Clementon Amusement Park

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Clementon Amusement Park and Splash Park, a small amusement park, is located in Clementon, New Jersey in Camden County, New Jersey, USA right on Clementon Lake and close to the Pine Valley Golf Club. The Clementon Amusement Park, also known as Clementon Lake Park, is one of the world's oldest operating amusement parks.

Of its 26 rides, its most popular ride is its log flume, King Neptune's Revenge, although its new roller coaster, J2, is also very popular. Clementon Amusement Park & Splash World Waterpark is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

1 Current Attractions
2 History
- 2.1 The Jack Rabbit
3 Aerial Photo
4 References
5 External links

[edit] Current Attractions

[edit] J2

A steel and wood hydrid roller coaster. The roller coaster was built in 2004 and originally named The Tsunami. It was renamed the J2 after the 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake disaster.

[edit] Clementon Belle

A boat modeled after a Mississippi steamboat that tours Clementon Lake.

[edit] C.P. Huntington Train

[edit] King Neptune's Revenge

Log flume ride.

[edit] History

The park was founded in 1907 by New Jersey Assemblyman Theodore B. Gibbs (October 17, 1838 - October 27, 1909) and his sons, Edgar B. and Willard. Theodore Gibbs was a veteran of the American Civil War serving as a Corporal in Company D, Twenty-ninth New Jersey Volunteers. He held many local offices including Postmaster and Sheriff. Theodore Gibbs was a member of the Board of Directors of the Atlantic City Railroad.

The amusement park was a popular destination in the early decades of the twentieth century with a trolley running from Camden, New Jersey to the entrance of the park. In the early twentieth century, amusement parks were built at the end of trolley lines to encourage weekend ridership.

In the 1920s the park included a nickelodeon movie theater, a "dancing casino", a steam-driven carousel, the Jack Rabbit roller coaster and a "razzle-dazzle" ride.

On June 22, 1931 a fire almost destroyed the amusement park. According to The New York Times, "a vivid pyrotechnic display and the successive reports of exploding cartridges added to the spectacular aspect of a fire which swept through part of Clementon Park, a South Jersey pleasure resort." The fire had reached the cartridge supply of the shooting gallery setting off explosions. Firemen from six adjoining towns fought the fire which was contained to the shooting gallery and a "pretzel ride." The damages were estimated to be $2000.

Socialist Presidential Candidate Norman Thomas campaigned at Clementon Park in 1932. In a July 4 speech in front of 3,500 people, Thomas said, "It is not against foreign domination we must fight, but against a system that denies us bread, security and any assurance of peace. The men of 1776, in convention assembled at Philadelphia, found no successors in the old party conventions at Chicago in 1932."

In 1936, Philadelphia boxer Al Ettore trained at Clementon Park for the heavyweight title fight against Joe Louis in Philadelphia on September 22, 1936. Thousands of fight fans visited the park to see Al Ettore train. On September 20, 1936 a 100-foot section of grandstand collapsed under the weight of about 500 spectators. No one was seriously injured.

In 1977, the Gibbs family sold Clementon Lake Park to Abram Baker (1904-1994). Abram Baker owned a nightclub in Miami, Florida and the Fascination Parlour in Atlantic City, New Jersey, see Fascination (game). From 1955 to 1968, he owned Glen Echo Park, Maryland.

In 1979, operation of the park was turned over to Larry Baker, Abe's son.

[edit] The Jack Rabbit

The park was famous for its wooden roller coaster, the Jack Rabbit. The Jack Rabbit was built in 1919 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. On August 5, 1998 three cars of the Jack Rabbit derailed and hit an office building. Six people were injured in this accident. At one point the Jack Rabbit was the world's oldest operating roller coaster. In 2002 the Jack Rabbit was abandoned. A replacement roller coaster, The Tsunami, was renamed J2 in honor of the original Jack Rabbit.

[edit] Aerial Photo

Google Maps

[edit] References

"Blaze Threatens Clementon Park", New York Times, 1931-06-23.

"Thomas Sees Crisis Worse Than 1776", New York Times, 1932-07-05.

"Stand Collapses at Ettore's Camp", New York Times, 1936-09-21.

"Obituary: Assemblyman Theodore B. Gibbs", New York Times, 1909-10-28.

"Obituary: Abram Baker Amusement Park Owner", Miami Herald, 1994-07-03, pp. 4B.

"Clementon Lake Park is Almost a Century Old", Courier-Post, 2000-01-12, pp. 3A.

Burkhart, Michael T. "High on Tsunami", Courier Post, 2004-05-31, pp. 1C.

Harbach, Louise. "An Early Amusement Park Still Thrives in Clementon", The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1999-08-11, pp. B02.

McCaffrey, Joseph. "Wood coaster still has riders steeling themselves Clementon ride is the oldest continuously used in nation", The Star-Ledger, 1996-07-07, pp. 29.

Urgo, Jacqueline L., Ciotta, Rose. "More Accidents Noted at NJ Amusement Sites", The Philadelphia Inquirer, 1998-10-11, pp. B01.

About Clementon

WORLD'S OLDEST OPERATING AMUSEMENT PARKS