Rock Springs into a full-blown amusement park. By the time construction was underway in 1896, there were less than a dozen homes along the unpaved Carolina Avenue in the community that would become Chester, West Virginia. Rock Springs Park officially opened in 1897.
1897-1899 Rock Springs Park officially opened on May 26, 1897, when the first trolley of the East Liverpool Street Railway Company crossed the new Chester Bridge and traveled to the park. New structures included a main pavilion, a midway, a new merry-go-round, and bathhouses.
In 1900, the park grew to include another new merry-go-round, the Casino dance hall, an outdoor amphitheatre, the Old Mill, the World's Greatest Scenic Railway (an early roller coaster), grandstands for the baseball field, boating and bathhouse facilities, a swimming pool, and a three and a half acre lake. This great expansion brought great success. The Kenilworth line was extended into Chester and train and boat excursions made it possible for people from Wheeling, West Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to attend the park.
1926-1934 Success at Rock Springs Park returned . Among their notable additions were a Dentzel carousel (1927) and the Cyclone roller coaster (1928). They also erected a log cabin in 1927 that served as their home. The Wurlitzer 'Mechanical Band' from the carousel can be found & played today at the Lou Holts Museum in East Liverpool, Ohio.
1935-1970 During the ownership of Robert and Virginia hand , there were no major additions to the park except for the coming and going of various flat rides. The biggest additions were the band shell and the circle swing ride. The Hands raised their two sons in the park, living in the log cabin home built by Virginia's parents. By 1970, Rock Springs Park never reopened.
Disuse, demolition, and U.S. Route 30: 1971-1974 Many of the portable flat rides were sold and removed, however the Cyclone roller coaster, Aeroplane circle swing, carousel, and kiddie rides remained along with empty buildings as a reminder of what once was. On June 26, 1974, the Last Dance at Virginia Gardens (the park's dance hall) was held as the final event at Rock Springs Park before the rerouting of U.S. Route 30 began (the project would take the highway straight through the old park). More than 1,000 people attended the Last Dance, bringing life to the park one last time. By the end of July 1974, the 21 structures still remaining were auctioned off. Once the site was clear and the lake drained, earthmovers came in and cut the mountain into two, effectively wiping out almost any recognizable trait of what once Rock Springs Park. Soon, the project was complete and the new Jennings Randolph Bridge crossed the Ohio River, replacing the old Chester Bridge that once brought in park patrons.
Wikipedia 10-11-2013 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Springs_Park 
Visit link below for pics & historic postcards http://www.laurelhollowpark.net/chester/rockspringspark.html
laurelhollowpark.net
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