Civil War Centennial Attraction Remembered On Facebook

Originally published August 2016 · p. 3

NEW YORK—During the Civil War centennial commemoration, a history theme park in New York City featured a unique attraction – a wagon ride through a recreated battlefield of that war. Rarely seen photos from that Civil War Centennial attraction will appear monthly during 2017, on the third Saturday of each month, on the Freedomland U.S.A. Facebook page. Freedomland U.S.A. – the World’s Largest Entertainment Center, the name for both the park and the Facebook page, was created by C.V. Wood, the same theme park executive who helped Walt Disney build Disneyland. The 205-acre park (85 acres for attractions and the remainder for parking) operated from 1960 until 1964. It was located in the northeast section of The Bronx. The Civil War attraction coincided with the park’s opening and operation during the centennial commemoration of the war. Other attractions at the park included the recreation of the Chicago Fire, a boat ride through the Northwest Territory, cowboy gunfights at Fort Cavalry and au-

Author or Publisher? Send your book(s) for review to: CWN Review Editor, Edward H. Bonekemper III 814 Willow Valley Lakes Dr., Willow Street, PA 17584 Send cover image to [email protected] thentic steam trains. Many young boys and girls of the early 1960s became interested in American history, specifically Civil War history, during their visits to Freedomland. The Civil War attraction was located in the park’s New Orleans themed area (the park had seven themed sections). Park guests rode on a horsedrawn correspondent’s wagon that carried about 18 people. Under a flag of truce, the wagon would weave through a trail to visit the camps of the opposing armies. The wagons also traveled along the front lines to witness skirmishing and cannon fire.The attraction ended at the surrender ceremony at Appomattox Court House. Some “soldiers” in the attraction were the earliest form of animatronics that initially had been developed by Disney Imagineers. Along with the featured photos, the Freedomland Facebook page will include Civil War facts that correspond with each particular month of the war. Near the Civil War attraction, entertainer Charley Weaver maintained a modest Civil War museum. Known for his passion for American history, Weaver already owned a larger museum at Gettysburg. After Freedomland had closed, a small company of non-animatronic “soldiers” were marched to Weaver’s Gettysburg museum. Several of these “soldiers” remained in the building past Weaver’s death until the museum closed several years ago. The site of Freedomland became the world’s largest cooperative housing development with an adjacent shopping center. The only reminder of the park on the site is a historical plaque that was unveiled during August 2013.