The history of roller coasters dates back as far as the 1400's. Read this and compare the first roller coasters to the ones now.

In the early stages of roller coasters, there was not as much use of technology as there is today . There were just ice slides that you would glide upon. These began in Russia one winter. The slides were made of thick wood. In order to experience the glide you had to climb the flight of stairs attached to the back of the slide. Here are the specifics plus a few extra details about the history of coasters!!!

During the 1400's the recreational fun of riding roller coasters began. As they say, when you're having fun time flies. This was very true back then. When people came to ride these slides in Russia they began to improve it. They increased the length of the slide. In order to glide down it, you had to climb several flights of stairs. The ride down only gave you a few seconds to fill the need for speed. Soon the slides became a trend even in warmer places.

Once these slides were used in places with a warmer climate they decided they really didn't need ice to slide. They constructed what seemed like one-person sleds and placed wheels underneath them. The ride became faster and more enjoyable. Many of these rides were found in France with such names as "Les Montagnes Russe," which means Russian Mountains.

Throughout the next two centuries , the popularity and size of roller coasters increased. By the 1800's continuous circuit slides could be found in Europe. To test their invention they used humans , animals , and cables by placing them in a cart , pulling it to the top and letting it go. Tracks were added to the slides to keep the sleds on course. The coasters' technology couldn't hold a grip on the public's demand for thrills. By the 1840's the public no longer had interest in coasters.

In the United States , little interest was shown for the Russian Mountains. In the early 1800's there was a gravity-powered transportation system developed for moving coal in Mauch,Pennsylvania. This 18-mile-long circuit was made obsolete by the attachment of a nearby tunnel. In 1874 the owners of the Mauch Chunk Railway placed a passenger car on the line, instead of transporting coal. People had the chance to be hauled down the line as a paying customer. Ten years afterwards, LaMarcus Thompson, an inventor and businessman from Ohio, installed his Switchback Railway at Coney Island, New York. Partially attached to the Russian Mountains and partially to the Mauch Chunk Railway, these two tracks stood together.

Just as in the time of the Russian Mountains , the ends of the tracks were joined together to form one long circuit. One of the designs enabled the inventors to place hundreds of wheels on the track and passengers could be transported in a flat toboggan. This may have been the origin of the term roller coaster. While the popularity of roller coasters grew and began to appear in the United States, Thompson started out on his journey of discovery. Thompson created a ride called Scenic Railway.

This ride included several special effects just as the ones in Disney Land. For Thompson, the Scenic Railway was a success. He exported his ride to Europe where the roller coasters' thrills were rediscovered. A young man , John Miller, was hired by Thompson to build Switchbacks and Scenic Railways. He learned his craft and as early as the 1900's he had patented over 100 improvements in roller coaster technology. Some of his rides that are still standing today are: The Racer and Jack Rabbit at Kennywood Park in Pennsylvania, The Big Dipper at Geauga Lake in Ohio, and the Jack Rabbit at Clementon Lake Park in New Jersey.