▁resort , ▁and ▁its ▁specifically ▁working ▁class ▁character . ▁It ▁was ▁the ▁for er un ner ▁of ▁the ▁present - day ▁Black pool ▁Ill umin ations . ▁By ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁the ▁town ▁had ▁a ▁population ▁of ▁ 3 5 , 0 0 0 , ▁and ▁could ▁accommod ate ▁ 2 5 0 , 0 0 0 ▁hol iday m akers . ▁The ▁number ▁of ▁annual ▁visitors , ▁many ▁stay ing ▁for ▁a ▁week , ▁was ▁estimated ▁at ▁three ▁million . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁final ▁de cade ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁electric ▁t rol ley ▁lines ▁were ▁developed ▁in ▁many ▁large ▁American ▁cities . ▁Comp an ies ▁that ▁established ▁the ▁t rol ley ▁lines ▁also ▁developed ▁t rol ley ▁par ks ▁as ▁destin ations ▁of ▁these ▁lines . ▁T rol ley ▁par ks ▁such ▁as ▁Atlanta ' s ▁P once ▁de ▁Leon ▁Park , ▁or ▁Reading ' s ▁Car son ia ▁Park ▁were ▁initially ▁popular ▁natural ▁le is ure ▁sp ots ▁before ▁local ▁street car ▁companies ▁purchased ▁the ▁sites , ▁expand ing ▁them ▁from ▁pic nic ▁gro ves ▁to ▁include ▁regular ▁entertain ments , ▁mechanical ▁am us ements , ▁dance ▁h alls , ▁sports ▁fields , ▁boat ▁r ides , ▁restaur ants ▁and ▁other ▁resort ▁facilities . ▁ ▁Some ▁of ▁these ▁par ks ▁were ▁developed ▁in ▁resort ▁locations , ▁such ▁as ▁bath ing ▁resort s ▁at ▁the ▁se as ide ▁in ▁New ▁Jersey ▁and ▁New ▁York . ▁A ▁premi ere ▁example ▁in ▁New ▁Jersey