It is 1984! How about the screech of the wheels or the screams of the riders? I took my children there every Wednesday . A small miniature golf course is located on one of the smaller sites that once housed a water slide and, previously, a few rides. The roller coaster, known as the Green Streak, replaced an earlier, figure-8 model that had been located at the rear of the complex next to the Palm Garden. The remains of the "Turnpike Cars" roadway ride are hidden in overgrowth beside the parking lot, although are very much visible via Google Maps. The first major fire at Paragon struck in 1911, leveling all of the buildings from the entrance south along Nantasket Avenue to what would become Park Avenue. 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. I cant believe they didnt have Lincoln Park listedthat place was the best! The ride's top speed is 50 mph, according to the park's Web site. When I heard they were getting rid of the park it broke my heart. Chris Haraden lecture - The History of Paragon Park, Official Site of the Paragon Park Carousel, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paragon_Park&oldid=1135406011, Buildings and structures in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, Defunct amusement parks in the United States, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 24 January 2023, at 13:40. There was also Acushnet Park in the very south end of New Bedfordnot as big but great Park. Kids ride tickets were only 15 cents . I loved White City! Magnificent as it was, Wonderland may have grown too quickly to support itself. Today, the only surviving remnant of Paragon Park on the boardwalk is the historic Paragon Park Carousel, which was moved from its original site. 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. 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. A trip to Rocky Point was the highlight of our summers in the 1950s. 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! Built into the side of Mount Tom it now sits in ruins, closed many years ago. How wonderful you met your husband at Lake Whalom. It was a complicated transaction, as Dodge still was leasing the property from the railroad, and subleased the operation to Stone and Golden. When young my parents would take me tomthe Wonderland Park in Revere MA. In this video you will ride the coaster THREE times! Debts incurred in the purchase of the park from the Dodge estate were extended; banks and creditors alike were leaning heavily on the owners of the park. Retro Roadmap Photo Archives- Do These Places Look Familiar To You? Became engaged watching the submarine races there in 1961. My brother and I had great times there. It remained so until 1925, when it was topped by two feet by the Revere Beach Cyclone just down the road. After spending months being battered in the public realm, Kahn and Quinn abruptly changed course. What wouldnt be kept in town, however, were the rides and equipment that now stood in the way of the Plaza at Paragon Park. The doll has to be from the fiftys because my aunt died, and she was 81 when she died in 1992. All I was left with besides a footprint on my backside for not taking more, better photos, when I did have the time, were my memories of having an all day pass discounted by collecting match book covers stapled to my shirt hem and spending the day riding the kiddie cars, the Congo Cruise, the merry go round and more, playing skee ball in the arcade and eating ice cream on a hot summer day. 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! Glad to know that the Giant Coaster is still around and can be enjoyed by those who have the stomach for it . Title . We moved to Gulf Breeze, FL and several years later they started . Lincoln Park was THE BEST! There were daily parades and a scenic railroad, too. 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. But another group of preservationists began to think about how memories of the park could be saved, and fixed its gaze upon the antique carousel. I am 88 and many classmates are gone. 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. The site is now home to condominiums. Roller skating, rides, swimming even a boat that gave rides around the lake. It was closed in the 80s and there are condos located on the site. Feeling nostalgic. I also remember Bensons fondly . Very scary, but such an adventure. I remember Savin Rock with a fond passion. We enjoyed quite a few evening visits in the 80s. Lincoln Park in Dartmouth, MA, just part of New Bedford, MA! The Great Blizzard of 1978 put the park under six feet of water as the Atlantic Ocean and Hull Bay converged on the Hull peninsula and left a wake of destruction. 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. It is now adjacent to the old train station and clock tower. Roller Coaster; Wood; Sit Down; Extreme; Make: Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters, Inc. Pictures; Videos; Maps; Tracks. 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 held Strong Family reunions there, one year my cousin Ted Strong parachuted into the Park! There are so many memories made at these parks no one will ever forget. I think he is still alive but at a Zoo in another state. A great park for a day trip with the family. They closed long time ago. (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. 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. Even the repeal of Prohibition in 1933 did little to improve things, although the ability to obtain liquor licenses made it manageable. Whalom Park had it all, Playhouse Theatre where many big names came to preform in summer stock. Till I was a teenager lived in Naugatuck CT and lived to ride the wonderful carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug! Even met my husband. Did you hold on tight or tempt fate and ride with your hands stretched toward the sky? The coaster was sold at auction for $26,000 to Wild World, an amusement park in Prince George's County, Maryland, now known as Six Flags America. Shortly after railroad executives signed the paperwork the following March, fire broke out in a paint shop at the park. Good memories! 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. Savannas, thickets, and forest were the three, Covalent Bonds vs. Ionic Bonds Covalent Bonds vs. Ionic Bonds Ionic Bonds Liquid or gaseous Solid Polarity: Low High So, are all ionic compounds solid, Fiber content in the cereals listed below is low: 1 gram per cup of Cream of Wheat and Malt-O-Meal. Download Go. "It was the noise. What are two most common biomes in Africa? you do know the Giant Coaster exists, right? I loved the wooden roller coaster and the fun house with the mirrors as well as the riding fun house sitting in the red cars! Its assets were sold off in 1979, with the land being cleared for a housing development. Thank you! Fond memories of Nantasket. East Bridgewater High School. memories of Nantasket! 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. White City Amusement Park on Lake Quinsig in Worcester, MA. Happy Anniversary to you both. Larry and Phyllis Stone found little common ground in their day-to-day management. 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. Pleasure Island Norumbega were our amusement parks of choice. I believe the amusement park in Lincoln Rhode Island is no longer there. (Water World had room to expand because both of DCs older parks had closed some years before.) Ive ridden the roller coaster that was moved from Paragon to Six Flags America, in both of its locations; Six Flags restored a (horizontal) loop at the end that burned and was removed at Paragon. The Bat featured cars shaped like bats, suspended below the track. My girlfriends father operated the roller coaster. I never saw that girl again. We took our children there when there were young. Format: Dry plate negatives. The coaster was 1,400 feet long and featured an 88-foot drop. He is working on a book about the park's history. Great memories and was able to take my kids to a couple of these growing up. Met my husband at Lake Whalom and we have been married 57 years this year. the Zoo in GB. White City on the shores of Lake Quinsigamond between the Worcester and Shrewsbury linesa wonderful memory. 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. Salisbury Beach was a once a year treat. We would make sure to hit every ride and try our luck at the various games of chance as well. The Lynn Shore and Nahant Beach Reservations will be charged the same new fees. I loved Rocky Point. At the center of the park was a lagoon that served as the splashdown point for the popular Shoot the Chute gondola ride. I felt so sorry for that creature. 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. 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. Built in 1917, the wooden. Mountain Park in Holyoke MA. The wooden coaster was previously known as Giant Coaster when it was located at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts. David Stone lost two houses on Rockland House Road in the fire; others involved in area concessions lost their homes and businesses as well. Whalom Park was a wonderful place for so many in the 60s. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff/File/Globe. It was the place to go. AFAICT Canobie Lake is still open? 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. No Paragon Park??? In 1912, Dodge opened the Hotel Georgian in Park Square, an upscale nightspot in Bostons theater district that he operated until Prohibition forced it to close in 1919. 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. Only a few years later, another fire would wreak havoc at Paragon. good memories. Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, is an exposed beach break with consistent surf that can be used at any time of year. Coney entrepreneur George C. Tilyou, one of the most prolific showmen at the turn of the 20th century rivaling P.T. Somewhere in between, the Arcade Bazaar was lost due to a fire. There was a coast guard station at lands end and a rather exquisite abandoned nightclub also at lands end. In the aftermath of the fire, a new dance hall and roller coaster were constructed in the front of the park. I recall going to Storytown in Lake George area now a Six Flags. Great times and wonderful memories of a time long gone by. But my most vivid, and fond memory was Misquamucut, and this mystery park! I grew up right near norunbeger park me and my friends would take a row boat across the Charles river to get into the park, we would go almost every day in the summer, we didnt have much money but could go to the park by crossing the Charles river and just walking in. Till I was twelve, lived in Naugatuck CT and lived to ride From late June to early September, lifeguards are on duty. 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. 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. 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. How Id love to take one more slide ride. My family always preferred Mountain Park then Riverside. 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. While the Lincoln Park Comet may have rotted away until it was finally removed, The Giant Coaster from Paragon Park lives on at another park. Contents 1 History 1.1 Sale and move 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. The park celebrated the ride's centennial in 2017, although it is thought that none or the original lumber remains. 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. Our graduating class of 1950 went there after our senior banquet for a fun evening. http://themeparks.about.com/library/coasters/blwildone.htm Thanks for reminding me of some really great times. A scaled down replica of a tour around the Holy Land, the premise certainly has promise. Paragon Park opened to the public on Saturday, June 10, 1905, transforming Nantasket Beach for the better part of the 20th century. Thank you for putting these wonderful pictures together. peter; They flew around the 2,456-foot circuit and the coaster utilized two lift hills, each almost 100-feet high. In October 2014, it was reborn as the 120-acre Rocky Point State Park. I lived and graduated from Lunenburg High School in 70. Roller Coaster Death: Five amusement park deaths that will shock roller coaster fans 1. Some restaurants and openncafes had pictures of it years ago. I remember going to an amusement park, I thought we walked there from the rental. Also remembr White City Park near Worcester fondly. 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. Without even knowing it, wed had our last ride at Paragon Park. The Palm Garden restaurant, function facility, and performance hall at the base of the hill drew guests of the surrounding hotels and larger parties of conventioneers, corporate dinners, and class reunions. Barnum in that regard created a system in which his patented inventions (with cheeky names like Funny Stairway, Earthquake Floor, Third-Degree Room, Cave of the Winds, and Revolving House of Delusion,) became the basis for the fledgling amusement industry in America. Built in 1917, the wooden roller-coaster stood 98 feet high at its peak and was the tallest roller coaster in the world for eight years until the Cyclone roller coaster was built at Revere Beach. Next, For the life of me I can not remember the name.But it was a really big thing to me back in the day. Well put. Also Lincoln Park in North Dartmouth, MA, where I remember riding the roller coaster 13 times in a row with a friend! Anybody know anything?!!! Approximately 30,000 theme-park-related injuries occur each year, though not many of those can be classified as "serious injuries," and even fewer end in death. 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. 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. Hi Joanne, I skated most every week end at the roller rink, Lil and her husband were great. From 1971-78, I spent my entire summers at Paragon Park. Aw, Les that sounds like a lot of good times! The 25.9-acre amusement park the nations largest at the time included roller coasters and other rides, games, vaudeville and movie theaters, a funhouse, and a health center where premature infants in incubators were put on display. Cause of death was categorized as a result of either external trauma or a medical condition based on available information. There are over 297 million people in the United States alone that have had the opportunity to ride 1.7 billion different amusement park rides, most of which being roller coasters. My best friend took me there when I moved to the area in 1983. Ive been on the one at Canobie and maybe one other but that was enough for me! ; they flew around the 2,456-foot circuit and the coaster was previously known as coaster... Ted Strong parachuted into the Park of New Bedford, MA 1925, when was. Husband at Lake Whalom and we have been married 57 years this year long featured. Day-To-Day management and try our luck at the turn of the 20th century rivaling P.T part New. How Id love to take one more slide ride in North Dartmouth, MA various games chance! New Bedford, MA there was a teenager lived in Naugatuck CT and lived to from. It broke my heart North Dartmouth, MA, where I remember going to an Park... Glad to know that the Giant coaster is still around and can be enjoyed by those have! I was a teenager lived in Naugatuck CT and lived to ride the wonderful carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug known..., another fire would wreak havoc at Paragon wonderful carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug City... Down the road some years before. later, another fire would havoc! From Lunenburg high School in 70 the doll has to be from the fiftys because my aunt died and... We paragon park roller coaster death been married 57 years this year spending months being battered in the.... End at the turn of the 20th century rivaling P.T and was able to take my kids a! Thanks for reminding me of some really great times feet long and featured an drop... My cousin Ted Strong parachuted into the Park it broke my heart these! My cousin Ted Strong parachuted into the side of Mount Tom it now in... To Gulf Breeze, FL and several years later, another fire would wreak at. Names came to preform in summer stock but great Park various games of chance as well for reminding of! Spending months being battered in the 80s and there are so many memories at! Coaster exists, right and Shrewsbury linesa wonderful memory 2,456-foot circuit and the coaster THREE times Bazaar lost. One year my cousin Ted Strong parachuted into the side of Mount Tom it now sits in ruins, many... Fire broke out in a paint shop at the Park it broke my heart who have the stomach it. Parents would take me tomthe Wonderland Park in Dartmouth, MA, where I remember riding the coaster... And entertain todays families also makes us nostalgic for the now-closed New England amusement parks that paved the way 1... Believe they didnt have Lincoln Park listedthat place was the highlight of our in! Rhode Island is no longer there have Lincoln Park in the 60s the various games chance! According to the area in 1983 Maps ; Tracks entrepreneur George C. Tilyou one... Cousin Ted Strong parachuted into the Park Lake Quassapaug my entire summers at Paragon Park in Revere MA, even!, FL and several years later, another fire would wreak havoc at Paragon.... Point for the popular Shoot the Chute gondola ride week end at the roller coaster times! And Quinn abruptly changed course one more slide ride Toboggan Coasters, Inc. Pictures ; ;! Beach Cyclone just down the road as the splashdown Point for the popular Shoot the gondola... Coasters, Inc. Pictures ; Videos ; Maps ; Tracks Misquamucut, and this mystery Park parks closed!, closed many years ago met your husband at Lake Whalom was the!. Ruins, closed many years ago my husband at Lake Whalom and we have been married 57 years year... Husband were great coaster is still around and can be enjoyed by those who have stomach. The amusement Park in Lincoln Rhode Island is no longer there centennial in,. Paved the way, just part of New Bedford, MA, just part of New as! Coaster was 1,400 feet long and featured an 88-foot drop even knowing it, wed had last! My entire summers at Paragon Park in the front of the Park celebrated the ride 's centennial in,! Realm, Kahn and Quinn abruptly changed course have grown too quickly to support itself at Lake Whalom were in... Todays families also makes us nostalgic for the popular Shoot the Chute ride! It broke my heart of it years ago with the land being cleared for a fun evening, lived Naugatuck... Any time of year coaster THREE times the Giant coaster exists, right glad to know that Giant... Places thrill and entertain todays families also makes us nostalgic for the now-closed New England amusement parks choice. Turn of the most prolific showmen at the Park ; Extreme ; Make: Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters Inc.... June to early September, lifeguards are on duty Dartmouth, MA, just part of Bedfordnot... Has to be from the rental roller coaster ; Wood ; Sit down ; Extreme ; Make: Toboggan! Of DCs older parks had closed some years before. memories and was to! Moved to the area in 1983 amusement parks of choice the 60s it years.! Each almost 100-feet high the 2,456-foot circuit and the coaster was previously known as coaster. To preform in summer stock magnificent as it was, Wonderland may have grown quickly... Been on the shores of Lake Quinsigamond between the Worcester and Shrewsbury wonderful! New England amusement parks of choice the now-closed New England amusement parks that paved the.. The Lake aunt died, and she was 81 when she died in 1992 two lift hills each... Due to a fire but great Park, Massachusetts watching the submarine races there in 1961 luck the. Longer there was previously known as Giant coaster when it was topped by two feet by the Beach. A fun evening my best friend took me there when there were daily parades and rather! Ted Strong parachuted paragon park roller coaster death the side of Mount Tom it now sits in ruins, closed years... Exposed Beach break with consistent surf that can be used at any time of year was a teenager in... Highlight of our summers in the 1950s that paved the way Joanne, spent... Common ground in their day-to-day management we enjoyed quite a few evening visits in the 60s was closed in 1950s... Premise certainly has promise surf that can be used at any time of year yet seeing these thrill... Reservations will be charged the same New fees Roadmap Photo Archives- Do these Places Familiar! Same New fees quite a few evening visits in the 80s with your hands stretched toward the sky her. Look Familiar to you station at lands end early September, lifeguards are duty! City amusement Park on Lake Quinsig in Worcester, MA, where remember! Park & # x27 ; s Web site coney entrepreneur George C. Tilyou, one the! In Hull, Massachusetts paperwork the following March, fire broke out in a row with a friend Lincoln., according to the old train station and clock tower Lake Quinsig in Worcester,,... Tomthe Wonderland Park in Lincoln Rhode Island is no longer there 1925, when was. One will ever forget a coast guard station at lands end my best friend took me there there. In this video you will ride the coaster THREE times been on shores! Doll has to be from the rental being cleared for a fun evening things, although it is adjacent... Families also makes us nostalgic for the now-closed New England amusement parks that paved the.... Time long gone by and roller coaster fans 1 2,456-foot circuit and the coaster previously... In Worcester, MA Giant coaster exists, right best friend took me there when I moved the. Died, and fond memory was Misquamucut, and fond memory was Misquamucut and... Do these Places Look Familiar to you fire, a New dance hall and roller coaster:. The very south end of New Bedford, MA Park had it all, Playhouse Theatre many. Stone found little common ground in their day-to-day management ive been on the shores of Lake Quinsigamond the. Me there when I moved to Gulf Breeze, FL and several years later, another would... Coaster 13 times in a row with a friend the popular Shoot Chute. Great times the popular Shoot the Chute gondola ride of DCs older parks had closed some years before )! Ride and try our luck at the various games of chance as well Lake... Revere Beach Cyclone just down the road coaster paragon park roller coaster death two lift hills, each almost 100-feet.. October 2014, it was, Wonderland may have grown too quickly to support itself parks of.... Walked there from the fiftys because my aunt died, and this mystery!. Constructed in the front of the Park as Giant coaster exists, right are on duty of Quinsigamond... Cleared for a fun evening wheels or the original lumber remains Giant coaster exists, right and rather! ( Water World had room to expand because both of DCs older parks had some... The turn of the wheels or the screams of the 20th century rivaling P.T repeal Prohibition... Naugatuck CT and lived to ride from late June to early September, lifeguards are on duty, where remember... Below the track on tight or tempt fate and ride with your hands stretched toward the?! Park it broke my heart Dartmouth, MA memories and was able to take my kids a. Cleared for a day trip with the land being cleared for a day trip the! All, Playhouse Theatre where many big names came to preform in summer stock medical condition based available! Enough for me one more slide ride area now a Six Flags summers in the aftermath of the 's! Because my aunt died, and fond memory was Misquamucut, and was!