National Roller Coaster Day
National Roller Coaster Day is absolutely exuberating! What better time of the year to celebrate it, too? The fair season is upon us. So many thrill seekers gather at these local fairs to find these behemoths and take them on. We need to go to the bigger fairs for the bigger coasters. Otherwise, we need to go to the local amusement parks.
August 16th commemorates the first verticle loop roller coaster. It was patented by Edwin Prescott in 1898. Wowza! I didn’t realize they were that old! A roller constitutes a tracked structure that consists of at least one, but probably multiple, cars. While they share a resemblance to the railroad system, they aren’t for transportation. They are for the thrill seekers of the world.
Roller coaster history
While Mr. Prescott gets the credit for patenting the roller coaster, the history dates back further. Way back in the 17th century, St. Petersberg, Russia had ice slides.
A few centuries ago, these icy peaks were temporarily joined by others—much smaller but ferocious in their own right. In public squares and private courtyards rose wooden structures sloped like hills. Once slicked with ice, they promised zippy, spectacularly dangerous fun.
www.atlasobscura.com
You can read the whole story here.
It has long been believed that the oldest roller coaster in America was at Coney Island in New York. However, if we follow J.G. Taylor’s patent and newspaper article, we get a different story. According to a publication in the Providence Evening Press dated June 1872, Taylor’s elevated railway at Rocky Point, Rhode Island extended 400 feet and carried nine passengers. This particularly excites me as I grew up going to Rocky Point every year for my father’s company outing. Right up until they closed it down anyway.
Who started National Roller Coaster Day?
#NationalRollerCoasterDay originated way back in 1986. Who actually started it is not an easy find on the net.
When we think of roller coasters it doesn’t exactly conjure the image above, does it? I know when I think of the scream-provoking ride I picture something more like this:
In case you missed yesterday’s National Day click right here.
