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In addition to purchasing online by clicking 'Buy Now' above, you may mail a check for the amount of $25 plus $5.00 shipping and handling per book, to the address below.
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M and M Publishing
2713 Tanager Drive
Wilmington, DE 19808
Echoes of the Past ~ 1886-1923
This new booklet describes recently uncovered personal information detailing what the park was like to a teenager that worked along the boardwalk. This 40-page booklet gives new photos, stories, and background on how the park operated. Sam's father ran more than a dozen games and rides in the park. Sam later typed an 11-page letter detailing his memories of days in the park while running the Rifle Range concession for his father.
This new full-color booklet is on sale now for $10 plus $6 shipping and handling per booklet.
Click here for the hardback book.
Brandywine Springs Amusement Park
Click here for the booklet.
visit the park
for yourself
Outside Wilmington, Delaware, at Routes 34 & 41, this county park has an historical walking trail with many location signs and the remains of some of the original foundations.
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"The Freedman Family Story - Sam's Letter"
- A New Chapter in the History of Brandywine Springs Park
History of Brandywine Springs
The early days of Brandywine Springs revolved around a hotel started in 1826 to bring people to the mineral springs that were believed to have healing powers. The hotel resort thrived until the Civil War, then became a military boarding school, which burned down in 1853.
A second smaller hotel was built, which did not fare so well until 1886, when a 36-year-old named Richard Crook leased the hotel. He soon found that the small games and rides that he added down in the cool woods below the hotel were much more profitable than the hotel. He added a merry-go-round and a roller coaster, and then had a trolley line built from Wilmington to the park. He later added a funhouse, a roller rink, a bandstand, a larger roller coaster, and a dance hall.
The amusement park was very successful, from 1900 to around 1916, when trolleys started to decline because of the freedom brought by the automobile. The park closed at the end of the 1923 season, and was neglected and forgotten for decades. In 1952, it became the first state park in Delaware, and control was turned over to New Castle County Parks in 1970.
BRANDYWINE SPRINGS AMUSEMENT PARK
Mark Lawlor's 180-page hardcover book has wonderful descriptions of the storied past — from historic games and amusement rides; to floods and fires. Read about the fun-times as well as tragedies. This compelling third edition is an engrossing read, enhanced with over 100 photos and improved maps as well as recently-found information.
On sale now for $25 plus $10 shipping and handling per book.