A documentary film on the history of Midway State Park is available to stream online and will be broadcast on Buffalo’s PBS station in early June. “Trolley Park: Midway Memories” was produced by filmmaker Peter Daulton. Submitted photo

Midway State Park and its history as a trolley line destination is the focus of a half-hour documentary.

“Trolley Park: Midway Memories” by filmmaker Peter Daulton is currently available for streaming online and will be broadcast on Buffalo’s PBS station, WNED, at 7:30 p.m. on Monday, June 5.

“We would like to thank all the people we interviewed — especially those that did not make it into the final film,” said Daulton, an animator and visual effects artist known for his work on many of the Star Wars films. “All the interviews were wonderful, and we wish we could have included everyone. But, in a half-hour film, it just wasn’t possible.”

Midway, located on Route 430 in Maple Springs near Chautauqua Lake, was established in 1898 as a picnic ground. According to the New York State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, it is “one of the oldest continually operating amusement parks in the nation.”

Trolley parks were built by streetcar companies to increase business by giving riders a weekend destination at the “end of the line,” usually located at a park or lake.

A native of Bradford, Pa., Daulton visited Midway as a child in the 1960s. He noted that while there were more than a thousand trolley parks in the early 1900s, only a dozen parks remain today.

Daulton and his wife spent May 2022 on Chautauqua Lake while filming the documentary.

“We made so many new friends it was hard to leave,” he told The Post-Journal this week. “Everyone had a story to tell about Midway Park. Even at our unofficial wrap party at Big Inlet Brewing where The Probables were playing — which was a good time for all — we ran into people with stories to tell about Midway including a member of the band.”

He’s no stranger to producing documentaries. His popular 2018 film “Ride” focused on the Albany Carousel in Oregon.

“Trolley Park: Midway Memories” includes interviews with local residents and also focuses on the crews who keep the historic rides operating and the volunteers who help preserve the park.

“I think people will enjoy the archival photos and home movies we uncovered with special thanks to Mike Johnson and family for all they provided,” Daulton added.

Besides his work on the Star Wars films, Daulton is best known for animating the feather in the opening shot of “Forrest Gump,” the flying cow in “Twister” and the flying DeLorean in “Back to the Future Part II.”

What’s next for the filmmaker?

“Because of the overwhelming response from PBS, we plan to continue with more Trolley Park films, making it a once-a-year summer series for, hopefully, many years to come,” he said. “Our next episode highlights Oaks Park in Portland Oregon — the last trolley park on the west coast. But we will be back — there are still more trolley parks in Western New York and Pennsylvania.”

“Trolley Park: Midway Memories” can be viewed on PBS’ website.