The Ligonier Valley Rail Road
The Ligonier Valley Rail Road

Author: Robert D. Stutzman

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2014

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13: 1467120812

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To provide his sons with an opportunity to create a new business, Judge Thomas Mellon agreed in August 1877 to invest in a short line railroad that would connect Ligonier to the Pennsylvania Railroad in Latrobe. Four months later, the Ligonier Valley Rail Road (LVRR), a 10.6-mile-long line, was completed and began transporting passengers and freight between Ligonier and Latrobe. The viable transportation the LVRR provided to Pittsburgh markets immediately spurred lumber and quarry industries in Ligonier Valley and later coal mining and coke production. Also, to increase ridership, Judge Mellon built Idlewild Park on 350 acres near Ligonier in 1878. By its end in 1952, the LVRR had hauled more than 30 million tons of freight out of the valley. Equally impressive, because of the popularity of Idlewild Park and the growing tourism in Ligonier Valley, nine million passengers rode LVRR's rails over its 75 years of operation. Mellon's short line railroad stimulated an economic boom in Ligonier Valley and propelled it into the 20th century.

Ligonier Valley
Ligonier Valley

Author: Sally Shirey

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 134

ISBN-13: 9780738505350

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Using hundreds or rare photographs, author Sally Shirey tells the story of the beautiful, historic Ligonier Valley.

Ligonier Valley Vignettes
Ligonier Valley Vignettes

Author: Jennifer Sopko

Publisher: American Chronicles

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781609495824

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Secluded between Laurel Mountain and Chestnut Ridge, the Ligonier Valley has been the mountain playground of western Pennsylvania since the nineteenth century. Yet this picturesque retreat was at the tumultuous center of history--during the French and Indian War, Fort Ligonier was key to the British strategy, and in the late nineteenth century, the Ligonier Valley Rail Road helped transform the industry of the region. Author Jennifer Sopko traces the story of the valley and its residents through a series of fascinating vignettes. From the earliest histories to nostalgic reminiscences of the Ligonier Opera House, socials at the Valley Dairy ice cream parlor and bygone days at Idlewild Park, Sopko captures the history and spirit of the Ligonier Valley and its communities.

Route 6 in Pennsylvania
Route 6 in Pennsylvania

Author: Kevin J. Patrick

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2017-05-29

Total Pages: 174

ISBN-13: 1439660689

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Pennsylvania's mid-20th-century Route 6 brought together appealing natural environments, historical events, and cultural landscapes. The eastern length of the route crosses an area featuring rolling mountains and tranquil valleys dotted by farms and towns. To the west, Route 6 traverses a more level landscape that also includes lakes. This book presents the 370-mile scenic drive as a destination in itself. It covers the secluded setting of northern Pennsylvania where Route 6 and its towns have experienced minimal changes associated with larger metropolitan regions and interstate highways. As a result, the mid-20th-century landscapes of Route 6 have lingered a little longer. The authors give the reader a peek of a past not entirely swept away.

Idlewild
Idlewild

Author: Jeffrey S. Croushore

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 132

ISBN-13: 9780738535647

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Located in the scenic Laurel Highlands of western Pennsylvania, America's third oldest amusement park, Idlewild, was founded in 1878 as a picnic ground along the Ligonier Valley Rail Road. Its tranquil setting quickly established Idlewild as the premier place for church, school, and corporate picnics, as well as a recreational getaway for families. Idlewild added new amusements and facilities as its crowds continued to grow, but it always strove to maintain the picturesque landscape of the site. Soon a full-fledged amusement park was in operation, with throngs of visitors disembarking the trains from such places as Latrobe, Greensburg, and Pittsburgh. Home to unique attractions like Story Book Forest, the Rollo Coaster, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe, and the SoakZone, Idlewild has been the backdrop for generations of fond memories. Idlewild's proximity to the Lincoln Highway helped the park survive the abandonment of the railroad, and careful development by the Mellon and Macdonald families and the Kennywood Entertainment Company continue to help it thrive. This collection of photographs tells the story of how one of America's most beautiful theme parks has grown throughout the years.

Idlewild: History and Memories of Pennsylvania's Oldest Amusement Park
Idlewild: History and Memories of Pennsylvania's Oldest Amusement Park

Author: Jennifer Sopko

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 1

ISBN-13: 1467119547

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Idlewild and SoakZone has charmed people across Western Pennsylvania and beyond since the late 1800s. The park was developed by Pittsburgh's Mellon family as a picnic grove to boost traffic on the Ligonier Valley Rail Road. When C.C. Macdonald took the helm in 1931, rides, entertainment and other attractions came to Idlewild over the next half century, along with the adjacent Story Book Forest. After joining the Kennywood family of amusement parks, Idlewild added a Wild West town, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe and a water slide complex. Author Jennifer Sopko tells the heartwarming history of a Pennsylvania amusement park that continues to delight generations of families.

Ligonier Valley Vignettes
Ligonier Valley Vignettes

Author: Jennifer Sopko

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2013-04-09

Total Pages: 147

ISBN-13: 1614239002

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Secluded between Laurel Mountain and Chestnut Ridge, the Ligonier Valley has been the mountain playground of western Pennsylvania since the nineteenth century. Yet this picturesque retreat was at the tumultuous center of history--during the French and Indian War, Fort Ligonier was key to the British strategy, and in the late nineteenth century, the Ligonier Valley Rail Road helped transform the industry of the region. Author Jennifer Sopko traces the story of the valley and its residents through a series of fascinating vignettes. From the earliest histories to nostalgic reminiscences of the Ligonier Opera House, socials at the Valley Dairy ice cream parlor and bygone days at Idlewild Park, Sopko captures the history and spirit of the Ligonier Valley and its communities.