In 1827, a mining company inSummit Hill, Pennsylvania constructed the Mauch Chunkgravity railroad, an 8.7 mi (14 km) downhill track used to deliver coal to Mauch Chunk, Pennsylvania. By the 1850s, the "Gravity Road" was providing rides to thrill-seekers for 50 cents a ride. Railway companies used similar tracks to provide amusement on days when ridership was low. The first so called "roller coaster" was built in 1885, and was named the Thompson's Switchback railway.
| Before roller coasters were even within thought, there was something going on similar to a ride in Russia. They were called the "Russian Mountains." These weren't exactly roller coasters, but specially constructed hills of ice. Built in the 15th century, the slides were built to a height of between 70 and 80 feet with estimated 50 degree drops. There are several explanations of the name roller coaster. It is said to have originated from an early American design where slides or ramps were fitted with rollers over which a sled would coast.
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