Where can you find a casino, a petting zoo, amusement rides, acrobats, thrill shows, boat rides, dancing, concerts…and the list goes on?
Well, no where that I know of. Sorry to get your hopes up.
But in 1896 you could take a trolley from Monument Square in Portland to the Riverton Trolley Park for only 20 cents. (NOW you can start complaining about gas prices.)
The park was a 30 acre playground of everything you could imagine. It boasted a casino that featured a dining room, a game room, dance hall complete with a live orchestra and God only knows what else. An amphitheater, bandstand, wildlife petting zoo with a deer run (I’m sure those animals were LOVING it).
Acts included trapeze artists, singers, buck and wing dancers, comedy acts and vaudeville shows. If you were one of those people who wanted to be extroverted but lets face it, you were not-you could ride a boat down the Presumpscot River or walk thru the woods, have a picnic, or play croquet. AND WHO DOESN’T LOVE CROQUET.
They had acts from the likes of Monsieur Roberto, where that crazy fool would parachute out of a hot air balloon. This was called “Meteor in the Sky.” I call it, “Are you Effin Crazy.” There was also the “Slide For Life,” where another guy with a death wish would descent from a high tower. I’m honestly not sure if I would have named that act the “Slide for Life.”
Flower gardens and shrubs decorated the grounds, and lets not forget about the trout pond. The gardens were designed by Frank Blaisdell, the same guy who designed the Boston Public Gardens. This guy was just running around making everything he touched look beautiful.
This place seemed like the place to be. However, in 1914 World War I began, causing things to go a bit downhill for the park, as you can imagine. Then, the influenza outbreak of 1918 didn’t help. (We have vaccines now, in case you need that reminder.) THEN there was this thing called the automobile, I’m sure you’ve heard of it. It was getting more and more popular and this awesome park couldn’t keep up. So, in 1921 the Portland Railroad Company was like,
“What? Trapeze artists, bandstands, and all of this 30 acres of awesome isn’t enough for you and your fancy new cars? FINE! WE’LL SELL IT!” A realty group picked it up and turned it into a drive-in car resort and added even MORE thrill rides like a roller coaster and this rickety looking thing that I wouldn’t be caught dead on called the “Aeroplane Glide.” (I’m sure it was fine.)
But. As we know, all good things must come to an end and the whole place closed in 1929. The casino was torn down in 1933 (seems a little drastic…) and by WWII Portland acquired the land. It is now part of the Sebago Lake trails system. The trail with it’s wooden bridges, occasional wildlife sightings, benches and views of the river, runs along the Presumpscot River and thru the rubble of what used to be, THE place to be. The steps and some foundations, rock walls and pillars are still there to enjoy and to imagine what it used to be.
BUT. BUUUUUT….
Don’t be one of those doofus’s that think “oh, my Red Bull is gone, guess I’ll just toss my can here on the ground because I’m an entitled idiot.” Or one of the graffiti “artists” that wouldn’t know talent..or common sense…or respect, if it slapped them in the face. Just don’t be one of those guys.
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