What a great story. We had a cottage nearby, until the great blizzard of 1978. I took my children there all the time ides were reasonable for a family. savin rock amusement park in west haven ct. should definitely be added to this list. Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, is an exposed beach break with consistent surf that can be used at any time of year. The coaster itself was shortened in order to be ready by the Fourth of July holiday, with its final circular turns left off the drawing board in the interest of time. I still visit Nantasket when I can, thumbing my nose at the condos and visiting the carousel (PTC #85) that they saved and moved down the street. Some items, such as the motors and machinery of most rides, arcade games, prize inventory, needed complete replacement, while the buildings themselves needed to be dried out. Shore dinners especially the clamcakes. And you can still ride the Wild One wooden roller coaster at Six Flags America in Maryland. Im so glad I caught the Art Deco lines and colors, as well as a bit of the ski lift ride as well! By 1914 Mr. Schmeck found himself working in the amusement industry. Even though that was in 1984, every time he tells the story he apologises to the poor kid sitting behind him all over again. The actors included many stars on their way up including Hal (and his then wife, Ruby). According to a Washington Post article from that time, it was purchased at auction for just $28,000. What fun memories at all of these places! But most significantly, Dodge looked to make an impact with the new and improved park. What a great time to be a kid. Newton High Schools Senior Proms were held in the Totem Pole Ballroom ~ what a special memory!! All rights reserved. Fortunately, there were no deaths involved in Valravn's 2019 crash at Cedar Point. New England offers plenty of memorable amusement park experiences, from Six Flags New England and Canobie Lake Park to Story Land and Lake Compounce. My grandparents took me. I remember that was my choice Pleasure Island or a birthday party, and I always picked going to that park! There was a miniature golf course under the roller coaster. 19T E 347058 N 4681323. It is now located next to the old train station and clock tower. By the time the flames were extinguished, the Green Streak was a shambles, as was the signature front entrance and much of the park facing Nantasket Avenue. Thanks for the article which sent me many, many years back in time. 2022 Dennis Connors Photography. For out-of-state visitors, parking at Nantasket Beach will increase from $10 to $15 per day, and $20 per day. Pleasure Island Norumbega were our amusement parks of choice. Whalom Park! Mountain Park in Holyoke, MA where I grew up. Aw, Les that sounds like a lot of good times! 20 Best Things to Do in New England in March, 10 Best Things to Do in The Spring in New England, 40 Cozy Fireside Experiences in New England, Yankee Magazines Ultimate Guide to Autumn in New England, Yankee Magazines Ultimate New England Winter Guide, Yankee Magazines Ultimate New England Summer Guide, 63 Reasons Why We Love the Cape & Islands, For $14 Million, You Could Own Provincetowns Iconic Lobster Pot Restaurant. I believe Lake Compounce still there. Police said the ride was going full-speed when the Ferguson was struck. SUMMER - Open six days a week during the summer (closed Tuesdays). Correct, Leo, only the name was Pleasure Island. See my post below. Theres a Facebook page called Paragon Park Memories- maybe if you post it there someone else may remember it as well good luck! It is a warm summer day and Paragon Park is busy with visitors. Sad that its gone now!! Wonderland itself was inspired by the massive Worlds Fair exhibits that had been an international sensation since the mid-19th century. Movie Stars came from California The Three Stooges often preformed on stage I believe it closed in the late 60s. Fun fact: a couple of fires over the years changed the configuration of The Giant Coasters track, but it was a fire at another park in St. Louis that allowed Paragon Parks owner to buy a couple of cars from a coaster named The Comet, which is why some of the cars on The Giant Coaster had Comet on them. The Lynn Shore and Nahant Beach Reservations will be charged the same new fees. How about the screech of the wheels or the screams of the riders? Among the amusement rides in operation during Paragon Park's history was a traditional-style Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel (PTC #85) built in 1928 with hand-crafted horses, a bumper cars ride known as "Auto Scooters", a Ferris wheel, a horror-themed dark ride called "Kooky Kastle", and a wooden roller coaster known as The Giant Coaster.[1]. I was just remembering visiting Bensons as a kid. My family lived in Agawam at the time , and on Sat .nights we could hear the cars racing at the track. Except for the flying swings incident. "You can hear cars squeaking and the people screaming," Haraden said in an interview with The Patriot Ledger. As I remember it was not a very large park, or maybe I didnt get to see it all.But memories are still there. It was a historic park. At the very last minute, it would make a sharp turn to keep everyone dry. The musical runs from July 27 through . \r\rDo you remember hearing the clicking of the cars as they climb to the top? At the time, it was considered the deadliest. All Rights Reserved. Paragon fans were getting used to the idea that there would be no final season. Fires twice damaged the coaster, in 1932 and 1962. I worked for Larry Stone nights running the red mill and the carousel; and days at funland taking photos at a faux bar Singapore Sams. Not only was the band funny, but exceptional musicians . What about Jollie Chollies in Massachusetts? Pleasure Beach Ballroom had big bands like The Dorseys (before my time) , but being a product of the 50s I remember seeing Fats Domino and Patsy Cline there. (Water World had room to expand because both of DCs older parks had closed some years before.) memories of Nantasket! I got to Paragon Park just once, the year before it closed; I was amused that the condo development the park was torn down for was one of the first to go bust when the economic bubble burst. Skeeball and pinball machines were favorite games at Paragon Park's penny arcade. Loved Kings Castle land as a fun place to take my grandson when he was young. well, all was fine till halfway home and my brother starts getting sick I was on top of my step sister out the window most of the ride home Still great times and I miss when we used to have no cares but having fun.. At about this time, a movement within the town of Hull to legalize casino gambling complicated Paragons status within the town vision for the future. I remember Savin Rock with a fond passion. About a dozen years later I visited Paragon Park while on spring break from RIT and took a few pictures. Also remembr White City Park near Worcester fondly. Built into the side of Mount Tom it now sits in ruins, closed many years ago. New owners took over after Bensons death in 1943, and although the park still drew crowds, it had up-and-down years for the next few decades. The year 1929 is significant in American history as the beginning of the Great Depression, and its impact also was felt at Nantasket Beach. \r\rEnjoy! During the next several months, the town of Hull was in turmoil. save the carousel effort was launched, but this time the result would be the formation of the non-profit Friends of the Paragon Carousel and the purchase of the antique merry-go-round for $1.1 million. Who lived where the park was. We would start pressuring Mom and Dad to take us to Rocky Point as soon as the last of the snow melted. A roller coaster in Japan known for its "super death" acceleration to triple-digit speeds was reportedly shut down after riders suffered serious bone fractures. Of course, we miss Rocky Point and Crescent Park, they were in our state of RI; however, Jolly Chollies was an equally amazing amusement park. Luckily they saved the merry go round and youre able to ride on it still in its new location. In October 2014, it was reborn as the 120-acre Rocky Point State Park. Its assets were sold off in 1979, with the land being cleared for a housing development. He contracted with the Philadelphia Toboggan Company to build the tallest roller coaster in the world, Paragons 98-foot Giant Coaster. In late 1915, he had leased parts of the park to fruit peddler David Stone and fellow hotelier Albert A. Wildcat, Bell's Amusement Park, 1997. Dawn R. Jankovic, from Brunswick, Ohio, fell unconscious while riding The Voyage roller coaster at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana . Nothing like Paragon Park has ever before been seen near than Luna Park at New York, The Boston Globe enthused, referencing the world-famous amusement center at Coney Island.George A. I loved the carousel. I Never see ANY photos of it either. My mom told me about going to Whalom Park as a child (she grew up in Fitchburg) but I didnt get there until I had my own family and we returned to Massachusetts after a tour of duty in Europe. Park. Great memories growing up there with the park, the bowling alley and the roller skating rink! AFAICT Canobie Lake is still open? Since the middle of the nineteenth century, Nantasket Beach has been a popular summer vacation destination for city dwellers. The coaster shut down when Paragon Park closed in 1984. Paragon Park in Hull, Ma-Lincoln Park, Dartmouth, Ma. growing up in Nashua, it was an exciting and exotic school field trip in the early 70s. Lost in that fire was much of the holiday inventory of Toy-A-Rama, a seasonal store in Paragons former roller skating rink that competed against the Arcade Bazaar. Perhaps the most famous attraction at Whalom Park was its 1940 Flying Comet wooden roller coaster, built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the same outfit responsible for the wooden coasters at Coney Island. We lived in Rockland when I was very young and could see that often. A Thanksgiving Day fire at nearby Nantasket Pier destroyed most of the fleet of steamboats that carried passengers to and from Boston. Hands down, Mountain Park in Holyoke (Western Massachusetts). Became engaged watching the submarine races there in 1961. Dont forget Adventureland in Newbury, MA which operated for several years from 1957 into the early 60s. David Stone lost two houses on Rockland House Road in the fire; others involved in area concessions lost their homes and businesses as well. I remember going to Paragon Park during those same years. We had some good times there. Launched as a trolley park (parks at the terminus of trolley lines were all the rage at the time), the property soon evolved from a series of serene walking paths to a bustling destination filled with midway games and rides like Ferris wheels and carousels. Thanks so much for sharing your memories here! My parents met at the roller rink at Canobie when young. Id have the day in the park while my parents and aunts and uncles would sit under the pavilion on a Sunday listening to the polka bands. Not only did they have the rides which we loved as kids, they had a fabulous summer theater, the Valley Players, owned and operated by Jean and Carleton Guild. Great memories going back at least 50 years! I do remember Whalom Park and Bensons Wild Animal farm as well, we took our own children there a few times as well! Within weeks, however, Kahn-Quinn and the Stones had moved up the closing, deciding that opening the gates to souvenir-seekers, litigious loiterers, and potential vandals was too risky. My best memories of my being a teenager is my time being at Paragon Park. It was a fun, reasonably priced park and like other parks in New England was probably not profitable enough to keep running. It was similar to another of its kind in the Adirondacks north of Schroon Lake, Frontiertown. It must have been about 1956 when we went to Cowboy Village. We lived in Hamden and Dad thought it was fairly close by in Killingworth. I have fond memories of the Gay Dolphin Gift Cove, and asked her to check it out when shes in the area. good memories. I also remember the Revere Beach Amusements alomng Revere Beach in the 50s and 60s. Where is the Paragon Park roller coaster now, given this? There was also Acushnet Park in the very south end of New Bedfordnot as big but great Park. Thank you William C. Could you be my brother Billy? Dubois County Coroner Katie Schuck said Dawn R.. It is now adjacent to the old train station and clock tower. https://vimeo.com/382437881, Paragon PkSo MUCH fun My Family would go into Boston and take the boat I cant remember what pier but it took about 1/2hr 2 get 2 Nantasket BeachIt was a LIFE time ago the Memorys last FOREVER. After the first fire, it was partially redesigned by Herbert Paul Schmeck who worked on its original construction. We went there many times. We used to park before we got to the park, because there were so many pretty girls we couldnt keep our eyes on the road. Photo, Print, Drawing Roller coaster, [Paragon Park], Nantasket Beach, Mass. Ive been on the one at Canobie and maybe one other but that was enough for me! They had a great time. It features a 450 spiral helix and a series of bunny hills that produce a significant amount of air time. Savin Rock Amusement Park in West Haven, CT, How about the old boardwalk at Revere Beach, Pleasure Island in Wakefield,Ma The Kiddie Ranch Rte 1 Saugus, Ma. A nice man left money to the town I lived in and every year the town would set up the trip to Whalom Park! A trip to Rocky Point was the highlight of our summers in the 1950s. I thought it was pretty cool that the Paragon Giant Coaster was on the list of the Smithsonians Top Ten Coasters list. I miss Pleasure Island in Wakefield MA! I felt so sorry for that creature. The most visible prize at the June auction didnt attract the highest bid, but garnered the most attention. Wow spent every summer thare as a kid into my teenage yrs. I remember that well, and the Diary Ice Cream place up the road on the other side. What we know about the amusement park accident that killed an 11-year-old Iowa boy. A 14-year-old girl has died after a roller coaster car came off the track at an amusement park in Denmark. Crews worked around the clock to rebuild the Giant so that it could open that season. Storyland was good as well. The centerpiece of the complex a metal track on which riders raced their horses against each other, based on the old English horse race through the countryside, usually with a distant church steeple as the finish line was only part of the show. I lived in Leominister and took the bus to whalom Park on Saturdays. This was a Great deal $ ! But in the 80s some of my best fun was checking out the abandoned rides of Crescent Park when my grandmother lived in the high rise they built on the land. I got to ride on the roller coaster again after it moved to Maryland, long before Six Flags took over Water World; they restored a piece that had been taken out at Paragon after a fire. Like Lincoln Park, the land on which Paragon Park was situated is now the site of condominiums. Cause of death was categorized as a result of either external trauma or a medical condition based on available information. I remember the blue slide my grandfather had the restaurant under the clock I worked there for many years with my whole family,Gee what a great time to live. One day in June 1911 while the roller coaster company's owner was standing up in a roller coaster car delivering a speech to other passengers about safety, he ironically fell to his death. From 1971-78, I spent my entire summers at Paragon Park. The Stone family, by now in sole control of Paragons operations but still sharing ownership of the land with Golden, suffered losses in 1946 and 1949. There are so many memories made at these parks no one will ever forget. one year it was HOT and we were gorging on clam cakes at the end of the day but decided one more ride cant hurt.. the one that starts leve and ends up having the rider flying upside down. My question exactly! War rationing and blackout drills during the 1940s put more strain on the parks operations. The ride's top speed is 50 mph, according to the park's Web site. It is called the Wild One now. The Giant Roller Coaster of Paragon Park was one of the first sights youd notice as you drove into Hull on George Washington Boulevard. "It has stood the test of time." When it closed a man I knew bought the huge statue of the steer they had and someone else got the elephant. Also Lincoln Park in North Dartmouth, MA, where I remember riding the roller coaster 13 times in a row with a friend! I grew up in Springfield and would rather go there than its competitor, Riverside Park in Agawamnow Six Flags. This article is a stub. But the ride was plagued with many problems that remained with it until it was . Lincoln Park was the highlight of my summer in the early 70s. That is the first one for me about 1952. Within a few weeks, Kahn announced that the developers would ride to the rescue and keep the ride operating, either on-site or at a separate location within the towns borders. Sad we have to grow up. It was small, but close to home, so we got there often! spent hours running around the park and laughing! you do know the Giant Coaster exists, right? As one of the most historic and popular highways in North America (and dare we say the world), Route 66 has gone through a series of changes since its inception in 1926, going from . Roller skating, rides, swimming even a boat that gave rides around the lake. I was a lonely kid wandering the park every night, until I Us and some of our neighbors would take advantage of $5 after 5 nights to take the kids to Whalom Park a few times a summer. Next, Here on the SouthCoast, many have fond memories of riding the Comet roller coaster at Lincoln Park in Dartmouth. In Africa, what three biomes are the most common? Other favorites: the roller coaster that sat right on the edge of the water. I never liked to see animals who were unable to have some freedom from confinement. Michael Jaramillo, 11, died Sunday after he and three others were injured on the Raging River water ride at . And as young teens roller skating. Tilyous inventions were so commonplace that fun houses of differing sizes became known as a steeplechase.. Had my first date with my future husband at Riverside. During peak season, street parking (for free) fills up by 7 a.m. A couple of $20 grassy lots are available away from the beach but close, such as across the street. They tore down the Pavilion the site of many a first kiss and more in the 50s and 60s in Myrtle Beach a few years ago. Title . Golden. It will be interesting to see if in time enough energy is generated that can bring this park back. Activist Judeth Van Hamm Wiers, who had initially raised the issue in February and started the fundraising drive in earnest in November, pulled together three local businessmen who pooled their resources to submit the winning bid of $598,800 only $1,200 short of their credit limit in dramatic fashion at the auction. External links Paragon Park on the Roller Coaster DataBase. Did you hold on tight or tempt fate and ride with your hands stretched toward the sky? It operated there from 1917 to 1984. Does anyone remember the amusement park in Medway, MA that was destroyed in a fire back in the 70s? Too bad theyre all just sweet memories now. Boston Public Library/Tichnor Brothers Postcard Collection, Visitors walking the grounds of Rocky Point State Park today may not realize that they are treading on entertainment history, but the reminders are there if you know where to look. i miss those days i was took by the state for i was a foster child and never got to say goodbye to my friends schoolmates in hull high or even katie averill my girlfriend at the time, a sad moment for me but as a kid a great way to spend a childhood, delivering the newspapers and even raised the flag at the monument by cumberland farms every morn for the veterans , i was a boy scout in troop 21. oh so many fond memories . We couldnt go often, back then it was a long drive in the older cars. Contents. 1 g per cup Kelloggs Corn, Why do blackberries have such a bitter flavor? That park put $1 million into renovating the coaster, and it has been refitted and redesigned multiple times over the decades. i lived in hull for 7 yrs between 1971 and 1978 best years of my life were spent there at paragon park and was sorry when the big developers came in and tore it down what a shame. This is an unused Paragon Park t-shirt from the long defunct amusement park that was located in Nantasket Beach, Hull Ma. Im a big baby when it comes to riding roller coasters but I do love the look of an old fashioned white wood one curling around a park. For the younger crowd, there was the Normandy Room. Beach was great! It had a great wooden roller coaster as well as a Ferris Wheel and other attractions. A friend, 20-year-old William Haithcoat, and a 20-year-old park employee named Darrel Robertson, attempted to rescue him. Kicking off the Park's expansion of Pioneer Frontier, it was the first attraction at Hersheypark to be completely themed.Trailblazer is the second-oldest running coaster in the Park and a family favorite.It features a helix that circles a total of 4 times and reaches speeds of up . Rebecca thanks for visiting Retro Roadmap, and best of luck with your novel. My Mom and Dad went dancing there when they were dating! Maybe 5 years old. We used to go every year! Now that Im a vegan and animal rights activist, Id hate it. My brother and I had great times there. He says he and his son boarded . My sister and I roadtripped there in the early 90s we tried to make it from Massachusetts to Miami but found that the country is much bigger once you get out of the northeast, so we stopped in SC. It was small. This land, combined with the Rockland House hotel atop the hill in the rear, would become the basis for Paragon Park. They also hosted many concerts and special shows! In its 96 years, 1985 was the only season of operation the roller coaster has missed. But they would find that recovering from a flood was entirely different. Many years back the classic shore dinners in a pavilion over the water made it famous. As I have spent all my 51 summers at Pemberton point at my grandparents cottage, I will never forget spending my summers enjoying the park especially my favorite the roller coaster. I have fond memories of an amusement park called Mountain Park that Isnt mentioned. The rest of the site is dedicated to condominium development. Thanks for reminding me of some really great times. Married and lived there myself. Good memories! Ah, yes, Norumbega Park..grew up in Auburndale, so visiting the Park was a frequent occasion. Newton High Schools Senior Prom was held there until, I think, the very early 60s..a special ending to your school years. Which now-closed New England amusement parks do you miss the most? Paragon Park is where I spent almost every summer night. If my memory serves me, there was a airplane ride that soared over the lake ! There were daily parades and a scenic railroad, too. Romantic Totem Pole with sofas next to table lamps, and one time, the Spike Jones Band. In late 1985, they canceled the development all together, and announced that they would sell the beloved carousel at auction 28 days later. Turns out my very pregnant mother had started to have labor pains. day. 10 Kings IslandMason, Ohio. They open for the 2022 season on May 28. https://www.canobie.com/. I know the Congo Cruise was called the Red Mill at one point but I think that was in my mothers generation, I always remember it as the Congo Cruise. WHAT IS IT? There was a tunnel of love dubbed the Rivers of Venice, an on-site radio station, and of course all manner of roller coasters and other thrill rides. Vendors along the boardwalk sold fried clams, salt water taffy made in a pulling machine visible to patrons, hot dogs and other food. Download Go. At 98 feet high with an 88-foot drop, the park's giant wooden roller coaster used to be the world's tallest before the park closed in 1984. I lived at Nantasket from 75 79. Even met my husband. He grew up on Lake Quinsigamond, so Im familiar with White City as well , as the wild animal farm, Nantasket, ( I eventually settled in nearby Cohasset, the carousel is still there. The Chicago event introduced the concept of the midway of attractions now common at amusement parks and carnivals (known then as the Midway Plaisance), and inspired the construction of hundreds of enclosed parks across the country, many of which took their names from the White City nickname of the whitewashed buildings that surrounded the Columbian Expositions central lagoon. The doll has to be from the fiftys because my aunt died, and she was 81 when she died in 1992. They married in 1935. Glad when it finally close and that gorilla was sent to a sanctuary down south and CNN showed the gorilla touching grass for the first time in over 25 years. While sad, the news contained one ray of hope a final season for nostalgia-filled fans to say goodbye. Neither one mentioned. Our school also had our senior prom there. Part of its track bed would later be incorporated into the footprint of the amusement park. The historic "Fascination" game room closed in 2019 due to storm damage. The carousel was always a favorite ride no matter how young or old I was. also Nantasket Beach. United States--Massachusetts--Nantasket Beach. In the ensuing real estate crash, the developers would lose control of the property and never realize the plans for a second building at the rear of the site. Cyndinow living in South Jersey but always a New Englander. My parents brought me and I brought my kids. We took our children there when there were young. This is one of the smaller "camel humps" of the Giant Coaster being disassembled so that it could be reborn as The Wild One in Maryland. But if you are feeling nostalgic, all is not lost: Scenes from Whalom Park were preserved for posterity in the 1982 music video for Touch and Go by the Cars. Makes me a bit homesick for Mass, summer, the beach and childhood. Ive cross posted your request for a photo of this ride on the Paragon Park Memories page on Facebook hope it helps! Is Nantasket Beach also open? This post was first published in 2020 and has been updated. This was perfect! A 14-year-old boy died after he fell Thursday night from a drop tower amusement ride that recently opened at the Orlando area's ICON Park entertainment complex, authorities said. Dogs are banned from the state-owned Nantasket Beach Reservation from May 1 to September, and a local law change would have no effect on the states rules. East Bridgewater High School. I think fondly of Whalom Park also. The sale was set to close in March, only a few weeks away. I thought the title of the article said New England Amusement Parks. It was a Big Deal! Kids ride tickets were only 15 cents . Such wonderful memories of a different time!???? I also went to Lincoln Park & Kings Castle. Unfortunately it was replaced by a Six Flags.
