I was writing about an old amusement park that used to be in my hometown of The Bronx when I remembered a similar attraction in the Hudson Valley. Electric Park, on Kinderhook Lake in Columbia County, NY, came to mind, and after doing some research, I found it to be an exciting piece of niche history.
Electric Park was built by the Albany & Hudson Railroad Company and opened in 1901. It may seem odd that a railroad and trolley company were in the amusement park business, but it was a common practice back then. These companies made most of their profits on weekdays, so they built amusement parks to attract more ridership on weekends. The Albany & Hudson Railroad offered a round-trip trolley ride from the train station, park admission, and a free show for forty cents per person.
Electric Park became a popular destination and was promoted as the largest amusement park between NYC and Montreal. On weekends, it was common to see crowds of 10,000 people. The park offered various attractions including boating, swimming in the lake, a Chute slide, amusement rides like two Ferris wheels and a roller coaster built over the lake, a giant carousel, picnic areas, a 5-cent power boat ride around the lake, garden-lined strolling paths, games of chance, vaudeville shows, concerts, a dance hall, shooting gallery, bowling alley, a 400-seat theater, tent platforms for extended stays, and a variety of food. The only things missing in all of this were cocktails.
You see, Electric Park was a family park and therefore “Dry” (hey, that means no booze), but part of Kinderhook Lake was “Wet”. To remedy the situation an enterprising fellow by the name of Adam Shaver purchased a small island in the “wet” part of the lake and built a two story building with a dock. Gentlemen park goers would row out to the island and lift a few in the downstairs bar to recover from the day’s excitement. It is said that the upstairs held rooms where gentlemen who overindulged in the cure could rest and recover.
As these things go, Electric Park had a rather short life. When WW1 broke out Electric Park was closed. The actual drop dead date is not clear. The park tried to make a few comebacks but by 1921 it was officially all over and on its way to becoming another Hudson Valley legend. What remains of the park today? Kinderhook Lake of course, a few houses that are now private residences, and a street named Electric Park.
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