Lake Winnepesaukah
| Slogan | "Come On, Get Happy!" |
|---|---|
| Location | Rossville, Georgia, United States |
| Coordinates | 34°58′35″N 85°14′50″W / 34.97639°N 85.24722°WCoordinates: 34°58′35″N 85°14′50″W / 34.97639°N 85.24722°W |
| Owner | Dixon family |
| Opened | June 1, 1925 |
| Operating season | May – October |
| Area | 280 acres (110 ha) |
| Rides | |
| Total | 38 |
| Roller coasters | 4 |
| Water rides | 4 |
| Website | http://www.lakewinnie.com/ |
Lake Winnepesaukah, commonly known as Lake Winnie, is an amusement park located in Rossville, Georgia, just south of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Carl and Minette Dixon opened the park to over 5,000 guests on June 1, 1925. They named it after the Native American word Winnepesaukah, meaning “bountiful waters” or “beautiful lake of the highlands”. The park originally featured the largest swimming pool in the southeastern United States, which debuted in 1926 and was later removed. Its Boat Chute attraction, designed by Carl Dixon, opened in 1927 and is the oldest mill chute water ride of its kind still in operation in the United States.
In its early years, the park's primary focus was on its water attractions. Later, the park began expanding its dry amusement ride offerings with the introduction of its historic carousel and well-known Cannon Ball roller coaster in the late 1960s. Lake Winnie has grown to over 80 acres (32 ha), featuring 38 rides and a 5-acre (2.0 ha) water park with seven attractions.
History
In 1924, Carl and Minette Dixon purchased approximately 100 acres (40 ha) surrounding a 9-acre (3.6 ha) lake in Rossville, Georgia. They opened the park on May 30, 1925, entertaining over 5,000 visitors with amenities for boating, fishing, and picnicking. It was named Lake Winnepesaukah in reference to a Native American word that means “bountiful waters” or “beautiful lake of the highlands”. The following year, they opened a 22,000-square-foot (2,000 m2) swimming pool, the largest in the southeastern United States at the time. Carl Dixon later designed a mill chute attraction which began construction in the winter of 1926 and opened as Boat Chute in 1927. The National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA) considers it the oldest operating mill chute in the United States.[1][2]
In the 1940s and 1950s, several flat rides were added to the park, and in the 1960s, the first roller coasters appeared beginning with Mad Mouse in 1960 and a John C. Allen wooden roller coaster called Cannon Ball in 1967. In the 21st century, the park saw the addition of modern thrill rides such as the drop tower ride OH-Zone! and a compact, looping roller coaster called Fire Ball. The latest addition is the park's SoakYa water park, a 5-acre (2.0 ha) expansion that debuted in 2013.[1][3]
Attractions
Lake Winnepesaukah is modeled after a classic American fair theme with a midway layout featuring food, games, and amusement rides. The park's venue is the "Jukebox Junction," an open air theater that is used for concerts and as a playground for children. The park expanded in 2013 with the addition of a water park called Soak Ya with several water attractions. The park also features the only known working Eyerly Fly-O-Plane attraction in the United States. Family-oriented rides include the Wacky Factory, a Ferris wheel, paddle boats, and a tour train.[4][5] Several kiddie rides from the now-defunct Miracle Strip Amusement Park have been relocated to Lake Winnespesaukah, including The Bumble Bees, The Free Whale, and The Wave Swinger. In 2005, several rides from an amusement park in Panama City Beach, Florida, were brought to Lake Winnie for its 80th birthday celebration.
Other notable rides
Boat chute
The first ride at Lake Winnepesaukah – and still one of the most popular at the park – was the Boat Chute, which opened in 1927. According to the National Amusement Park Historical Association (NAPHA), it is the oldest Mill Chute attraction still in operation in the United States.[6][7]
Cannon Ball
The Cannon Ball is a wooden roller coaster from legendary designer John Allen of the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. Built in 1967, the roller coaster features a vertical drop of 70 feet (21 m) and 2,272 feet (693 m) of track that spans three quarters of a mile. The ride lasts 90 seconds and has a top speed of 50 miles per hour (80 km/h).[8] Signifying the park's location adjacent to the Georgia-Tennessee state line, the American, Georgia, and Tennessee flags are at the top of the lift hill.[9]
Carrousel
The oldest ride at the park is the Philadelphia Toboggan Company carrousel number 39, manufactured in 1916.[4] Among the oldest and largest in the country, the carrousel includes 68 hand-painted steeds.[8]
OH-ZONE!
The OH-ZONE! is a 140 feet (43 m), 14-story tall tower ride in which seated riders experience free-fall followed by a 4.6G deceleration upon return to ground level. The 2006 installation of the ride required the Fly-O-Plane to be relocated to another section of the park adjacent to the Cannon Ball roller coaster.[9][10]
Pipeline Plunge
Riders board a two-person raft and slide down curving water filled tubes in the Pipeline Plunge.[9]
Wacky Worm
Intended primarily for children, the Wacky Worm is a metal roller coaster with a ride vehicle resembling a smiling green worm. The ride has a maximum height of less than 20 feet (6.1 m) and consists of several turns and short "bunny hop" hills.[4]
Wild Lightnin’
In 2001, Lake Winnie built their third roller coaster as a tribute to one that used to be in the same exact spot. The original roller coaster was named Mad Mouse and the new steel rendition was originally named Wild Thing, but in 2002 was renamed Wild Lightnin'. The "wild mouse" track layout is similar to the original with numerous hairpin 90 degree turns and short, steep drops.[9]
Incidents
On April 19, 2003, a crowd disturbance described as a "near-riot" involving 500 to 700 youths took place outside the park after management decided to close the park 90 minutes early. Catoosa County Sheriff Phil Summers claimed the incident was caused by parents leaving their children unattended at the park with little or no money, thus unable to participate in the park's activities. When sporadic fighting began in the crowd, the decision was made to close the park early, which escalated the fighting. Law enforcement agencies from Georgia and Tennessee were dispatched to the scene when the crowd began to disrupt traffic on roads surrounding the park. After the incident, the park instituted a new policy of requiring visitors under 21 years of age to be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Visitors also will be required to buy some sort of admission.[11]
References
- 1 2 "Lake Winnie Amusement Park". Lake Winnepesaukah Amusements, Inc. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ↑ Veal, Jenni Frankenberg (June 29, 2014). "Pondering history at Lake Winnepesaukah". Nooga.com. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ↑ Smith, Ellis (October 25, 2012). "Lake Winnepesaukah to invest millions in 5-acre attraction". Times Free Press. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Family Rides". Lake Winnepesaukah. Archived from the original on October 11, 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ↑ "Kiddie Rides". Lake Winnepesaukah. Archived from the original on June 27, 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ↑ "Lake Winnie Amusement Park". Lakewinnie.com. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- ↑ Smith, Ellis (October 25, 2012). "Lake Winnepesaukah to invest millions in 5-acre attraction". Chattanooga Times Free Press. Retrieved August 6, 2014.
- 1 2 "75: Lake Winnie gets ready for special anniversary". Calhoun Times and Gordon County News (News Publishing Company, Inc.). 12 April 2000. p. 8C. Retrieved 2012-06-12.
- 1 2 3 4 "Thrill Rides". Lake Winnepesaukah. Archived from the original on June 27, 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2014.
- ↑ Talley Green. "Lake Winnepesaukah Newsletter: March 13, 2006". Archived from the original on April 10, 2006. Retrieved May 17, 2006.
- ↑ Chris Zel (2003-04-23). "Disturbance prompts Lake Winnie to implement tougher policie (sic)". Northwest Georgia News. Retrieved 2010-02-07.