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Freedomland


Kirby

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My sister mentioned a talk that someone was giving on Freedomland, a theme park that was in existence from 1960 to 1964.  Apparently my parents took me, but I was too young to remember, but my older sisters did.  The speaker was sort of endearing in his commitment and it was actually pretty interesting.   Oddly, the talk was held at the local cemetery in the big chapel.  Apparently some of the performers who appeared at the park are "residents" of  the cemetery, so they though there was a connection.

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Freedomland sounds similar to a Disney theme park plan near here. In the early 1990’s Disney quietly bought up 3,000 acres in Haymarket. In 1993, when word got out that Disney had plans for an American history themed park, America, opposition began to build. While politicians were initially on board with the plan, due in part to Disney’s inflated forecasts for job growth and tax money. Opposition to multiple parts of the project, traffic, gas stations, strip malls and fast food restaurants was able to block the project and force Disney to abandon their plans. Opposition could not stop the gas stations, strip malls and fast food restaurants as these were quickly added to the local communities in anticipation of a project that never came to be. My commute to work goes through the heart of the planned development. In place of a theme park, we have a Boy Scout camp, nice houses, a golf course, parks, and schools. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disney's_America

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There is apparently a theory that at least some people involved in the park didn't intend for it to survive.  The land was marsh and authorities wanted some proof that the land could be remedied and used safely for building.  If the smaller structures could exist for a few years without damage to their foundations, then they could get approval to build the large residential buildings and commercial shopping center that they  really wanted to build.

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