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Vintage Wisconsin: Summer Screams On A Milwaukee Roller Coaster

By
Milwaukee Public Library

Few things scream summer like roller coasters. The above image is of the roller coaster constructed by Capt. Frederick Pabst (of beer fame) in the early 20th century on the grounds of the former Milwaukee Shooting Club. He renamed the area between 4th and 5th streets, south of Burleigh, Pabst Park. The coaster was part of an amusement park that included a fun house, midway, dance hall, and Wild West shows.

America’s first roller coaster opened on June 16, 1884 in Coney Island in New York City. It traveled a blazing 6 mph and cost a nickel per ride. The coaster became an instant success and soon, roller coasters appeared across the country.

By the 1920s — often cited as “the golden age of roller coasters” — the U.S. had 1,500 coasters, the fastest of which plummeted riders down a hill at 61 mph.

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Brewery-owned amusement parks were common and popular gathering places in the summer. Blatz and Schlitz had their own entertainment parks as well featuring entertainment, food, and of course, beer. Pabst also operated a huge summer park overlooking Lake Michigan at Whitefish Bay. Milwaukee’s Pabst Park became a city and then county park, known today as Garfield Park. The roller coaster and other rides are just a memory.