Compiled from the secretaries' minutes of past reunions, Frank Disinger wrote:

"Over the years most of our reunions were held at the homes of a family member but several public parks were also visited. They include:

Goat Island Park, Niagara Falls, NY. (see above)

Outwater Park, Lockport, N.Y.  (see Family Maps)

Indian Falls Park, N.Y.

Como Park, Lancaster, N.Y

Olcott Beach (Krull) Park, Olcott, N.Y.

Royalton Conservation Park, Gasport, N.Y."  (see Family Maps)

After World War I, cars were cheap and reliable, home air conditioning was uncommon and people wanted to drive to picnic and swim. “It was a great sort of wave of automobile tourism,” said Ethan Carr, author of “Wilderness by Design,” a history of park design. “States and counties responded by developing park systems.” This coincides with Erie County’s “heritage” parks and other Western NY parks development. The Erie County Parks Commission picked land for four parks the year after its founding in 1924: Chestnut Ridge, Emery in South Wales, Como Lake in Lancaster and Ellicott Creek in Tonawanda.

Early cars like the Ford Model T sat up high to cope with muddy rural roads. While 85% of rural public roads in 1900 were not surfaced, by 1935 more than 30% were. Many were paved with concrete and asphalt for cars.