CLEMENTON AMUSEMENT PARK

'Clementon Amusement Park and Splash World Water Park', a small amusement park owned by Larry Baker of Rekab, Inc., is located in Clementon, New Jersey in Camden County, New Jersey, USA right on Clementon Lake and close to the Pine Valley Golf Club. Also known as Clementon Lake Park, it is one of the world's oldest operating amusement parks.
Of its 26 rides, its most popular ride is the log flume, King Neptune's Revenge, although the new roller coaster, J2, is also very popular. Clementon Amusement Park & Splash World Waterpark is open Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

Contents

Current Attractions

J2

Clementon Belle

C.P. Huntington Train

Inverter

Giant Wheel

Thunderbolt

Chaos

King Neptune's Revenge

Kiddieland

History

The Jack Rabbit

Aerial Photo

References

External links

Current Attractions

J2

Main articles: J2 (roller coaster)

A steel and wood hydrid roller coaster.

Clementon Belle

A boat modeled after a Mississippi steamboat that tours Clementon Lake.

C.P. Huntington Train

A small Chance-Morgan train that travels around the perimeter of the park and past J2.

Inverter

Giant Wheel

Clementon's ferris wheel

Thunderbolt

Chaos

King Neptune's Revenge

Log flume ride.

Kiddieland

A small area near J2 which contains many rides for smaller children.

History

The park was founded in 1907 by New Jersey Assemblyman Theodore B. Gibbs (October 17, 1838 - October 27, 1909) and his sons, Edgar B. and Willard. Theodore Gibbs was a Civil War veteran who was a Corporal in Company D, Twenty-ninth New Jersey Volunteers. He held many local offices including Postmaster and Sheriff; he was also a member of the Atlantic City Railroad's Board of Directors.
The amusement park was a popular destination in the early decades of the twentieth century with a trolley running from Camden, New Jersey to the park entrance. In the early twentieth century, amusement parks were built at the end of trolley lines to encourage weekend ridership.
In the 1920s, the park included a nickelodeon movie theater, a "dancing casino", a steam-driven carousel, the Jack Rabbit roller coaster and a "razzle-dazzle" ride.
On June 22, 1931 a fire almost destroyed the amusement park. According to The New York Times, "a vivid pyrotechnic display and the successive reports of exploding cartridges added to the spectacular aspect of a fire which swept through part of Clementon Park, a South Jersey pleasure resort." The fire had reached the cartridge supply of the shooting gallery setting off explosions. Firemen from six adjoining towns fought the fire which was contained to the shooting gallery and a "pretzel ride." The damages were estimated to be $2000.
Socialist Presidential Candidate Norman Thomas campaigned at Clementon Park in 1932. In a July 4 speech in front of 3,500 people, Thomas said, "It is not against foreign domination we must fight, but against a system that denies us bread, security and any assurance of peace. The men of 1776, in convention assembled at Philadelphia, found no successors in the old party conventions at Chicago in 1932."
In 1936, Philadelphia boxer Al Ettore trained at Clementon Park for the heavyweight title fight against Joe Louis to occur in Philadelphia on September 22, 1936. Thousands of fight fans visited the park to see Al Ettore train. On September 20, 1936 a 100-foot section of grandstand collapsed under the weight of about 500 spectators. No one was seriously injured.
In 1977, the Gibbs family sold Clementon Lake Park to Abram Baker (1904-1994). Baker owned a nightclub in Miami, Florida and the Fascination Parlour in Atlantic City, New Jersey (see Fascination (game)). From 1955 to 1968, he owned Glen Echo Park, Maryland.
In 1979, operation of the park was turned over to Larry Baker, Abe's son.

The Jack Rabbit

The park was famous for its wooden roller coaster, the Jack Rabbit, which was built in 1919 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. On August 5, 1998 three cars of the Jack Rabbit derailed and hit an office building. Six people were injured in the accident. At one point, the Jack Rabbit was the world's oldest operating roller coaster. In 2002 the Jack Rabbit was abandoned. A replacement roller coaster, The Tsunami, was renamed J2 in honor of the original Jack Rabbit.

Aerial Photo

★ Google Maps

References

Blaze Threatens Clementon Park
Thomas Sees Crisis Worse Than 1776
Stand Collapses at Ettore's Camp
Obituary: Assemblyman Theodore B. Gibbs
Obituary: Abram Baker Amusement Park Owner
Clementon Lake Park is Almost a Century Old
High on Tsunami Michael T Burkhart
An Early Amusement Park Still Thrives in Clementon Louise Harbach
Wood coaster still has riders steeling themselves Clementon ride is the oldest continuously used in nation Joseph McCaffrey
More Accidents Noted at NJ Amusement Sites Jacqueline L. Urgo

External links

★ Clementon Amusement Park homepage

★ Clementon's entry on ultimaterollercoaster.com

★ National Amusement Park Historical Association

★ Postcards of Clementon Lake Park

★ Recent Photos of Clementon Lake Park