News article
Catalog Number
2019.1.1792Description
A column written by Randy Vande Water for the Holland Sentinel on October 20, 2009. He writes about the roller coaster at Jenison Electric Park in Holland.History
Charles A. Floyd lived in Holland, MI at 21 East 12th Street with his wife Marguerite. He was affiliated with the Grand Rapids, Holland & Chicago Railway Company. This brought him to Jenison Park, where he worked to develop the amusement park known as Jenison Electric Park.Jenison Electric Park was an amusement park that operated from 1903 into the 1930's in Jenison Park, just east of the Macatawa Bay Yacht Club, on the south side of Lake Mac. The arrival of the interurban was instrumental in the creation of the electric park. The first interurban car to travel to the Macatawa Park/Jenison Park area occurred on 6-27-1898.
The electric park contained a merry-go-round, a wooden roller coaster, a whirlpool ride, dance hall, penny arcade and more.
As automobiles became more prevalent between 1915-1920, interurban use decreased. With a decrease in interurban use, traffic to the electric park decreased.
Randall P. "Randy" Vande Water was a local historian and newspaper editor. He spent 4 decades at the Holland Sentinel working as sports editor, city editor, editorial page editor, and managing editor.