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| Early Coasters |
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| In 1843, a track going down Sharp Mountain had a coal car on it with coal in it. They also put mules in the coal car. When the coal car got to the bottom of the hill, the coal was unloaded and the mules would pull the car back up. This place soon became well known. In the morning the coal cars held coal and in the afternoon it held passengers who would pay 50 cents a ride. One man would ride down in a coal car with coal in it. This man would operate the brakes and the mule would have to go through the trouble of pulling the coal car back up the mountain. |
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| The first looping roller coaster was made in Paris` Frascati Gardens. It was later closed due to an accident. The Flip-Flap roller coaster would break your neck and soon flopped. Like the Flip-Flap, the loop the loop soon flopped. |
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| John Miller and Harry Baker teamed up and made the Miller and Baker Company. This company made many wooden coasters. Later, they split in to two different companies. The John A. Miller Company, which is of course John Miller`s company, made a legendary ride know as the Coney Island Cyclone. A co-worker of Miller started his own company. His name was Herb Schmech. His company name was the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (P.T.C.). John Miller`s company formed an alliance with the National Amusement Devices (N.A.D.). |
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| Coaster popularity has risen and fallen like a roller coaster car on a roller coaster track. In 1920, there were over 2,000 roller coasters all over the world. But later in the great depression the number of roller coasters declined. Today roller coasters have regained popularity and people are building steeper, faster and more thrilling roller coasters. |
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