Coney Island actually dates back to 1609.....

Florence

....when Henry Hudson landed on the shore in his exploration of New York Bay and the Hudson River.

It was purchased according to historians for “15 fathoms of wampum, two guns, and three pounds of powder.” What do you suppose a fathom of wampum looks like? Such a small price to pay for such a place of wonderment!

The “Wonder Wheel” that lead me here, opened in 1920, and was built by a man named Charles Herman.

                                                         By the by, city attire:

Florence
https://www.etsy.com/listing/91159653/
embellished-verdigris-colored-jacket

                                                                   
I had never seen “roller coasters” before but I found them tantalizing and frightening at the same time! The first one here was called the “Thunderbolt” and opened well before my time, in 1925. It was followed by one called the “Cyclone” in 1928. With a little research I found that these creations had ties back to the Russian community that settled right next door in Brighton Beach. Our “coasters” really began in St. Petersburg Russia in the 17^th century and were called “Russian Mountains.” They were ice hills that upper class Russians went sliding down for fun! Even Catherine II was a fan of them................astoria       

                                                                         

                                                                            

By the by, I visited Coney Island again when I was older. It was much quieter and rather sad. There was a haunting

beauty to the place, even then, and now I understand there

is a resurgence of interest in it.  I find it captured best in a book you can find at:

http://coneyisland40years.com/photo-gallery/

By the by, to go back to the beginning and catch up to all of Astoria's adventures go to:

http://buttonbroadmemoirs.blogspot.com/2012/02/on-this-my-100th-birthday.html