Forest Hills
Forest Hills

Author: Jody B. Shapiro

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2007-05-02

Total Pages: 134

ISBN-13: 1439618585

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Aptly named because of its hilly terrain and abundance of trees, the area now known as Forest Hills was a dusty coal mining community in the late 1800s. Centered between two major roads, the Lincoln Highway (Ardmore Boulevard/U.S. Route 30) and the Greensburg Pike, Forest Hills was incorporated in 1919 in order to gain better representation for tax money. Technology put the town on the map with the first commercial licensed radio station broadcast in 1920 and the Westinghouse Atom Smasher, built in 1937. As the borough grew with new houses, schools, and parks, so did traditions such as the Fourth of July celebration at Forest Hills Park and the Bryn Mawr Corn Roast. Many who live in the community are third or fourth generation residents. Using vintage photographs, Forest Hills presents the untold story of this tight-knit community.

Legendary Locals of Forest Hills and Rego Park
Legendary Locals of Forest Hills and Rego Park

Author: Michael H. Perlman

Publisher: Arcadia Publishing

Published: 2015-03-02

Total Pages: 128

ISBN-13: 1439650101

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In 1906, Cord Meyer Development Company purchased 600 acres in Whitepot and renamed it Forest Hills after its high elevation of rolling hills and proximity to Forest Park. After the Russell Sage Foundation acquired 142 acres and Grosvenor Atterbury and Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. partnered, the Forest Hills Gardens, founded in 1909, became America's earliest planned garden community. When Henry Schloh and Charles Hausmann of the Rego Construction Company came upon farmland in Forest Hills West, they renamed it Rego Park in 1923 after their slogan, "REal GOod Homes." Between the Tudor and Colonial landmarks, one can sense the footsteps of a few hundred notables who granted soul to the community and society. At the Forest Hills Tennis Stadium, imagine the Beatles landing in a helicopter in front of screaming fans in 1964, or when Althea Gibson became the first African American to win a US national tennis title in 1957. Forest Hills High School was a cornerstone for notable alumni, such as composer Burt Bacharach; musical duo Simon & Garfunkel; Bob Keeshan, who portrayed Captain Kangaroo; and the first space tourist, Dennis Tito.