Historical Chester Historical Compilation by Roy Cashdollar Source: The Messenger Volume 3 Issue 31 Thursday, October 30, 1997 Courtesy of Mr. Greg Rayburn Editor/Owner THE MERRY-GO-ROUND AND ROCK SPRINGS PARK The Merry-Go-Round and the Cyclone were teh two most popular rides at old historic Rock Springs Park which had its beginning as an amusement park in 1898 under the late Jim McDonald. Prior to that, the park had two different owners and was just used for picnics or family outings. The bridge construction moved the park forward swiftly. In 1900, C.A. Smith purchased the park and added many new rides. Mr. Smith purchased the horses for the Merry-Go-Round from a well-known company in Philadelphia. The carvings of these horses made them very valuable to antique dealers. Many people living here today can remember when as small children they tried to grab the brass ring to get a free ride. In addition to the large number of rides, the park had beautiful grounds, a swimming pool, a lake, a small zoo, and even live shows on the midway. Rock Springs Park may be gone from the area but the memories of those happy visits to it will never be gone. There were often crowds of over 20,000 people at some of the larger picnics. People would come by excursion boats, trains, or automobiles. On special picnic days or important holidays, the park had giant fireworks displays. The Golden Star picnic was especially popular because ice cream was given away. CHESTER HIGH SCHOOL Chester High School was completed in 1926 by the Finley Brothers. Construction began in 1925 and the school was dedicated on January 4, 1926. At first it consisted of 12 classrooms with two being done by the WPA during the depression. The WPA project provided a nice auditorium and gymnasium. Prior to this addition, graduation was held at Rock Springs Park, the Presbyterian Church, or the City Hall auditorium. The last class to graduate from Chester High School was in 1962, and after that all students attended the new Oak Glen High School. The old high school is now used as a middle school. The old Chester High School had only two principals in its history, Mr. Rabinstein and Mr. R.M. McFarland. Many local graduates returned to teach at their former school. The big affair of the year for the students was the Prom which usually was held at beautiful Virginia Gardens in Rock Springs Park. ALPINE THEATRE The original theatre, called the Lincoln Theatre because of its location on the old Lincoln Highway that ran through the center of Chester, was later named the Alpine. The building was first used as a livery stable and then became the Arner-Bower Funeral Home until a fire in 1916. The building was repaired enough to house the Chester China for a few years. The old Lincoln Theatre was quite a place, having been a livery stable. It was not unusual for rats to make an appearance during the shows. The Saturday matinee for 10 cents was very popular, especially when they had a Western, plus serial stories that ran for 10 or 12 Saturdays. As an added attraction during the Depression, the theatre had dish night once a week, giving away a piece of local pottery, anticipating that the person receiving it would come often enough to collect a whole set. Amateur nights were held when anyone who wanted to could perform. Buster Brown and his dog performed on Saturday afternoons while they were in town to promote Buster Brown shoes. The Alpine closed when outdoor theatres and television became more popular. WORLD'S LARGEST TEAPOT The Teapot was purchased by Mr. Wilford "Babe" Devon in 1938 and moved to Chester from Carnegie, PA. It was used as an attraction to his business. He had the first soft ice cream in the area and sold other such items as hot dogs and soft drinks. The teapot had three different owners before the land where it was located was purchased by Bell Telephone Company. The Teapot was in need of much repair when the Chester Planning Commission made arrangements for its removal to a spot at the edge of the old Rock Springs Park on property given them by the State of WestVirginia. It was a major attraction bringing hundreds to Chester each year to see it. Even weddings have been held at the Teapot. STREET CAR The early Bridge Company with stockholders from East Liverpool and Chester was interested in using the bridge for a street car line from East Liverpool to Chester, but the East Liverpool City Council refused until March of 1897 when they granted a 24-year franchise. The lines were started in April and by May 26, 1897, the first street car line crossed the bridge to First Street in Chester turning up Virginia Avenue to Third Street, then right over to Carolina Avenue and finally left up Carolina Avenue to Rock Springs Park. The first car was No. 11. The first street car barn was in Chester (later the old Cord Tire Company), but moved to the East End of East Liverpool. The street cars were very regular and provided comfortable transportation to the areas in West, Ohio and Pennsylvania. TRAIN STATION The first train came to Chester in 1900 when lines were extended from Kenilworth. The railroad at that time was the Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railroad. Years later, it became the Pennsylvania Railroad Company and existed as such until 1990 when their property was sold to the City of Chester. Stations were located at First Street and Ninth Street with the Ninth Street Station handling all the supplies shipped into Chester. A hotel was located at each station. The station agent was kept busy with supplies for the local potteries, the mill and later the rubber factory, and the local automobile agencies since all cars were delivered by rail. The station was truly a landmark for the upper-end of Chester. In prosperous times, there were five employees at the station. An extra track was installed for an extra engine in case of an emergency. TAYLOR, SMITH AND TAYLOR COMPANY The pottery was formed originally at Taylor, Lee and Smith in 1899. It began operations in 1900. Lee sold his interest to Taylor in 1903 and the Smiths purchased the Taylor interest in 1906. A West Virginia charter was granted to Smith in 1907. At one time, this pottery was the world's largest pottery under one roof. It had been expanded to 17 kilns by 1913 withover 400 employees and a payroll of over $140,000. At its peak, it employed over 800 workers. It soon became one of the leading dinnerware companies in the world. It was famous for many innovations it brought to the industry. The Smiths, both C. A. and W. L., upon retiring, passed the control to their sons who later passed it on to their sons. The Smiths sold the plant to Anchor Hocking Glass Company who operated it a very few years until it was closed and the property sold. The Dietz family owns the property at the present time. CHESTER CITY HALL The original City Hall was a very small building on the corner of 4th and Indiana Avenue. Council looked for a new site and selected the present location which was just a large empty hole on Carolina Avenue. The present City Hall opened in 1927 and was constructed also to house the Chester Fire Department. The front room was the Police Headquarters where Mayor's Court was held. A clerk's office and Council Chamber were also on the first floor. The rear right corners held two jail cells. A caretaker's apartment, gymnasium/auditorium, kitchen and stage were on the second floor. A lot of memories exist from use of the second floor area. Chester High School played their basketball games, stage plays and school plays were presented, clubs and political caucuses were held, and graduates received their diplomas there. The caretaker would cook the prisoner's meals for $1.00 a day. The late Demar Miller had many musical programs in the auditorium and secured many of the radio stars from the Midnight Jamboree in Wheeling, including Big Slim and his horse, Little Sunflower, Shirley the cowgirl, and others. After the war when veterans returned after World War II, the city opened the auditorium for basketball leagues. The Kiwanis had their first pancake supper in 1952 at City Hall and the firemen held minstrels and bingo there. During the flood of 1936, the basement had over 4 feet of water in it. THE OLD CHESTER BRIDGE The early businessmen of Chester quickly learned that if this new area were to succeed, they had to have a bridge connecting them to East Liverpool. The ferry boat was not successful, as it was often frozen in the ice and could not move. It took from 1893 to 1895 to obtain enough investors to undertake the construction of the project which was to cost $250,000. In 1896, land was purchased in Ohio for the connection. By March of 1896, excavation for the piers began. By June, 1896, all stone work was completed and the iron work was started in July, 1896. Nine months of hard work was climaxed December 31, 1896 when the 1,466 ft. long bridge was completed. Many people walked the bridge but the official opening was New Years Day 1897. To walk or ride horses across, the cost was 5 cents a person. The Chester bridge was sold to C. A. Smith in 1901 after it had gone bankrupt. In 1936, the bridge was completely rebuilt without stipping the traffic. It was closed to traffic in 1972.