Roller coasters were invented to distract Americans from sin. In the 1880s, hosiery businessman LaMarcus Thompson hated that Americans were tempted by hedonistic places like saloons and brothels. So he set out to straighten up one of the most immoral places he could think of: Coney Island in New York. There, he built America’s first roller coaster to give New Yorkers some good, clean fun—away from seedier pastimes.
100 Mind-Blowing Brothels Facts
The first roller coaster was invented to stop sinful behaviour. When LaMarcus Thompson created the first roller coaster in Coney Island, he did it to stop the sinful lifestyle of New Yorkers. The rise of brothels in the late 1800s disgusted Thompson who wanted to provide a family-friendly way to indulge.