[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 9]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 12185-12186]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



          KNOEBELS AMUSEMENT PARK CELEBRATES 75TH ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. PAUL E. KANJORSKI

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 27, 2001

  Mr. KANJORSKI. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to call the attention of the 
House of Representatives to the 75th anniversary of the formal 
beginning of one of Northeastern Pennsylvania's primary tourist 
destinations, the Knoebels Amusement Park near Elysburg, which is also 
Pennsylvania's largest free admission amusement park.
  In those 75 years, Knoebels has grown from a small local park to 
hosting more than a million guests each year. At the same time, the 
Knoebel family maintains a strong sense of tradition and family.
  The land has been owned by the Knoebel family since 1828, when it was 
purchased by the Reverend Henry Hartman Knoebel. His grandson and 
namesake was the one who first envisioned the land's recreational 
potential. The younger Henry, better known as H.H. or ``Ole Hen,'' 
farmed the land and pursued a lumbering business operating saw mills at 
several locations on the property.
  Around the start of the 20th century, the Knoebel farm began to be 
visited by ``tally-hos,'' Sunday afternoon rides with a destination, in 
this case people who came to sit by the creek banks, picnic in the 
woods and jump

[[Page 12186]]

from the covered bridge to the swimming hole below.
  As the site became more popular, the family installed picnic tables 
and benches, hired a lifeguard to protect the swimmers, and began 
selling food and soft drinks. The formal beginning of the amusement 
park was July 4, 1926, the opening of a concrete swimming pool. That 
same year, the family opened the first ride, a steam-powered merry-go-
round, and the first restaurant.
  Since that time, Knoebels has grown tremendously. Today, in addition 
to 50 rides and great food, the park offers the award-winning Alamo 
Restaurant, unique gift shops, numerous games, a miniature golf course, 
two campgrounds, picnic pavilions and the large Crystal Pool with its 
900,000 gallons of mountain spring water. Knoebels is a major 
contributor to the economy of the region, employing 1,400 seasonal 
workers.
  Voted ``America's Best Park for Families'' two years in a row by the 
National Amusement Park Historical Association, Knoebels is also known 
as ``Pennsylvania's Hometown Park.'' The park is managed by the third 
generation of the Knoebel family, and members of the fourth generation 
are coming on board and taking their places. Brothers Dick and Ron 
Knoebel serve as co-general managers of the park.
  Mr. Speaker, the Knoebel family continues to do a fine job of 
carrying on their trademark tradition of ``fun, food and fantasy,'' and 
I wish them all the best.

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