Six Flags Over Birmingham? |
It may be hard to fathom, but in its earliest days Birmingham was an entertainment magnet attracting seekers of frivolity. “Developers were eager to cash in,” explains Regina Ammon, assistant archivist at the Birmingham Public Library, as she previews her August 20 Brown Bag Lunch Series lecture, “Birmingham’s Turn-of-the-Century Resorts” at the downtown library. “It seemed the way developers worked then was that they found some sort of scenic spot and made that the core of the new neighborhood.” As a result, such fancy retreats sparked a population boom, as Birmingham’s resident count jumped from 3,000 in 1880 to more than 26,000 by 1890. Ammon will include an in-depth presentation of 50 slide images as she recounts the glory days when posh resorts dominated Avondale, East Lake, West Lake, and Lakeview Parks.
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| A turn-of-the-century photograph of of a young girl enjjoying a swim at East Lake Park. This former resort area and others will be discussed at the Birmingham Public Library’s lecture, “Birmingham’s Turn-of-the-Century Lake Resorts,” on August 20. | ||
Today, Highland Golf Course occupies what was once Lakeview Park. By damming up springs in the area, a lake was formed that included an island where operas were staged. The dam is still visible directly behind the water hazard at the top of the course. The resort’s centerpiece was the Lakeview Pavilion, featuring a swimming pool in the basement beneath a dance floor, skating rink, and bowling alley. A 72-room, two-story hotel was built in 1887, and visited by Presidents Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison. Later, the hotel began to lose patrons when visitors started flocking to East Lake Park. It eventually closed and became the Southern Female Institute, which burned to the ground a year later. The pavilion was finally torn down in 1900 to make way for the golf course.
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| The Lakeview Trolley | ||
East Lake Park’s growing popularity centered around its proud billing as “Dixie’s Most Popular Playground.” A 34-acre lake, originally dubbed Lake Como, was added in 1887. Between the late 1880s and early 1950s, East Lake Park offered a zoo, a hotel, a roller coaster, a miniature railroad, and an amusement ride called the “human roulette wheel,” which featured giant cup-and-saucer seats.
Located on the Bessemer Superhighway, West Lake Park was reportedly an early 1900s gambling mecca. It included the Pineview Resort Beach, which is said to have been as breathtaking as anything along the Gulf Coast. Avondale Park was the site of Birmingham’s first zoo, which included an elephant named Miss Fancy that reportedly escaped from her cage occasionally. Legend has it that Miss Fancy could be found hanging around Avondale School as thrilled children fed her their lunches.
The lecture is free and begins at noon. Call 226-3610 for details. —Ed Reynolds