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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
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The West Virginia Encyclopedia
Oak Park was an amusement park located along Deckers Creek in the Bretz community about one mile west of Masontown, Preston County. Oak Park was built by Morgantown & Kingwood Railroad and opened on June 19, 1909. The park was an easy train ride from Morgantown, and helped to fill up trains on weekends and holidays. On August 25, 1909, 14 trains brought more than 4,000 people to the park.
Oak Park’s nearly 100 wooded acres offered day visitors a wide variety of recreational activities as well as food, with lodging for those who wished to stay overnight. Visitors from West Virginia as well as neighboring Pennsylvania and Maryland frequented the park throughout the summer months. Park attractions included a 65-foot wooden slide, two roller coasters, walking paths, picnic areas, a carousel, a Ferris wheel, a swimming hole, paddle boats, and carnival-style game stands. One of the main attractions was the baseball games played at the park between teams formed in surrounding towns and by mine companies.
The advent of the automobile, the steady decline of the rail and coal industries, and the onset of the Great Depression led to the park’s eventual demise. In 1930, Oak Park closed its gates. Little evidence remains of the once popular amusement park, although concrete pilings from the buildings and roller coaster can still be found at the site.
Written by Brad Martin
Thomas, Charles A. Images of America: Preston County. Charleston, SC: Arcadia Pub., 1998.
Ross, Peggy. Echoes of Things Past: Preston County's Oak Park. Goldenseal, (Summer 1994).