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. The same unwritten rule applied to the Jungle Safari ride (tunnel of love). Copyright 2021 Retro Roadmap. We held Strong Family reunions there, one year my cousin Ted Strong parachuted into the Park! Roller skating was a big thing for me. Contents. Great memories growing up there with the park, the bowling alley and the roller skating rink! We used to go every year! The atmosphere was always great! We went there many times. Larry and Phyllis Stone found little common ground in their day-to-day management. This magazine should also research Savin Rock which was in West Haven, CT good history. Schuck said the normal force of the ride caused the tear in . Damage estimates topped $300,000. The place I remember having the coldest water and almost cramping my toes is Old Orchard Beach in Maine. There were dances, performances, and exhibitions at the Alhambra Ballroom; the dinner hall on a bluff overlooking the bay was famed for its Rhode Island shore dinners (steamed clams, clam chowder, lobster, clam cakes, fish, corn on the cob, and watermelon). I have fond memories of the Gay Dolphin Gift Cove, and asked her to check it out when shes in the area. There were daily parades and a scenic railroad, too. I do remember Whalom Park and Bensons Wild Animal farm as well, we took our own children there a few times as well! Kelley McLaughlin, 13, and Ann Nigro, 14, of Hull, rode past the Giant Coaster at Paragon Park in Hull on their way home from school on March 24, 1984. It was closed in the 80s and there are condos located on the site. Its most famous piece is functioning a huge light up cross at the top of a summit overlooking I-84, clearly seen from the highway at all hours. Wonderland itself was inspired by the massive Worlds Fair exhibits that had been an international sensation since the mid-19th century. This is an unused Paragon Park t-shirt from the long defunct amusement park that was located in Nantasket Beach, Hull Ma. I can remember Whalom as it were yesterday, spent lots of hrs at the park, stayed with my aunt a lot, lived on Chase ave, down by the play house cabins for the stars. I remember being very unhappy when Paragon was closed because the beachfront was more valuable for condos and snickering at the condo developer going broke when the 1980s bubble burst. digital file from original About this Item. Was it destined to become a cornerstone of the casino economy, or was its presence an obstacle to further development? In the aftermath of the fire, a new dance hall and roller coaster were constructed in the front of the park. This incident. Thanks for addding your history to the thread of Paragon Park. Who makes these lists? The park's Ferris wheel was moved to the New Bedford waterfront and the Comet roller coaster was torn down on July 11, 2012. Is Nantasket Beach also open? It was the best rink around as they took good care of the hardwood floor, Curious would you have been from Leominster and chewed peppermint gum at the time, The 60s was my era for skating at Whalom. Larry and Phyllis Stone decided to divorce, and Klayman, caught in the middle of a dispute between the owners, found himself looking for a new job after 30 years. The Friends operate the carousel next door to the former railroad station, and in 2013 opened a small museum of Paragon memorabilia. Remember the himalaya ? Nearly a quarter of a century later, the Wonderland Greyhound Park opened on the same property. 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. He operated the coaster until it's demise in 1916 when it was destroyed by a fire. There, they would ride The Giant Coaster, a roller coaster that was legendary for being one of the roughest and most intense wooden roller coaster rides of all time. I was in 5th grade so spent much of the summer watching the fishing boats come and leave from Pemberton Pier. The Giant Coaster sat silent, and the undulating tracks looked like the skeleton of a dinosaur carcass, being slowly dismantled and eaten away at by the vultures that couldn't wait to turn the site into a condominium complex. Ple The Giant Coaster, which was built in 1917 and was removed from the park in 1985, is now known as The Wild One at Six Flags America. We couldnt go often, back then it was a long drive in the older cars. It remained so until 1925, when it was topped by two feet by the Revere Beach Cyclone just down the road. Good memories! One of the most intriguing to me is Holy Land, USA in Waterbury, CT. Its one of those in-between places that some might say doesnt belong on the list because its being, well, you might say resurrected. Master carousel artisan Charles I.D. That is the first one for me about 1952. 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. Today, all that remains of the park is the carousel that was built in 1928, which now is housed in a pavilion a bit down the road from where it once stood, yet still allows for children to ride its hand-carved horses almost a century after they were first created. My dad worked there. Ive nothing but great memories of how it used to be around here (sounds of the park were like music to my ears. Back before we moved to Connecticut in the. Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted. The actors included many stars on their way up including Hal (and his then wife, Ruby). 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. 1950s. The ride's top speed is 50 mph, according to the park's Web site. It closed in 1984. 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. Looff built the parks first merry-go-round in 1892 and another in 1895. A scaled down replica of a tour around the Holy Land, the premise certainly has promise. It is 1984! Aw, I remember going to Bensons Wild Animal Farm! The amount of time the blackberry has been allowed to ripen has an impact on how bitter, Because of its shape, farfalle means butterflies and is commonly referred to as bow tie pasta. Like Lincoln Park, the land on which Paragon Park was situated is now the site of condominiums. Two things come to mind.I will bet all of us have family photo and slide albums, perhaps converted now to disc,of our good old days attending these venuestime waits for no one,but we have our memories..and second; it has always baffled me why Cape Cod,of all places,never seems to have boasted a world class amusement parkit would seem like a natural,but . The first, termed a roaring inferno by the Hull fire chief, ripped through the Arcade Bazaar and Funland, a toy store and group of attractions just up Nantasket Avenue from Paragon. Now 67 Grew up close to Canobie Lake Park and Bensons Wild Animal Park and spent so much time at both. Most definitely Riverside in Agawam. The deejays used a trailer, called the Sundeck Studio, which was outfitted with broadcasting equipment. We would start pressuring Mom and Dad to take us to Rocky Point as soon as the last of the snow melted. Willard's Whizzer, Marriott's Great America Amusement Park, 1980. Also, not far from the park was the original (and still is) Frank Pepes pizzeria. the wonderful carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug! During the 1930s, part of the Giant Coaster was rebuilt and a brightly colored Art Deco main entrance was erected in 1937. I still think of it and its thrills in y late 70s. Around the same time, the town and the state began buying the property in stages. Till I was twelve, lived in Naugatuck CT and lived to ride I never saw that girl again. I did not know that, thanks Larry! Preservationists swung into action, mounting a publicity and fundraising campaign that drew awareness but far less than the nearly $1 million valuation that had been suggested for the 57-year-old carousel. My grandparents took me. The carousel was always a favorite ride no matter how young or old I was. 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. ive been in that too by the vfw building on the hill, was so glad to see this site !!!!!!!!!!! "They preserved the spirit of the ride," amusement park aficionado B. Derek Shaw told USA Today. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972?sk=info. We were upset we had been looking forward to that ride. Thank you so much for posting these pictures, I have been looking for photos of the last year of Paragon for years now and I am so happy to finally have found them!!! Without even knowing it, wed had our last ride at Paragon Park. Salisbury Beach was a once a year treat. After the first fire, it was partially redesigned by Herbert Paul Schmeck who worked on its original construction. They closed long time ago. The amusement park closed in 1994 and sat abandoned for years before its remains were finally demolished out of concern for public safety. Thoroughly rebuilt after the hurricanes of 1938 and 1954, what was by then called Rocky Point Amusement Park reached its zenith in the late 1950s and 1960s. They married in 1935. 1 g per cup Kelloggs Corn, Why do blackberries have such a bitter flavor? http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972. 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. A 20-year-old man also fell when he attempted to stand up on the coaster in 1934, and a maintenance worker was killed in 1946 after he was struck while working on scaffolding on the coaster. So glad you shared yours here too . I still remember feeling sad for this elephant who had a steel cuff on its leg and was chained to the floor. Title . Remember Revere Beach and Canobie Lake when I was a kid growing up in Somerville, Ma. Format: Dry plate negatives. Keep us posted on your book and have a great weekend! My parents had season tickets on Tuesday nights for years. My Aunt bought a house near back entrance. One year I went to Rocky Point Amusement part, this would have to be about 1984-1985 and my Dad at the time worked for Sealtest Ice Cream and they would have a big summer thing down there and we would spend the day first doing carnival activities hosted by the company, then spend the rest of the day at the park. News of the developers interest appeared in December 1984 in a place that was unlikely to attract attention a column in the pages of The New England Real Estate Journal, a trade publication generally seen only by those in the real estate industry. In Africa, what three biomes are the most common? 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. Statistics are an important factor to take into consideration when you begin riding an ample amount of roller coasters. I was a lonely kid wandering the park every night, until I Tilyous inventions were so commonplace that fun houses of differing sizes became known as a steeplechase.. No one riding on the roller coaster was injured, Sheth said. [2]. I can almost picture it. Theres a Facebook page called Paragon Park Memories- maybe if you post it there someone else may remember it as well good luck! Ah, yes, Norumbega Park..grew up in Auburndale, so visiting the Park was a frequent occasion. Date Posted: 8/23/2009 2:00:02 PM. Time finally caught up with Whalom Park, however, and not long after it closed permanently, the parks remaining structures were razed to make way for a condominium complex. The coaster was rebuilt and reopened in 1986. Chester Kahn, a condominium developer whose summer residence was one block away from the Stones Hull home, floated the idea of turning Paragon into a high-rise condominium complex. Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Massachusetts. I remember going to an amusement park, I thought we walked there from the rental. I felt so sorry for that creature. Lets not forget Savin Rock in West Haven CT! that I will always remember. On Saturday, a 57-year-old woman died following an accident on a roller coaster called "The Hot Ride." The woman, identified as a German national, slipped from her seat while the coaster was. "You can hear cars squeaking and the people screaming," Haraden said in an interview with The Patriot Ledger. It was known as Disneyland of the East. Still learning how to compose a photograph, I think back and realize that my penchant for photos without people in them was in force then, and I went as far as to scribble out the lady who was in the foreground of this photo of the Snack-a-rama. Till I was a teenager lived in Naugatuck CT and lived to ride the wonderful carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug! 2023 www.patriotledger.com. While sad, the news contained one ray of hope a final season for nostalgia-filled fans to say goodbye. I miss Pleasure Island in Wakefield MA! Also brought my kids to Mt. Smaller than Riverside (Six Flags) in Agawam, but a very nice park for kids. Although he and Eastern Park sold off the Rockland House as part of their 1907 separation, Dodge later bought the Pemberton Hotel and Pemberton Inn, adjacent hotels at the farthest end of the Hull peninsula. Among the most popular attractions of that era was a 500-pound silverback gorilla called Colossus, who was promoted as being among the largest in captivity and once ran for president as a publicity stunt. It was the place to go. What a great time to be a kid. We had some good times there. Developed by nickpc. All Rights Reserved. Not only did I grow up in Hull, I worked at Paragon Park from 15 to 19 (1965 to 1969). A great first job! This thing was the greatest. What about Pine Island Park, In Manchester, NH? Wonderful memories! You forgot my favorite, Paragon Park on Nantasket Beach in Hull Ma. Only a few years later, another fire would wreak havoc at Paragon. The wooden coaster was previously known as Giant Coaster when it was located at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts. 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. Jankovic was riding "The Voyage" roller coaster on June 4 when she became "unresponsive," the theme park said in a Facebook post. \r\rEnjoy! I remember Savin Rock with a fond passion. It had a scary ( to me at the time! ) So many memories of the roller coaster and other rides, as well as swimming at the beach across the street from the park where the water was very cold indeed! Retro Roadmap Photo Archives- Do These Places Look Familiar To You? 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. From late June to early September, lifeguards are on duty. I loved Rocky Point. Growing up in Everett,MA I know several of these parks. Paragon Park on Nantasket Beach in Hull, MA has to be the most beloved old amusement park in New England and one of the top 10 in the country. Such wonderful memories of a different time!???? Loved Whalom park took several girlfriends there. Long time ago. So sad to hear about the pavillion! After spending months being battered in the public realm, Kahn and Quinn abruptly changed course. (A fun bit of trivia: The first words ever spoken into a telephone by a U.S. president were uttered at Rocky Point, during an 1877 visit by Rutherford Hayes. I loved the Giant Coaster and the Congo Cruise. We would drive to Hull from our house in Boston. In 1917, another man fell and got creamed into paste after reaching out of the Derby Racer to retrieve his fallen hat. Yes. Thanks for the article which sent me many, many years back in time. 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. On a dark winter evening homeward-bound in the front passenger seat in our 53 Chevy after Christmas shopping at the Paragon Parks Arcade Bazaar a warehouse-like fluorescent-lit discount toy store in Nantasket Beach my mom told me the heartbreaking truth about Santa Claus. One of the best. It was a fun, reasonably priced park and like other parks in New England was probably not profitable enough to keep running. 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. Bemsons was my other favorite with animals and rides. The Lynn Shore and Nahant Beach Reservations will be charged the same new fees. It was 1971. I loved White City! Oh Rich, I know EXACTLY what you mean about smelling the beach before you even got there. On May 28, 1985, a 29-year-old man stood up while riding the Cyclone, and his head hit a crossbeam. There are so many memories made at these parks no one will ever forget. Such fond memories. Kids ride tickets were only 15 cents . Rumors occasionally surfaced of a potential buyer showing interest, but as each winters gossip gave way to springs warmer temperatures, Paragons gates swung open to welcome the crowds. 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. Early 50s. He proposed twin 18-story towers, each double the height of the world-famous roller coasters first hill. 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. My Dad was. I was just remembering visiting Bensons as a kid. The Nantasket Beach Steamboat Company struggled for several years before declaring bankruptcy; the Old Colony Railroad suspended train service in 1932, substituting buses to and from the Nantasket Junction depot in Hingham. It was where the class went after graduation of Grammar School in 56 too we also would go to the speedway. Paragon fans rejoiced that incredibly, two of the signature pieces of Paragon Park would survive its imminent death. Multiple news agencies reported four cases of fractures in the back or neck linked to the Do-Dodonpa coaster at Fuji-Q Highland Park. The reason for the hoopla appears to be "Paragon Park: The Musical," co-written by Zoe Bradford and Michael Hammond with music and lyrics by Adam Brooks. 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