A one time Amusment Park in Chester WV. and a horrifying fire in a Old Mill Ride which killed 3

As you go down US 30 thru  Chester W. Va. past the once notorious Night clubs where Pittsburgher's once flocked because W.Va. drinking age was 18 and Pa's was 21 and go down a seep hill and across a magnificent bridge  you would never realize that at one time a beautiful little trolley Park once stood there called Rock Springs Park which lasted till the owner died in 1970











One of the many beautiful little trolley  parks lost to history it also like many of the parks suffered a horrific tragedy when  a fire broke out in the old mill ride .

Fires where always a big  concern in these old parks due to all the wooden construction and lack of modern fire protection systems.


http://www3.gendisasters.com/west-virginia/5983/chester-wv-fire-amusement-park-june-1915

This fire like the others resulted in the death of 3 individuals who where just out for a day of fun and relaxation.
Its a shame fire Protection Sprinklers where available at the time but they where seen more for protecting property like warehouses than lives and where expensive.

Today nothing is left of the park you would not even know you just drove over top of it
Just another of the many Tragedy's lost to history in the Ohio Valley and Tri-State










The Morganza Reformatory School for Boys a place you never wanted to be sent as a incorrigible boy

It loomed like a scary old Transylvanian  castle  over Morganza Road and I -79 in Washington County Pa for many years until it was ultimately torn down . But it was a place no child ever wanted sent . The Morganza Reform School for Incorrigible Children .









When you committed a crime as a juvenile and it was deemed wrong enough to need reforming you where sent to this Reform School with a reputation for abusing its inmates .
with various punishments including beatings,starvings, and shackling
a former staffer has even written a book about his experiences there while working





I heard many a story growing up as a young child in the 60s about this place it was used by parents to scare you if you screwed up you would be sent there .
Eventually it was turned into Western Center in 70's which took care of mentally ill children until it closed in the 90s
and was torn down to make way for modern office complex now known as Southpointe



I was at Morganza Administration Building on its last day for  the hearings set to testify in favor of
keeping the center open when a last minute deal was worked out to move the patients to group homes instead. Which I feel was a bad mistake they where way better taken care of at western Center.

While I wast here they gave a short tour of place and one of the staff showed a room from the old Morganza Reform days  which looked like a cell in medieval torture chamber where he said beatings happened when they failed to follow the rules.