Lamarcus thompson early life

What did lamarcus thompson invent
Interesting facts about lamarcus thompson
Lamarcus thompson family

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La Marcus Edna Thompson became known as the "Father of Gravity" in 1884 when he built the first commercially operated roller coaster, the Switchback Railway, in Coney Island. Thompson then founded an amusement empire called the L.A. Thompson Scenic Railway Company, which manufactured classic roller coasters and an assortment of other rides for amusement parks all over the world.

The Switchback was 600 feet long and ran six miles per hour along West Tenth Street from Surf Avenue to the ocean. It was not a round-trip ride. The passengers left the car, which was then turned around and sent back to the start. The fare was a nickel. Thompson then developed a scenic coaster that traveled at a slow pace through tunnels illuminated only by headlights on the lead car. The ride was the first tunnel of love.

Thompson was born in Jersey, Ohio, in 1848. As a young man, he was a talented tinkerer who made his fortune by inventing a knitting machine that manufactured seamless hosiery. Although the business prospered, the stress destroyed his health and he sold his company. His interest shifted

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Theme Park History: L.A. Thompson, the father of the themed roller coaster

Derek Potter

November 10, 2013, 3:08 PM · Lamarcus Adna Thompson was born in Jersey, Ohio on March 8th, 1848. The man who would later be known as the "father of gravity" started life first as a carpenter, then a successful businessman. By the age of 35 he had made a fortune after founding a company that manufactured women's stockings. The hosiery business took a toll on Thompson's health, and so he left the business. After a trip out west, he found himself in New York in the early 1880's.

It is said that L.A. Thompson was inspired by a trip to the hills in eastern Pennsylvania, where a railroad line running through Carbon County had been converted from a coal transport into a tourist attraction. The Mauch Chunk Switch Back Railway was an 18 mile, mostly downhill course that featured a 2300 ft long, 665 ft high drop at the end. The railway was a rousing success with tourists, who came by the thousands to ride every year. Thompson's idea was to capture the essence of Mauch Chunk in a smaller package.

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LaMarcus Adna Thompson

American inventor and businessman (1848–1919)

LaMarcus Adna Thompson (March 8, 1848 – May 8, 1919) was an American inventor and businessman most famous for developing a variety of gravity rides and roller coasters.

Early years

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (January 2011)

Thompson was born in Jersey, Licking County, Ohio on March 8, 1848. His parents were Adna Thompson (father), and Nancy D. Thompson (mother). He had a brother named Olvid. In his adolescence, he became a skilled carpenter. In 1873 he began operating a grocery store in Elkhart, Indiana. There he began designing a device to manufacture seamless stockings and tights for women. He made a fortune in that business, but failing health forced him to quit.^[1]

Father of the gravity ride and the roller coaster

Thompson is best known for his early work developing roller coasters and for inventing the scenic railway genre of rides. He is known as the "Father of the American Roller Coaster"^[2] and is often also ca