A BRIEF DESCRIPTION and HISTORY OF  ROCK POINT PARK Part 1

Rock Point Park  was a well-known summer resort and picnic ground, primarily from the 1880s through 1911. It was owned by a division of the Pennsylvania Railroad which brought many thousands of visitors to the park on special excursion trains. The area was named Rock Point because of the large rock which juts out from a plateau 100 feet above the triangle formed by the junction of Connoquenessing Creek and the Beaver River.  Most available material is from 1905-1911 when the Rock Point Amusement Co. operated the park and this period will be covered in detail.

Chronology--1836 to 1905

1836   Moses Matheny built a stone hotel/tavern along    the Erie-Pittsburgh Canal at the mouth of the     Connoquenessing.     1861   Rock Point post office established. 1871   Canal abandoned and Matheny's tavern closed. 1877   "The vicinity known as "Rocky Point" is now       used for for picnic and pleasure parties."   1885   Pennsylvania Railroad bought the Rock Point grounds, utilized the tavern as a depot  and began development of the park 1890   Major period of excursions began.   1892   Ellwood City founded, Rock Point post office     closed. 1905   Rock Point Amusement Company leased the park, made improvments and the short period of frequent events and large numbers of visitors soon began.

Advertisement in the Ellwood Citizen June 27, 1902

Chris Alles standing at rental boat landing about 1910

The rock that gave Rock Point its name. The Beaver River is in the background. Photo about 1938

Sources: Ellwood Citizen -various issues Ellwood City Historical Association (1942)  A History of Ellwood City, Pennsylvania. Ellwood City, Pa. Everts, L. H., 1877  The  History of Lawrence County. Philadelphia, Pa. New Castle (Pa.) News 2006, Jan. 24  Fires, New Parks Doomed Rock Point Park

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