The history of flying through
the air at tremendous speeds started way back when...
St. Petersburgh in Russia had a concentration of large slides in the 16th century. Riders would climb to the top before going down large ice covered sheets of ice. IN 1784 the first ride that was wheeled was built in St. Petersburgh. Some say it was the French who built the wheels, but history never agrees with one another. In 1817, a coaster was built with the cars attached to the track, the first of its kind. The Aerial Walk featured a heart-shaped layout with two tracks that flowed in opposite directions from a central tower. They then went around the course, came together at the bottom and ascend parallel lift hills. The first looping coaster was located in Frascati Gardens in Paris, France. The hill was 43 feet high, had a 13 foot-wide loop and tested with everything under the sun before humans were allowed on. The layout was simple: the rider rode down the gentle slope on a small cart and through a metal circle. The ride ran for about twenty seasons and the pleasure railway grew out of fashion.
The first American roller coaster was not built at an amusement park or city, but in the mountains of Pennsylvania. The Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway, which was more like a runaway train than a modern coaster, is considered the forefather of today's roller coaster. Then a railroad type incline was built. La Marcus Adna Thompson was the forefather of American roller coasters, he buitlt a roller coaster that somewhat mimicked the old Russian slides, two parallels to each other. Finally in 1884, he opened his roller coaster, which was a huge sucess in New York on Coney Island. From there and the creations of many others, roller coasters have been a smashing hit and have reached all types of heights and achievements.
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