[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 157 (2011), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11378]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   CONEY ISLAND CELEBRATES 125TH YEAR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
Ohio (Mrs. Schmidt) for 5 minutes.
  Mrs. SCHMIDT. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor something really 
wonderful in my district, the 125th birthday of America's sixth-oldest 
amusement park in Cincinnati, Ohio.
  What began as a 20-acre apple orchard on the banks of the Ohio River 
in 1867 was quickly transformed into a private picnic retreat, complete 
with a bowling alley, a dance hall, and a mule-powered merry-go-round.
  In 1886, Parker Grove became known as Ohio Grove, the Coney Island of 
the West, after being sold to the Ohio Grove Corporation. Modeling 
itself after Coney Island in New York City, they quickly dropped the 
name of Ohio Grove and just called it Coney Island and began to add 
more rides and more attractions. In 1911, the first roller coaster was 
added, the Dip the Dips, and in 1913 the Dip and Dots was added. But it 
wasn't until 1924 that the signature attraction of Coney Island was 
realized when George Schott, one of Cincinnati's greatest 
philanthropists, purchased with a group of investors Coney Island.
  In 1925, they added Sunlite Pool, the world's largest recirculating 
swimming pool. Mr. Speaker, let me give you the dimensions of this pool 
because it is bigger than a football field. A football field is 300 
feet by 160 feet; this is 200 feet by 401 feet. In addition to being 
the world's largest recirculating pool, it continues to be the largest 
flat surface pool in North America, and was the precursor to zero-depth 
pools in the United States. It went through a lot of trials and 
tribulations over the next part of the century, but they kept adding 
new attractions and new rides, including ones that I enjoyed as a 
child, like the Wildcat and the Shooting Star.
  In 1971, a decision was made to take the amusement portion of it and 
move it to another portion in my district in Kings Island, which made 
people wonder what would happen to Sunlite Pool. But again, the 
visionaries realized they had an attraction, they had a water park, and 
they continued to add dimensions to Sunlite Pool to make it an 
attraction. In 1986, River Bend was realized by putting in two separate 
theaters, outdoor theaters, to allow concerts to occur. Today, Coney 
Island continues to thrive with a small amusement park for children, 
the Sunlite Pool, and a thriving River Bend.
  I would like to say, on a personal note, I remember my mother telling 
me stories when her mother took her; my mother took me; I took my 
daughter; and over the Fourth of July break, I was able to take my two 
grandsons to Coney Island to swim in the pool.
  I am so excited that this beautiful attraction has continued to exist 
for 125 years. I want to celebrate the tenacity of the folks along the 
way who have continued to invest in this great asset in my district, 
and I want to wish them a great happy birthday, and I hope Coney Island 
continues for at least another 125 happy years. Happy birthday, Coney 
Island.

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