Me toonear 77, remember Bensons fondly==I was born and raised in Webster Mass.-I still have a scarf, pik with horse on it that says Bensons Wild animal park on it. This magazine should also research Savin Rock which was in West Haven, CT good history. Who knows, maybe youll reconnect with some of your HS pals! Dad took us there at least once every summer???????? A wood coaster was just what the park needed for its 10th anniversary, and Predator delivered. In the winter racing cars on the lake. Grew up going to Lincoln Park many times,roller rink, bowling alley , battle of the bands on weekends as a teenager and the rides,Kiddieland and famous for wooden rollercoaster then went to McCrays for fried clams on RT 6 . we went on the Congo Cruise, which I think briefly had a See it here at. Miss Rocky Point, grandparents had a cottage right next to the park, spent many summer weekends visiting the cottages and walking to the park, loved the pool, playing speedball, the pizza slices and the bumper are. Hi Joanne, I skated most every week end at the roller rink, Lil and her husband were great. they actually replaced a section that burned in the 1960s so the coaster is the way it was originally designed. Retro Roadmap Photo Archives- Do These Places Look Familiar To You? Does anyone remember the amusement park in Medway, MA that was destroyed in a fire back in the 70s? Yet some may have taken a day trip away from the New Bedford and Fall River areas to visit another of New Englands great amusement parks of old the seaside gem Paragon Park on Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. That is the first one for me about 1952. It was 1971. Kahn already knew that the towns zoning rules for the park property lacked a key ingredient: a height limit. Oh just one more comment,thanks to Larry Stone who put me to work every summer running the flying scooter, flying cages, or the rocket swing,then the lindyloop, The same unwritten rule applied to the Jungle Safari ride (tunnel of love). I never liked to see animals who were unable to have some freedom from confinement. Newton High Schools Senior Prom was held there until, I think, the very early 60s..a special ending to your school years. Pleasure Island & Bensons were family favorites. He also would own the row of storefronts along Nantasket Avenue from the front entrance northward to Fascination, although to most observers, the separation was not noticeable. We had so much fun back in those days 1958 ,so many places to go and things to do back then, there were high school dancing, boys club dancing, ice skating, sad that the kids today missed out on all of those things, I will never forget them or the other good times I had growing up. It closed in 1984. Remember the himalaya ? Aw, I remember going to Bensons Wild Animal Farm! 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! I remember going to Paragon Park during those same years. I grew up there I really do miss it. Went there when I was a small child with my father and loved the flying horses. Loved the Merry Go Round. 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. Now, it's. Paragon Park opened to the public on Saturday, June 10, 1905, transforming Nantasket Beach for the better part of the 20th century. peter; 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. Rick glad you have fond (or freezing?!) The Aftermath: Roller Coaster. Please see my listings for other defunct New England Amusement Park shirts. If youre on Facebook you might enjoy this page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972?sk=wall, Or its sister website: http://www.paragonparkmemories.com/. My family had the summer home on the hill directly behind Hurleys Bathhouse (for those who remember). Shortly after railroad executives signed the paperwork the following March, fire broke out in a paint shop at the park. I have always been a fraidy cat about going on roller coasters, and I remember my mother telling me that when she was a kid she made my grandfather take her on the giant coaster, and it was the first and last coaster ride shes been on! . It was in Holyoke, MA, I believe. I remember those rides at White City and that airplane ride over the lake scared the bejesus out of me ! When it closed a man I knew bought the huge statue of the steer they had and someone else got the elephant. At the time, it was considered the deadliest. Following the show, wed watch the fireworks from the parking lot. Growing up in Everett,MA I know several of these parks. My parents met at the roller rink at Canobie when young. Real estate interests were inspired both by the removal of what some considered the honky tonk amusements and by the zoning loophole Kahns plans had exposed. I am 88 and many classmates are gone. It is a warm summer day and Paragon Park is busy with visitors. Contents 1 History 1.1 Sale and move The park opened to rave reviews. No one riding on the roller coaster was injured, Sheth said. I was just remembering visiting Bensons as a kid. 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. 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. We had some good times there. Michael Jaramillo, 11, died Sunday after he and three others were injured on the Raging River water ride at . On June 9, 1991, death stalked the grounds of Kings Island amusement park. 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. Worked there for a while after graduation. 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. 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 coaster, [Paragon Park], Nantasket Beach, Mass. Then we started aging and before we knew it Savin Rock as we knew it was gone, but not forgotten. . There were daily parades and a scenic railroad, too. Is there a wave on Nantasket Beach? Dodge assembled a group of investors to form the Eastern Park Construction Company and leased several acres from the railroad company. I do recall later that year being able to pick up a trinket or two at Building #19, a local salvage and odd lot shop, but even now the sight of this sign makes me kick myself. Storyland was good as well. It was closed in the 80s and there are condos located on the site. An Ohio woman who passed out while riding a roller coaster at a southern Indiana theme park later died at a local hospital, a coroner said. A teenager was decapitated by a roller coaster after he hopped a pair of fences and entered a restricted area Saturday at Six Flags Over Georgia, authorities said. 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. I grew up in The Berkshires and looked forward every summer to making a trip to Mountain Park and stopping at the nearby dinosaur tracks along with way. It was a complicated transaction, as Dodge still was leasing the property from the railroad, and subleased the operation to Stone and Golden. Ill always remember my trips to Whalom Park with my family and especially the rides on the Whip and Tilt-O-Whirl with my grandfather. Paragon Park - Roller Coaster on Nantasket Beach - 1984! Those poor animals. By 1914 Mr. Schmeck found himself working in the amusement industry. "They preserved the spirit of the ride," amusement park aficionado B. Derek Shaw told USA Today. 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. The developers said theyd received at least 100 deposits from potential condo buyers; evidence, they said, that the market existed for high-rise units overlooking the ocean and the bay. I went for a visit recently and got inspired for a novel Im working on, but I was looking for some photographic inspiration. The 1917 season would bring with it major changes at Paragon. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972?sk=info. A case was defined as the death of a person which was associated with a roller coaster in the United States between 15 May 1994 and 14 May 2004. Dawn R. Jankovic, from Brunswick, Ohio, fell unconscious while riding The Voyage roller coaster at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana . Each week, it seemed, brought a new development proposal. I loved Norumbega Park and all the rides. A perfect ending to another day in paradise at the shore! At its opening, Trailblazer was the first major coaster to be added to Hersheypark in 18 years. Lincoln Park had an awesome roller coaster. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. When young my parents would take me tomthe Wonderland Park in Revere MA. Wildcat, Bell's Amusement Park, 1997. After all, when did Paragon Park first open? For out-of-state visitors, parking at Nantasket Beach will increase from $10 to $15 per day, and $20 per day. And in the mid-1960s, local radio station WBZ would sometimes have live broadcasts from Paragon Park. A trip to Rocky Point was the highlight of our summers in the 1950s. As each season ended, friends and family recall the Stones saying privately that it would be the last; they no longer had the energy to devote to such a draining enterprise. I would add Norumbega Park in auburndale Mass, and pleasure Island. Photo, Print, Drawing Roller coaster, [Paragon Park], Nantasket Beach, Mass. Many years back the classic shore dinners in a pavilion over the water made it famous. On March 28, 1923, flames ripped through Paragon, causing $500,000 in damage and destroying much of the southern end of the park and the cottages along the way toward Atlantic Hill. The developers interest prompted the Stones to agree on something they both were tired of running the business and the $5.5 million purchase price would give them enough money to comfortably retire. It was dismantled and completely rebuilt down in Maryland. Rocky Point was my 8th grade class trip! I recall a Western theme park in Northeast CT, named Cowboy Village. A friend, 20-year-old William Haithcoat, and a 20-year-old park employee named Darrel Robertson, attempted to rescue him. It was one of the first landmarks you would spot when driving into Hull on George Washington Boulevard: The Giant Roller Coaster of Paragon Park. Became engaged watching the submarine races there in 1961. Great memories ???? Ive been on the one at Canobie and maybe one other but that was enough for me! In Africa, what three biomes are the most common? I remember that was my choice Pleasure Island or a birthday party, and I always picked going to that park! On September 20, 1922, George A. 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. He is working on a book about the park's history. The Super Screamer was there until 1999. If my memory serves me, there was a airplane ride that soared over the lake ! Thanks so much for adding them to the thread here on Retro Roadmap. My Mom and Dad went dancing there when they were dating! But its now been 7 years since the efforts began to try to restore and reopen the park and nothing has been fully accomplished to date. Aw, Les that sounds like a lot of good times! I still think of it and its thrills in y late 70s. Great park. Although the park suffered $5 million in damages, the park owner has no doubt of its return. I also went to Lincoln Park & Kings Castle. No Paragon Park??? So many times I think of the times spent there and tell my children and grandchildren about this magical place!! 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. I took my children there all the time ides were reasonable for a family. Retro Roadmap creator, vintage road trip lover, photo taker, musician's wife and hostess with the mostess! Thanks for the great memories! Maybe 5 +. Oh my those clam cakes. I really did enjoy Paragon Park. Those were the days! good memories. Hilarity Hall, a funhouse akin to the Steeplechase, was built next door, and a dance hall that later became a roller rink, toy store, and video arcade. 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. Fond memories of Nantasket. That magic of entering the Nantasket Beach area is gone, but at least the magic of The Giant Coaster excuse me, The Wild One lives on. My grandparents took me. We used to ice skate at the pond by the fire station and enjoyed swimming at the jetty. As I remember it was not a very large park, or maybe I didnt get to see it all.But memories are still there. Maybe I might see them again in Heaven. Jack! Mountain Park in Holyoke MA has left wonderful memories of class trips and later bringing my children. After the first fire, it was partially redesigned by Herbert Paul Schmeck who worked on its original construction. Glad to know that the Giant Coaster is still around and can be enjoyed by those who have the stomach for it . Thank you so much for this page! My sister was born early on the morning of July 3rd.

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