Henry C. Lein lived in West Seneca and had made his money in the livestock trade, as the owner of the Lein's Livestock Sales Stables in the Gardenville section of West Seneca. Short in stature and rather portly, Henry C. Lein served two terms as the Democratic supervisor of West Seneca, in 1904-1909 and then again in 1922-1925. Considered a shrewd businessman and very personable, Henry Lein attracted investors who wanted to share in his vision. With the land already purchased and investment money in hand, planning began for what was to become known as "Lein's Park".
Securing a company that was considered by many as the best construction business in the area, work was started in 1895.
Lein's Park was patterned after the Starin's Glen Island Park. Mr. Lein had visited the then, internationally famous Glen Island Park outside New York City and wanted to incorporate some of its features into his park. After construction began, it took almost eight years to complete. Choosing a rustic motif, the well-constructed buildings featured peeled bark strips arranged in diagonal patterns along the outside walls. The bark used on the buildings was stripped from the plentiful railroad ties that made up most of Buffalo's waterfront docks. Although opened to the public sooner, the park did not have its "Grand Opening" until 1903.
Henry Lein's park was not only varied but innovative as well. The " . . . park was free to all orderly people . . . It was for the poor people who came from the city."15 Sunday schools and picnic parties were always cordially invited to visit the park. Mr. Lein, who used his livestock profits to help fund the park, tried to sell stock to enlist more investors by offering stock certificates at ten dollars apiece. For whatever reason, the stock failed to sell and money from the venture had to be used to help maintain the park. "They would make money from patrons who used the dance hall, restaurant, soda fountain, and bowling alley. Tokens in denominations of five cents and twenty-five cents were used throughout the park which helped control the money flow.
In 1895, what is now known as Union Road ended at Seneca Street and there were no roads that the public could travel to reach the park. Henry Lein financed a private road that connected with Seneca Street and ran south to Cazenovia Creek. With no existing bridge over the creek, Mr. Lein had a bridge erected specifically for the purpose of bringing the public to the entrance of his park. Built at a cost of eight thousand dollars, the laminated wood plank deck bridge was used by the Buffalo, Gardenville and Ebenezer Railway. For the cost of five cents, electric trolley cars brought park visitors from the Buffalo city line, across the bridge and into the trolley station located within the park. The bridge also served the horse and carriage traffic that came from the surrounding countryside. Later, when automobiles made their appearance, the bridge accommodated this new form of transportation.
Around 1909-1910, after a severe winter, ice floes destroyed the bridge. A temporary bridge was used for people to walk across to the park but in March 1910, West Seneca residents petitioned the West Seneca Town Board to replace the bridge. "This highway crossing the creek is of great importance, and its unsafe condition greatly inconveniences a great many people as well as creating a dangerous path for a large number of school children, who use this road as the most direct route to school . . . it is the duty of your Honorable Body to remedy this condition by repairing this bridge or building a new structure . . . . The Town Board acted and a second bridge was built by the Owego Bridge Company at a cost of approximately ten thousand dollars, but this time steel was used in its construction instead of wood. Finished in September 1911, the new bridge no longer accommodated the trolley cars and visitors who rode the trolley were off-loaded on the north side of the creek and had to walk across the bridge to the park entrance.
As the public neared the grounds of the amusement park, the "Great Arch of Welcome" which was located at the main entrance greeted them. Overlooking Cazenovia Creek, the distinctive entrance was a massive arch approximately twenty-five feet in height and twenty-five feet in width. There was another welcoming arch located at the southern entrance of the park18 that was similar in design but with two smaller arches, one on each side of the main arch. When the original bridge was still in use, the trolley cars would enter the park and drop visitors off at the station. The trolley station was dubbed as "Noah's Ark" because of the detailed ornamentation of animals and waterfowl carved on its bark exterior. The multi-level building itself was sixty feet wide, 160 feet in length and had a height of forty-two feet. The station could hold eight trolley cars and was the " . . . largest and most complete depots ever placed upon a pleasure ground, and indicates the interest taken in the comfort of visitors to the park. The trolley cars discharged their passengers and the visitors ascended a set of stairs to the park level. In the event of a severe storm, the station also served as a shelter capable of holding up to three thousand people.
Inside of the park was a hotel, which was constructed of plank wood rather that the rustic approach that was commonly used elsewhere throughout the park. The hotel had two or three completely furnished rooms, but the hotel was never meant to entertain overnight guests. The "hotel" designation was the only way that Henry Lein was able to get a liquor license to operate a bar. Next to the hotel were the park's water structures, which supplied clean water to the entire park and its patrons.
The bar was, like most of the buildings, rustic in design covered with strips of bark arranged in the familiar horizontal patterns. With its log beam structure, the bar was designed as a summer resort and had an open-air front. Along one wall was a full-length bar with a foot rail and although there were spittoons, the floor always seemed to have a luster. There were a few tables and the local Schoepflin Factory made the wooden chairs. Completing the interior, stuffed wild animal heads, deer antlers, muzzle-loading guns and powder horns adorned the walls. Choice cigars were always available for the gentlemen and alcoholic refreshments were served for those of legal age. At one time, Mr. Lein had a full time twelve-piece brass band that would entertain the barroom patrons on a nightly basis. The brass band also gave free concerts in the park on Sunday afternoons and in the evening hours.
The merry-go-round was constructed with massive wooden beams that supported the roof and contained eight to ten wooden horses that were hand carved by European craftsmen from Wheatfield, near Niagara Falls, New York. Instead of the horses moving in an up and down motion, these horses rocked back and forth during the ride. For those who did not have a strong stomach for the rocking ride or those mothers with small children, stationary benches with carved horses on either side were available for their riding pleasure. Since the power for the merry-go-round came from the trolley power station, the operation of the trolley cars played an important part in the quality of the ride. As a trolley was approaching the entrance to the park, greater power was drawn away from the ride, causing the lights to dim and the merry-go-round slowed down considerably. When the trolley left the park, full power was restored, sending the merry-go-round spinning.
A Wurlitzer music box was attached to the ride that played the latest popular tunes. Each spring. Mr. Lein purchased six new music rolls from the Wurlitzer Factory in North Tonawanda, New York.
A dance hall was erected that hosted dances on Saturday and Sunday nights. With its sturdy construction, the dance hall had a fine floor for dancing which could easily hold several hundred dancers. At one end of the hall, orchestras used a large wooden stage to entertain spectators and provide music to the dancers. Next to the stage, a large map of Lein's Park was displayed. The many large windows not only provided plenty of light during the daylight hours, it also provided good ventilation to keep the dancers cool. During orchestra intermissions, clam chowder was sold for ten cents a bowl and hot roast beef sandwiches with gravy went for twenty-five cents. The hall was also used to show motion pictures, which were a novelty at the time.
Animals played an important part in the overall theme of the park. At one time or another, Lein's Park featured deer, elk, owls, rabbits, monkeys, raccoons, porcupines, a bald-headed eagle, and even a fox and wolf cage.
Of particular interest to visitors was the bear pit and was acknowledged to be the best ever erected in this vicinity, containing four black bears. The pit contained a large water tub where the bears could seek relief on a hot summer day. Visitors would bring fish, peanuts and stale bread from nearby bakeries to feed the bears. A basement was built into the pit so the bears would have a place to hibernate in the wintertime.
Children loved to visit the soda fountain where they could make ice cream sodas. With a scoop of ice cream, carbonated water and the purest fruit flavoring of their choice, parents as well as their children found a refreshing drink to ward off the heat of a summer day. The candy store added to a child's delight and a kitchen served coffee, tea, and sandwiches.
Recreational pleasures for the adults included a bowling alley with two hardwood lanes. At the end of the lanes, a "pin spotter" set the pins and returned the bowling balls using a return ramp between the two alleys. A row of benches along one wall allowed the bowlers to relax between frames. The abundant windows provided light during the day, but kerosene lamps helped the bowlers in the evening hours. For those who preferred their sports outdoors, a carefully groomed baseball diamond was available and a horseshoe court for the gentlemen who enjoyed their sports on the less strenuous side.
Great care was given to the comfort and enjoyment of the park visitor. For those arriving on horseback or carriage, a hitching rack was provided for their convenience. A bicycle could be checked in at the bicycle rack for those who decided to use the two-wheel mode of transportation. Pop, ginger beer, sarsaparilla, and other non-intoxicating beverages were sold for the thirsty park visitor. The abundant trees and picnic tables added to the enjoyment of a day spent in the country. Picnic buildings were also available for private picnics or meetings. "Beyond all doubt this park was one of the most picturesque picnic grounds in Western New York - possible the finest....
By the early 1920's, the widespread use of automobiles changed the recreational habits of Western New York. Families could now travel further and faster to visit other amusement parks or attractions. The newly created Erie County Parks system offered more choices for their afternoon picnics. Against this changing backdrop, Lein's Park closed in 1922.
In 1929, Henry C. Lein passed away. The dream of Mr. Lein " . . . who first conceived the idea of converting this beautiful park and pleasure resort, has spared neither time nor money to effect possible improvements and the result is that to-day he has the most popular resort in this vicinity, as is evidenced by the fact that the trolleys have conveyed in one day as many as 5,000 visitors" 23, also passed away with him. The park in West Seneca that gave happiness to countless Western New York families and over the many years had seen its children grow faded into history.
In 1922, Lot 329 was sold to the Evangelical Association for $25,000 and the land was renamed Evangelical Park. According to available information, the mission of the Association was to prepare young men and women " . . . for full-time Christian service and should have the best kind of training with a fine knowledge of the Word of God." 24 All but one of the buildings that were left of Lein's Park was demolished and a large auditorium accommodating one thousand people was constructed. In addition, two large dormitories, one for men and one for women, a dining hall, athletic field, and a playground were constructed. The Association changed its name and became known as the Buffalo Bible Conference. Beginning in 1935, annual conferences were held at the park where Christian delegates from Western New York and nearby states could meet and discuss common theology.
A section of the northeast corner of Lot 329 was appropriated and used to construct the extension of the current day Union Road running from the Cazenovia Bridge southward. It also created a buffer of residential homes between Union Road and the Buffalo Bible Conference property.