A Piece Of History: Local Real Estate Agent Wins Log Jammer Auction

WEST MIFFLIN (KDKA) -- A lot of Kennywood fans were upset when the decision was made to close to the Log Jammer, but one local realtor now owns a piece of history.

The Log Jammer opened May 11, 1975, complete with several curves and 90,000 gallons of rushing water. It could take up to 1,200 riders an hour on a crowded day on a hollowed-out log.

It was also Kennywood's first million-dollar attraction.

However, when Kennywood decided it was the log's last jam, people started feeling nostalgic. This led Kennywood to offer one of the logs in a charity auction.

Today, the winner got to pick up the historic flume.

"I've always wanted to own an amusement park," said Micahel Cowden. "Can't afford one yet, so I thought I'd have a little piece of one. A little piece of history."

Cowden paid a pretty penny for the log.

"I tried to scare everyone off," he said. "I bid $5,000 on first bid, thinking it would scare everybody, hour later, it was like at 8-grand, then it went above ten, started to feel a little more comfortable and we ended up being the winning bidder."

The final tally - $11,100.

It's money well-spent because it goes to a charity that gives critically ill children a Florida vacation.

Cowden owns a real estate company and plans to use it in a marketing campaign.

"We're actually going to put this into the water and see if it floats," he said. "Try to do a marketing piece for our company."

As for nostalgia, Cowden says he spent many summers waiting in line for his turn on the Log Jammer.

"Some people want Ferraris, some people want a million-dollar house, I wanted a Log Jammer."