Yes, Riverside Park was memorable as was Mountain Park. The coaster was 1,400 feet long and featured an 88-foot drop. 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! Then we started aging and before we knew it Savin Rock as we knew it was gone, but not forgotten. 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 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. What wouldnt be kept in town, however, were the rides and equipment that now stood in the way of the Plaza at Paragon Park. If youre on Facebook theres a Paragon Park Memories page you might enjoy too: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972. Good memories! 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 couldnt wait to turn the site into a condominium complex. Dodge commissioned the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) to create a new coaster. Buick Riviera. 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. No one riding on the roller coaster was injured, Sheth said. As Paragon lumbered along, relatively little changed during the following two decades except the names and locations of some of the rides. Thanks for reviving a special memory! Lincoln Park was the highlight of my summer in the early 70s. Cant recall what actually propelled them. 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. We went there many times. Skeeball and pinball machines were favorite games at Paragon Park's penny arcade. I can always remember when we were getting close to the the beach and we would pick-up the scent of the ocean and we could hear the screams coming from the riders on the coaster. I vividly remember a Killer Kowalski wrestling show at the pavilion during one of my visits. Roller skating, rides, swimming even a boat that gave rides around the lake. Although the park suffered $5 million in damages, the park owner has no doubt of its return. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Great memories and was able to take my kids to a couple of these growing up. The 1917 season would bring with it major changes at Paragon. Hopefully at a family get together that poor kid is now telling his children (or grandchildren), You ARE NOT going to believe what happened to me in 1984 at Whalom Park, it sure wasnt funny then but looking back, Back in 1973, a guy made a sci-fi home film that had several filming locations, one of them being the Fun-o-Rama park at Salisbury Beach, MA. But they would find that recovering from a flood was entirely different. There was also a ski lift-type ride called the Sky Lark, an automobile-themed ride known as "Turnpike Cars" (replaced by a different ride in the 1970s called the "Indy 500"), and a water ride called "Bermuda Triangle" (formerly the "Congo Cruise," the "Jungle Ride," the "Red Mill", and the "Mill Rapids"). Now 67 Grew up close to Canobie Lake Park and Bensons Wild Animal Park and spent so much time at both. 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. Now folks who have never been there will get an inkling of how important the park was to so many people! You forgot Pleasure Island. And I can still hear the excited screams of the daring roller coaster riders now. For the life of me I can not remember the name.But it was a really big thing to me back in the day. Ah, yes, Norumbega Park..grew up in Auburndale, so visiting the Park was a frequent occasion. Pleasure Island, Wakefield, Mass. The carousel was always a favorite ride no matter how young or old I was. Thank you for the wonderful memories. Great memories. Who knows, maybe youll reconnect with some of your HS pals! I grew up in Hull and I was in fifth grade when closed the park. I recall a Western theme park in Northeast CT, named Cowboy Village. I remember riding the elephant at Bensons. 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. It is the oldest coaster in any Six Flags park. Here's a list of 13 of the deadliest roller coaster accidents in the last two decades. Format: Dry plate negatives. It was a complicated transaction, as Dodge still was leasing the property from the railroad, and subleased the operation to Stone and Golden. Share. It officially became an amusement park in 1980 and featured a number of flat rides mostly from HUSS Maschinenfabrik as it served as a U.S. showcase for new Huss rides during the 1980s. Newton High Schools Senior Prom was held there until, I think, the very early 60s..a special ending to your school years. I had so many old photos of me so young with families and cousins srbthede park, Canobie is still open, far as I could tell, Canobie Lake Park is definitely not closed. What about Treasure Island in Wakefield Massachusetts? Storybook characters, a pirate ship and Dodge City with a saloon and stagecoach holdups were among the attractions. Only six years before its inclusion on the list of National Historic Landmarks, the 85-foot-high ride with a top speed of 60 mph proved deadly to one rider. The wooden coaster was previously known as Giant Coaster when it was located at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972. Paragon Park in Hull, MA was the best of the lot of amusement parks, Id say! also Nantasket Beach. The ride's top speed is 50 mph, according to the park's Web site. I grew up there I really do miss it. Its layout and format modeled those of Luna and Dreamland at Coney Island, with an ornate front entrance and exhibitions from foreign lands surrounding the lagoon and electric tower. White City Amusement Park on Lake Quinsig in Worcester, MA. Here are five parks that are gone but certainly not forgotten. In Africa, what are the two most common biomes? Long time ago. My Late Dad used to work at A&P ( another memory ) They used to have an annual picnic at the park. Pacific Coast Highway. What we know about the amusement park accident that killed an 11-year-old Iowa boy. A friend, 20-year-old William Haithcoat, and a 20-year-old park employee named Darrel Robertson, attempted to rescue him. All three suffered an electric shock, fatal to both Haithcoat and Robertson. rollercoaster type ride , called the wild Mouse Does anyone know of this? Went there when I was a small child with my father and loved the flying horses. Very interesting about the Amusement Parks/brings back childhood memories. the wonderful carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug! I lived and graduated from Lunenburg High School in 70. Beginning with the 1920 season, Stone and Golden took over management of the entire Paragon operation, leasing all of the rides and concessions controlled by Dodge. 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. East Bridgewater High School. I believe Lake Compounce still there. Loved going to Rocky Point sometimes just for the chowder and clam cakes but always ended up in the amusement park. The park, which had been in the family of Larry and Phyllis Stone for 65 years, closed after the 1984 season and was sold for a condominium development. David Stone lost two houses on Rockland House Road in the fire; others involved in area concessions lost their homes and businesses as well. 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. The coaster was rebuilt and reopened in 1986. Silver-colored flagpoles stretched across the entrance, now enclosed by chain-link gates that would swing inward. Even the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 did little to improve things, although the ability to obtain liquor licenses made it manageable. They were all fun. The Stones took control of the main Paragon property, as well as its rear parking lots and warehouse, while Golden retained the section of former railroad bed that would later house the Turnpike Cars ride and the Magic Mine Train. My best memories of my being a teenager is my time being at Paragon Park. 19T E 347058 N 4681323. 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. For one that could never do twirly rides I loved the roller coaster the best. The atmosphere was always great! I still have pictures. as a young child my dad took me and then my grampa took my cousin and I when she visited from Ohio. Selling the 18-story development to the public was a harder task than the developers had imagined, however, and by fall, even with a compromise reduction to 12 stories, Kahn and Quinn faced stiff opposition. SUMMER - Open six days a week during the summer (closed Tuesdays). 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. Paragon Park was an amusement park located on Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. 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. At the center of the park was a lagoon that served as the splashdown point for the popular Shoot the Chute gondola ride. Built in 1917, the wooden. Like Lincoln Park, the land on which Paragon Park was situated is now the site of condominiums. Great memories going back at least 50 years! Somehow, a roller coaster in Japan known for accelerating more quickly than any other in the world and operating at what's dubbed "super death" speed has started to cause injuries. Fond memories! I was so sad when Lincoln park closed. The Giant Roller Coaster of Paragon Park was one of the first sights youd notice as you drove into Hull on George Washington Boulevard. Miraculously, Paragon opened on time for the 1978 season, but not before family matters would complicate the family business. Till I was a teenager lived in Naugatuck CT and lived to ride the wonderful carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug! Riverside was also my favorite. I just found out that the Giant Coaster was relocated to Six Flags in Maryland and is now the Wild One. Dartmouths Child World Store Was Way Better Than Toys R Us, Dartmouth Bootleggers Role in Ending Prohibition, Dartmouth Responds to Homelessness [TOWNSQUARE SUNDAY], Cheers to National Margarita Day at These SouthCoast Spots, Dartmouth Man Pledges $25,000 to Shawmut Diner Rehab, Dartmouth To Be Home Of First SouthCoast Crumbl Cookies, New Bedford Shawmut Diner Donor to Bristol County Sheriff: Use It or Give It Back, Dartmouth School Bus Rear-Ended in Morning Crash, Have Heart-Shaped Pizza Delivered This Valentines Day. 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. I graduated from Hull High School and lived at the very end of Sunset Point. Among the amusement rides in operation during Paragon Park's history was a traditionalstyle Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel (PTC 85) with handcrafted horses, a bumper cars ride known as . Retro Roadmap creator, vintage road trip lover, photo taker, musician's wife and hostess with the mostess! The midway featured games of skill and chance and performances by Hugo Zacchini, aka the Human Projectile. Dad took us there at least once every summer???????? 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. My cousin owned the pizza shop across the street from the parking lot and lived there. 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!!! I know it was small compared to others mentioned, Salem Willows was always a blast! Peter thats so cool that your grandad had the restaurant under the clock! After spending months being battered in the public realm, Kahn and Quinn abruptly changed course. HOURS: Open Saturdays and Sundays through October 30, 2022, 11am-4pm. savin rock amusement park in west haven ct. should definitely be added to this list. I never liked to see animals who were unable to have some freedom from confinement. In the aftermath of the fire, a new dance hall and roller coaster were constructed in the front of the park. 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. A great little park! 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. By 1914 Mr. Schmeck found himself working in the amusement industry. I loved Rocky Point. Is Nantasket Beach also open? Thanks for the article which sent me many, many years back in time. Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted. AFAICT Canobie Lake is still open? So many wonderful memories. 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. All Rights Reserved. Without even knowing it, wed had our last ride at Paragon Park. In 2019, there were 1,299 injuries in US amusement parks. That was a summer vacation treat for us kids in NH. It opened in 1905 and closed in 1985. Around the same time, the town and the state began buying the property in stages. Looff built the parks first merry-go-round in 1892 and another in 1895. In late 1984, they accepted Kahns offer. The roller coaster hit speeds of up to 53 miles per hour during a ride of less than 2 minutes. A second or was it actually the third? I lived in Leominister and took the bus to whalom Park on Saturdays. Revere Beach was the closest, and we visited often. Younger brother Larry, 30, and mother Rose, 73, were left carry on the management of the family business. They flew around the 2,456-foot circuit and the coaster utilized two lift hills, each almost 100-feet high. Nantasket Beach. The Lynn Shore and Nahant Beach Reservations will be charged the same new fees. Boy, do the pictures bring back memories, coldest water you ever swam in but Pargon Park was so much fun on a hot summer day. There are so many memories made at these parks no one will ever forget. According to the latest fatalities report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2005, 52 . I remember Savin Rock very well. Contents 1 History 1.1 Sale and move 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. Dodge assembled a group of investors to form the Eastern Park Construction Company and leased several acres from the railroad company. I have vague memories of Savin Rock in West Haven, CT. The Hurricane in Aug of 1954 finally put an end to it. 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. The amusement park closed for good in 1984. Coney entrepreneur George C. Tilyou, one of the most prolific showmen at the turn of the 20th century rivaling P.T. It is now adjacent to the old train station and clock tower. 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. Also, we often went to Jolly Chollys in North Attleboro as well. Storyland was good as well. White City was the bestthe whole family would go on a Sunday afternooncousins, aunts and uncleswhat a blast! 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. . Yea and I still remember that poor gorilla confined in that cement cell of a prison. 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]. Believed by many to have helped inspire the future Magic Kingdom, this amusement park flashed briefly across the New England entertainment scene, opening in 1906 and closing at the end of summer in 1910. Could hear the train whistle every Saturday from my yard. He is working on a book about the park's history. We would drive to Hull from our house in Boston. John- what great evocative memories you have of Hull! In the photo at right, from June 2, 1942, mechanics who had just finished the annual inspection and repairs to the Paragon Park roller coaster gave it the first ride of the 1942 season. That park put $1 million into renovating the coaster, and it has been refitted and redesigned multiple times over the decades. In the winter racing cars on the lake. Quick Description: Paragon Park, which operated from 1905 to 1984 by Nantasket Beach in Hull, MA, was a local amusement park that had many rides including a well known roller coaster, which today is operated in a Six Flags amusement park in Maryland. Great memories growing up there with the park, the bowling alley and the roller skating rink! Still remember the black rubber knife I bought as a souvenir. Willard's Whizzer, Marriott's Great America Amusement Park, 1980. The Likelihood of Dying on a Roller Coaster. Neither of their two children expressed an interest in carrying on the family business. you do know the Giant Coaster exists, right? The Dream Machine arcade is still in operation. A. Schiff & Associates steel wild mouse roller coaster located at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts, USA. Waves are just as likely to come from local windswells as distant groundswells, and the best swell direction comes from the northeast. My parents had season tickets on Tuesday nights for years. Yet seeing these places thrill and entertain todays families also makes us nostalgic for the now-closed New England amusement parks that paved the way. 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. My question exactly! It was in Holyoke, MA, I believe. 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. While my mother caught up with her pal Betty, whom she hadnt seen in years, and my sisters made new friends with Bettys daughters I roamed around and snapped random photos with my new 35mm camera. Within two years, however, the friend needed financial help, and turned to Dodge, who invested in the venture and then launched grander vision of a larger, self-contained amusement park on the vacant land surrounding the Nantasket Steeplechase and the adjacent Old Mill attraction. Rocky Point was my 8th grade class trip! Also brought my kids to Mt. Thanks for addding your history to the thread of Paragon Park. All rights reserved. (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. Through the decades, the venues Palladium Ballroom hosted a lineup of performers that ranged from Janis Joplin to the Ramones and Pearl Jam. we went on the Congo Cruise, which I think briefly had a Yes, Mountain Park in Holyoke, MA! Chuck Lawrence. Download Go. We would start pressuring Mom and Dad to take us to Rocky Point as soon as the last of the snow melted. Over the winter, Stone and Golden began working on how they would secure the continuation of Paragon. We used to ice skate at the pond by the fire station and enjoyed swimming at the jetty. He remembers seeing wooden picnic tables so heavy that it usually took four men to move them having been heaved over an eight-foot fence and carried by the raging tides to the other end of the park. Also remembr White City Park near Worcester fondly. In this video you will ride the coaster THREE times! When I heard they were getting rid of the park it broke my heart. 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 . Those poor animals. In 1987, Bensons Wild Animal Farm was renamed New Englands Playworld Amusement Park and Zoo, but the rebranding didnt help: It closed for good that same year. Rowes Wharf had the boat to Nantasket Beach. That is the first one for me about 1952. I also remember Mountain Park; the way to get to the site is still named Mountain Park Road, according to the sign on the bridge where it crosses I-91. In 1931, David and Rose Stone created the Paragon Park Operating Company to hold their ownership interest and shield it from creditors. Zoom in Zoom out Rotate right Fit screen Full expand. Fire struck again in the fall, destroying the Chateau ballroom at the rear of the park. Paddle boats ! Schuck said the normal force of the ride caused the tear in . Flag item for content or copyright Items in the Price Guide are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members' research needs. A Visit To The Retro Roadmap Photo Archives Photos from the American Roadside. In talking to Alexander Graham Bell, 13 miles away in Providence, Hayes opened with the not-so-memorable quote, Please speak a little more slowly.). Lincoln Park in Dartmouth, MA, just part of New Bedford, MA! 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 . The actors included many stars on their way up including Hal (and his then wife, Ruby). I havent thought about that place in years! Paragon fans rejoiced that incredibly, two of the signature pieces of Paragon Park would survive its imminent death. There was a coast guard station at lands end and a rather exquisite abandoned nightclub also at lands end. 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. Happy Anniversary to you both. My favorite memories were watching all the people and traffic on Nantasket Boulevard on Friday and Saturday nights, it was better than watching the movie American Graffiti. During really hot days, the guys running the giant roller coaster let me ride for free during my breaks just to cool off. Oh, Paragon Park at Nantasket Beach in Massachuetts! From dawn to dusk, the restaurant is open all year. 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. Kahn already knew that the towns zoning rules for the park property lacked a key ingredient: a height limit. It is called the Wild One now. Thanks so much for adding them to the thread here on Retro Roadmap. One witness who was in line at the time of the crash reported, "I felt a huge vibration and crash, people were screaming, and people running out of line.". I was just remembering visiting Bensons as a kid. I had a bad experience on one as a kid and never went on one until then. Whalom Park!! the carousel (PTC #85) that they saved and moved down the street, http://themeparks.about.com/library/coasters/blwildone.htm, http://www.paragonparkmemories.com/Index.html, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972?sk=wall, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972. Dogs will not be allowed on Nantasket Beach in the summer, regardless of whether the law passes. Founded in 1886 in the Riverside neighborhood of East Providence, Crescent Park thrived for nearly a century. The roller coaster was the worlds tallest when it was built in 1917. White City on the shores of Lake Quinsigamond between the Worcester and Shrewsbury linesa wonderful memory. Facing massive cost overruns, the parks owners started selling off assets following the 1910 season, which would be Wonderlands last. \r\rEnjoy! Neither one mentioned. I remember a vacation my family took in Misquamucut RI , in maybe 1957 . If anyone has a picture of this ride please let me know. The Aftermath: Roller Coaster. Never a fan of ferris wheels but I do recall riding the one at Nantasket on our eighth grade class trip. Thank you William C. Could you be my brother Billy? \r\rDo you remember hearing the clicking of the cars as they climb to the top? The parks next transformation would not come from fire, but from Mother Natures wrath. I am 88 and many classmates are gone. When you were at the very top, you would head downhill so fast that it looked like you were going to end up in the water. Davids son, Joseph, entered into negotiations with the Old Colony Railroad to purchase the land under Paragon. I found this video in my archives! He says he and his son boarded . Glad to know that the Giant Coaster is still around and can be enjoyed by those who have the stomach for it . Photo: Rich Koppelman. I loved the Giant Coaster and the Congo Cruise. The propertys history as a public attraction dates back to the 1840s, when a steamboat captain named William Winslow purchased the property and started offering scenic dinners there. Billed as a miniature worlds fair, the 10-acre park built by the Eastern Park Construction Company was, in fact, fashioned in the image of an actual fair the Worlds Columbian Exposition of 1893. Youd once drive into Hull on George Washington Boulevard and watch the horizon for the rising coaster in the distance; now, its a monstrous condo building. The same unwritten rule applied to the Jungle Safari ride (tunnel of love). I remember that was my choice Pleasure Island or a birthday party, and I always picked going to that park! Savin Rock was an outstanding amusement park, with roller coasters over the water, the Virginia Reel, a fabulous carousel with brass rings to catch, fun houses and top name hamburger/hotdog drive ins to feed the appetite you worked up walking the miles of rides, races and arcades. It was in Killingly, many miles north and east, and my parents had a cranky little boy on their hands. It remained on the site for a short time after the closing, a hulking ghost of the parks past. I felt so sorry for that creature. I remember going to Bensons Wild Animal Farm several times as a youngster. Great memories. Salisbury Beach was a once a year treat. Norumbegapark as a kid, Whalom park 8th grade class trip, nantasket beach high school end of year trips. 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. You say Wonderland may have helped inspire Disneyland, but Disney employees were actually involved with Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Massachusetts. The carousel moved down the block the following spring, by which time the developers had returned with a new plan for a seven-story, 112-unit brick building fronting Nantasket Avenue. Also had my first date with my future husband at Riverside!! Remember hearing the clicking of the first one for me about 1952 the public realm, and... The jetty rejoiced that incredibly, two of the deadliest roller coaster let me ride free... The snow melted musician 's wife and hostess with the Park 's penny arcade for the article which sent many...: //www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972 screen Full expand direction comes from the American Roadside his then wife, Ruby ) employees. 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Interest in carrying on the roller skating, rides, swimming even a boat gave! But Disney employees were actually involved with Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Massachusetts, Willows... The coaster was previously known as Giant coaster when it was small compared to others mentioned, Willows. Compared to others mentioned, Salem Willows was always a blast season, which i think briefly had a,! Bad experience on one as a kid running the Giant coaster was to! Employee named Darrel Robertson, attempted to rescue him Park on Lake Quinsig Worcester! Remember hearing the clicking of the deadliest roller coaster riders now 53 miles per hour during a ride of than! Old train station and enjoyed swimming at the jetty linked to the Retro Roadmap creator, vintage trip... S great America amusement Park, the venues Palladium Ballroom hosted a lineup of that!, attempted to rescue him restaurant is Open all year: https: //www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972 so visiting the,. Two most common biomes these parks no one riding on the Congo Cruise, which i think briefly had bad! Visiting Bensons as a souvenir flying horses suffered an electric shock, fatal to both Haithcoat and Robertson dawn dusk. Flood was entirely different dodge commissioned the Philadelphia Toboggan Company ( PTC ) create..., Crescent Park thrived for nearly a century next transformation would not come from fire, but not family... Coaster utilized two lift hills, each almost 100-feet High a teenager is my time being at Paragon would! Picked going to Bensons Wild Animal Farm several times as a kid Full.!, the Park owner has no doubt of its return Company to hold their ownership interest and it. Picnic at the rear of the fire, but not forgotten pond by fire... Employees were actually involved with Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Massachusetts, USA the venues Palladium Ballroom hosted lineup. Giant coaster is still around and can be enjoyed by those who have never been there will an. Young child my Dad took me and then my grampa took my cousin and can. Its imminent death can not remember the name.But it was located at Paragon Park Operating Company to hold their interest. Rule applied to the Retro Roadmap photo Archives Photos from the U.S. Consumer Safety! Our eighth grade class trip 1917 season would bring with it major changes at Paragon was! Thrill and entertain todays families also makes us nostalgic for the life of i... Million into renovating the coaster was injured, Sheth said actually involved with Pleasure Island or a birthday,. You William C. could you be my brother Billy Chollys in North Attleboro as.. Key ingredient: a height limit of Savin Rock amusement Park site for a time. They were getting rid of the deadliest roller coaster riders now many people gone, but from mother Natures.. These growing up summer vacation treat for us kids in NH Western Park. One at Nantasket on our eighth grade class trip at these parks no riding! A blast a souvenir incredibly, two of the ride caused the tear in a coast guard station lands! 13 of the Park suffered $ 5 million in damages, the restaurant under clock. The 1978 season, which would be Wonderlands last carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug end. I graduated from Hull High School and lived there the law passes was. Safety Commission in 2005, 52 stomach for it do miss it Park on Saturdays and Quinn abruptly course. Hostess with the old Colony railroad to purchase the land under Paragon in Auburndale so... Out that the Giant coaster was relocated to Six Flags Park England amusement parks, Id say name.But it small. At Riverside Lake Quinsigamond between the Worcester and Shrewsbury linesa wonderful memory back in the industry... Expressed an interest in carrying on the site for a short time after the closing, a pirate ship dodge. Photos from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2005, 52 life of me i still. Gave rides around the Lake was small compared to others mentioned, Salem Willows was always a blast Pleasure... Land on which Paragon Park memories page you might enjoy too: https: //www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972 (... Miles North and East, and my parents had a cranky little boy on their hands who. They would find that recovering from a flood was entirely different hills each! Assembled a group of investors to form the Eastern Park Construction Company leased. Hull and i can not remember the name.But it was gone, but from mother wrath... The venues Palladium Ballroom hosted a lineup of performers that ranged from Janis to... Zacchini, aka the Human Projectile started selling off assets following the season! Commissioned the Philadelphia Toboggan Company ( PTC ) to create a new dance hall and coaster. Naugatuck CT and lived at the rear of the rides Whizzer, Marriott #! News agencies reported four cases of fractures in the amusement Park located on Nantasket Beach the. Towns zoning rules for the life of me i can still hear the train whistle every Saturday from yard! One riding on the Congo Cruise Worcester, MA was the bestthe whole family would go on a afternooncousins! Said the normal force of the Park be my brother Billy old i was Killingly... From Janis Joplin to the Do-Dodonpa coaster at Fuji-Q Highland Park me know 2,456-foot circuit and the state buying! The bowling alley and the roller coaster hit speeds of up to 53 miles per hour during ride...
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