Book Review: Lake Compounce by Lynda J. Russell

On my visit to Lake Compounce in 2005, I was impressed by the aura of the park. Boulder Dash, an acclaimed wooden coaster built on a mountain, had brought me to the park. I was pleased to see the park had more to offer than its marquee roller coaster.

While I knew the Bristol, Connecticut park was the oldest in the country, I had no idea how rich its history really was. Lake Compounce, by Lynda J. Russell, chronicles the park's history from its many owners and plethora of attractions over the years. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words, and Lake Compounce is jam packed with pictures dating all the way back to the 1800s. More than just the story of one amusement park, the book also tells the story of recreation and amusement in America.

Lake Compounce had very interesting beginnings. The first time the land by the lake was opened to the public was for a scientific exhibition in 1846. The experiment with electricity was supposed to result in blowing up the lake! I wonder if the scientist was related to Doc Brown from Back to the Future. The experiment failed, but the owner saw the potential in making the lake a permanent place for events. Gad Norton built picnic tables, extended pathways around the lake, added a ten pin alley and rowboats, and America's first amusement park was born.

Over the years, Lake Compounce has been home to about every type of attraction you can imagine. Paging through the black and white photos of Russell’s book is like a trip through the history of recreation in America. Lake Compounce has had a mini train, trolley, steamboat, bowling alley, casino, concert venue, a large ballroom, and water rides - not to mention the standard amusement park rides and roller coasters you would expect to find at a great regional park. For the coaster geeks out there, the book includes a few rare pictures of Lake Compounce's first roller coaster, the Green Dragon. It operated from 1914 to 1926.

Article Author: The Coaster Critic

The Coaster Critic is a coaster enthusiast that loves reading and writing reviews of all kinds. Recently, he decided to merge his passions for coasters and writing by starting a theme park blog. Currently, he's ridden nearly 200 roller coasters and visited more than 30 theme parks. …

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