Delaware River flooded resort early 1900s

[MightyMouse82]

My family owns a cabin on the Delaware River north of Easton which has been in the family for the past 75 years (and has been of course flooded quite a few times). My grandfather always talks about an island resort that was very popular among the wealthy around the turn of the century that was completely destroyed by a flood in the early 1900's and has even mentioned to me the idea of metal detecting it. He has a general idea of which island it was located on and is very near our cabin. I've searched and searched for verification of the existance of this resort online but have come up with nothing. Has anyone else heard of such a place? I plan on spending a few days checking it out this fall.

Chris

 

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[mike in pa]

i live in stroudsburg pa i have been looking for a place called breezy point park, i heard that it might have been on an island who knows could be the same but i cant find it and nothing on it? ask him if that name sounds familiar

 

[Gypsy Heart]

Jeff of PA had posted these pics a while back of The Island Park Resort

http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/topic,61600.0.html

Due to extensive flooding, the park closed early in the Century and moved to it's present location and is now known as Bushkill Park in Easton, PA. The flood of 1972 removed the last traces of Island park.
The park was home to an early Figure eight style toboggan (roller coaster).

 

[justine093]

I do know that somewhere up around delaware water gap, they were going
to build a large dam , the Tock's Island Dam project.
The dam was never built, there are lots of abandoned properties up there
that were bought by the government, some turned into communes and squat houses.


from the following website,
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/motorcycles_adventure/92939/2
"During the ensuing years, the Corp. of Engineers forced some 15,000 homeowners from land intended for the project. Many of these residents represented 300 years and 13 generations of history and culture in the Delaware valley. Farms, homes and villages along the river were left abandoned."

"While this land acquisition process was tragic and disruptive, the Corp. of Engineers fanned the controversy by attempting to rent the former residents’ empty homes. After running a “houses for rent” ad in the Village Voice, waves of hippies and street people surged into the area. They freely occupied all vacant buildings on the Jersey side, then crossed the Delaware into Pennsylvania to take over empty structures there. "


some other sites:
http://archive.poconorecord.com/report/tocks/
http://www.abandonedbutnotforgotten.com/tocks_island1.htm

 

[bjw]

Gee, why doesn't that action by the Corp. of Engineers surprise me!
BJW

 

[Gypsy Heart]

I thought that mightymouse was looking for an island that is no longer visible....isnt Tocks still there?

 

[MightyMouse82]

I spoke with my grandfather again over the weekend and in fact Easton Park which some of you mentioned he did remember however, what he originally referred to was an actual resort and was located on an island several miles north of Easton and is a completely diferrent site. He has a few maps with the name of the island that he's going to get to me this week. The island is still there, just the resort was destroyed from flooding around the turn of the century. I'll keep you posted.

 

[justine093]

I thought that mightymouse was looking for an island that is no longer visible....isnt Tocks still there?

gypsy, sorry if the post was a little off topic....
I just thought, flooding, north of easton, delaware river...eh, it's kinda up
there and an interesting spot, I thought I would throw it in....
next time I will think twice.

 

[Gypsy Heart]

I thought that mightymouse was looking for an island that is no longer visible....isnt Tocks still there?

gypsy, sorry if the post was a little off topic....
I just thought, flooding, north of easton, delaware river...eh, it's kinda up
there and an interesting spot, I thought I would throw it in....
next time I will think twice.

Heck no justine...that Tocks Island site is really cool and full if great info!
Thats how we figure things out around here by everyone contributing!

 

[mike in pa]

tocks island is still there,and still off limits for detecting (sucks)