Over the past several year, we have used our summer series and out autumnal Skooky Things as a pause from the current reality.. stepping back in time not to relish in an unfounded past of fraud, but truly celebrate the roots of our existence. Where we were.. sadly, often, we had more then than we do now! But it’s history. We want to expand our knowledge and, quite frankly, get that nostalgic child like feeling.
Especially during these hot months, people should enjoy trivial and fun aversions.
But we sure stepped in it!
Our first story in this year’s series about former area parks featured Angela Park in Hazleton, and the roller coaster as high as the sky! And we made a mistake after listening to what we thought was a reputable source of information on the park! We reported that a fixture at Angela Park, Porky the Paper Eater, is proudly now home at Knoebels eating away paper just like he did back last century.
Folks who keep the history of Angela Park alive informed me that we were wrong!
And sure enough, when you compare the side-by-side images of both pigs, you can see the difference.
Clearly, admittedly, they are not the same pig. Not even the same building..
Angela featured a much larger pig head, one with a massive mouth opened wide ready for its trash.. And it talked.
Distinct differences..
But perhaps we can be happy that the lineage of Porky lives on in style while not in substance?
Thank you the keen eye of readers who pointed out to us that the Pighead we thought was Porky was just an imposter all along!
But once we go deep into the rabbit hole, or in this case a pig trough, we get up to our knees in information.
Porky the Paper Eater was just one in a series that showed up at park locations.
Kennywood has a Leo the Lion who eats paper.. BUT IS NOT THE SAME AS THE LEO that was at Angela.. again, clearly evidenced by the side by sides:
The Lincoln STAR JOURNAL reported about their Leo the Lion have some issues back in March 1996 when a group persevered to save their trash eater from the Folsom Children’s Zoo in Nebraska. Leo paper a triumphant to the midwest Zoo in 2008.
Towns planning fairs even tried getting in on the mix!
In Indianapolis Indiana, the CALL LEADER reported in 1971 that a Porky talked to people about sticking trash in its mouth as they walked by at other fairs:
Who made Porky and his family?
So inquiring minds want to know.. where did this entire array of characters brew from? Harry J. Batt Associates.. that’s where. That was the operator of the Pontchartrain Beach, New Orleans fun center. Leo and his sidekicks Pepe the Clown and Porky the Pig were the three models of Paper Eaters, Inc.
Leo was considered the King of the Paper Eaters!
There were even paper eating sightings that included elephants.. At least one existed in the UK, and one in Hungary.
The DAILY REPORT in Morgan City Louisiana featured a glowing story on March 24, 1965 about Leo, Pepe, and Porky..
Back to the Batt family.
They came up with a gold mine that had a twofold purpose: One, it became an emblem of the parks they showed up in. A part of memories.. the voice narration as people walked by helped.
Two? It helped clean trash. So win-win in the paper eater category.
Batt advertised his idea by saying that kids were eager to comply with the polite demands.. Batt told the DAILY REVIEW newspaper on March 24, 1965, that “each machine has cut down 90% of the cleaning requirements in its immediate area” after installation. Batt achieved paper eating greatness as parks and zoos across America began employment the free labor of talking paper eaters.
Son of Harry Sr., Harry J. Batt Jr. died in September 2011 ..
x x x
So there you have it.. a brief history of the paper eaters among us. The talking friendly langoliers of parks..
Clean. Simple. Functional.
And no, Knoebels does not have Angela Park’s Porky. They have their own.. but the tradition at least lives on.
One piece of rubbish at a time.
