Al-Tro Park

Al-Tro Park. . , Al-Tro Park In the 19th and early 20th centuries the Hudson River Islands offered places of escape and amusement to residents of Albany and Troy. In the early 20th century, this was the location of Al-Tro Park, an amusement park on what was once Patroons Island. In the 19th century an Island Park Race Track was located on nearby Cuyler Island. These islands no longer exist; the tidal waters forming several islands along the west shore of the Hudson River were mostly filled in the 1960's with the construction of Interstate 787 (see sign north of here.), Al-Tro Park offered a variety of entertains including band concerts, acrobats, performing lions, and vaudeville shows among other things. It had a boardwalk nine hundred feet in length lit with dazzling electric lights, a 4,000 seat amphitheater as well as a dance hall, concert hall and roller skating rink. News reports stated that "it hope to surpass in many details even the splendor and pomp of Coney Island and Dreamland.", The name Al-Tro Park comes from the names of the cities of Albany and Troy and the location halfway them. The Albany and Troy Steamboat Company owned the site. Starting on Memorial Day, boats brought visitors from the downtown Albany and Troy docks. Visitors also came by the Albany and Troy streetcars on Broadway (Route 32 today) and a bridge to the island., Al-Tro existed from 1906 to 1909. Records show several other amusement parks at the Albany and Troy Steamboat Company site. In the 19th century Pleasure Island was located here and 1901 Lagoon Island held bicycle races at the site. In 1910, a successor to Al-Tro Park appears known as Maple Beach Park. According to its advertisement, it offered "a dozen stars and eighteen pretty girls in 'Belle of Havana'." Maple Beach Park dos not appear in advertisements after 1912, possibly because of a disastrous Hudson River flood in March 1913 which may have wiped out the facilities., The last amusement park on the site was Midway Beach Park from 1915 to 1921. It boosted a"steel sanitary bathhouse, mammoth skating rink, large new dance hall, the Frolic Circle Wave, Pony Track, Boats and Canoes, Krazy Kastle, Laughing Show, Palmistry Camp, New Restaurant, and many other Safe and Sane Amusements." In 1921, an amusement park called Mid-City Park opened on Broadway in Menands, a half-mile west of this site. Among other things, Mid-City Park freatured a roller coaster, merry-go-round, swimming pool, and roller skating rink. It stood next to Hawkins Stadium, where the Albany Senators baseball team played, and Babe Ruth appeared at exhibition games.