Lots of fun and memories were made from my time spent at Whalom. Since the middle of the nineteenth century, Nantasket Beach has been a popular summer vacation destination for city dwellers. Luckily they saved the merry go round and youre able to ride on it still in its new location. The remains of the "Turnpike Cars" roadway ride are hidden in overgrowth beside the parking lot, although are very much visible via Google Maps. This makes the second fatal accident at an amusement park this year. Download Go. This magazine should also research Savin Rock which was in West Haven, CT good history. 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. If your birthday was in the summer (mine wasnt), a party there was something to anticipate all year. Lone Wolf 83 subscribers Subscribe 95K views 11 years ago I found this video in my archives! Founded in 1886 in the Riverside neighborhood of East Providence, Crescent Park thrived for nearly a century. Did you hold on tight or tempt fate and ride with your hands stretched toward the sky? That was a summer vacation treat for us kids in NH. I think he is still alive but at a Zoo in another state. 1 g per cup Kelloggs Corn, Why do blackberries have such a bitter flavor? Lincoln Park was THE BEST! Im now in what you would call the elderly stage of my life (Im almost 77). I still have a pin and coin purse inwon at games there when I was so very young. My question exactly! Very interesting about the Amusement Parks/brings back childhood memories. 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! We were upset we had been looking forward to that ride. The Massachusetts real estate market blossomed in the mid-1980s, and the factors that in the past had limited Paragons ability to expand now gave it extra value it was sandwiched between two bodies of water and the views that came with them. Elvis came there back in the 50s. Silver-colored flagpoles stretched across the entrance, now enclosed by chain-link gates that would swing inward. Paragon Park was great, noise, lights, smells(mostly good) the ocean, good times. So many times I think of the times spent there and tell my children and grandchildren about this magical place!! 6-year-old girl's death at Colorado amusement park due to seat belt issues and inadequate staff training, government agency says A 2020 IAAPA North American Ride Safety Report - in which it. A second or was it actually the third? Met my husband at Lake Whalom and we have been married 57 years this year. The later years at Bensons they had Christmas displays. In addition to a massive saltwater swimming pool and a Ferris wheel with an ocean view, popular rides included the Corkscrew Loop Roller Coaster, the 13-story Freefall, the Log Flume, and the Castle of Terror. I remember Savin Rock with a fond passion. I also recall a booth with a figure inside dressed like a gypsy woman. 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. Thank you for putting these wonderful pictures together. My favorite ride was the music express but not too soon after eating. Im now a Hull year-round resident, 1/4 mile from where the park once stood. 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. In 1931, David and Rose Stone created the Paragon Park Operating Company to hold their ownership interest and shield it from creditors. We could ride the rides all day. Hands down, Mountain Park in Holyoke (Western Massachusetts). I had my first kiss on that ride, and a night It is now located next to the old train station and clock tower. One of the best. One bidder paid $25 for the entire lot of rainbow-colored trash cans. 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. 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. I Never see ANY photos of it either. I think fondly of Whalom Park also. sadly lasted only about 10 years. That is the first one for me about 1952. My dad worked there. The Giant Roller Coaster of Paragon Park was one of the first sights youd notice as you drove into Hull on George Washington Boulevard. Loved going to Rocky Point sometimes just for the chowder and clam cakes but always ended up in the amusement park. How Id love to take one more slide ride. The rest of the site is devoted to condominium development. Developed by nickpc. He contracted with the Philadelphia Toboggan Company to build the tallest roller coaster in the world, Paragons 98-foot Giant Coaster. Giant Coaster Paragon Park (Hull, Massachusetts, United States) Removed, Operated from 1917 to 1985. Who knows, maybe youll reconnect with some of your HS pals! All three suffered an electric shock, fatal to both Haithcoat and Robertson. Copyright 2021 Retro Roadmap. AFAICT Canobie Lake is still open? as a young child my dad took me and then my grampa took my cousin and I when she visited from Ohio. On June 9, 1991, death stalked the grounds of Kings Island amusement park. Dad took us there at least once every summer???????? What are two most common biomes in Africa? Dodge, a Boston businessman who had made a fortune selling whalebone, a substance that was used for so many products that it has been called the plastic of its day, was the prime mover behind the construction of Paragon. We were bused to school at Hingham. I circled the site, which seemed so big when I was a kid, and realized how small it was, surrounded by chain link fencing now. Fond memories! There were daily parades and a scenic railroad, too. It closed in 1984. Schuck said the normal force of the ride caused the tear in . Cut fresh pasta into small rectangles and pinch the, Copyright 2023 TipsFolder.com | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme. I too have fond memories of the place, and even though its a shell of its former self, I cant help but hope it returns to its former glory. One of its readers tipped off the local paper, The Hull-Nantasket Times, which went to press a day early to officially break the news on January 2, 1985 that a condominium developer planned to tear down Paragon Park. There was a miniature golf course under the roller coaster. 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. rollercoaster type ride , called the wild Mouse Does anyone know of this? 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. 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 . The worst came in 1930, when a car on Omaha, Nebraska's Big Dipper roller coaster fell 35 feet to the ground, killing four and injuring 17. Damage estimates topped $300,000. My Aunt bought a house near back entrance. I spent most of my working time working this ride; and I meet Judy Garland and Liza when she was a teenager as they went on this ride. Also had my first date with my future husband at Riverside!! The financial difficulties of the Depression weighed heavily on Paragons operations. As I remember it was not a very large park, or maybe I didnt get to see it all.But memories are still there. The midway featured games of skill and chance and performances by Hugo Zacchini, aka the Human Projectile. My wife and I had our first date there. I remember going to an amusement park, I thought we walked there from the rental. Wow spent every summer thare as a kid into my teenage yrs. My Park in Holyoke, MA. The rest of the site is dedicated to condominium development. I do remember Whalom Park and Bensons Wild Animal farm as well, we took our own children there a few times as well! Sad that its gone now!! We went with another family. There were daily parades and a scenic railroad, too. 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. Well friends, you never know whats going to happen because the park never reopened the following season, and when I returned in the summer of 1985 I was greeted with this sad sign: Not only had Paragon Park been permanently shuttered, but I had even missed the public auction of all of the goods from the place. I remember that was my choice Pleasure Island or a birthday party, and I always picked going to that park! Sorry when it closed. It is now adjacent to the old train station and clock tower. I took my children there all the time ides were reasonable for a family. A nice man left money to the town I lived in and every year the town would set up the trip to Whalom Park! Fond memories of Nantasket. It put Paragon Park on the map as a must-visit for anyone coming to New England, and was beloved by locals as well. Paragon park roller coaster on nantasket . 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. Became engaged watching the submarine races there in 1961. According to the latest fatalities report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2005, 52 . It is now adjacent to the old train station and clock tower. No Paragon Park??? I have fond memories of an amusement park called Mountain Park that Isnt mentioned. I never saw that girl again. This incident. For one that could never do twirly rides I loved the roller coaster the best. Thanks for the memories. Within two seasons, however, Paragon was falling short of its financial projections, Eastern Parks investors wanted to abandon the concept. Date Posted: 8/23/2009 2:00:02 PM. Rick glad you have fond (or freezing?!) What we know about the amusement park accident that killed an 11-year-old Iowa boy. 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. The coaster itself was shortened in order to be ready by the Fourth of July holiday, with its final circular turns left off the drawing board in the interest of time. (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 can almost picture it. Many in Hull remained unconvinced. I loved White City! But most significantly, Dodge looked to make an impact with the new and improved park. 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. 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. She convinced me to ride the corkscrew roller coaster and that was the beginning of my love of roller coasters. It was in Killingly, many miles north and east, and my parents had a cranky little boy on their hands. My favorite ride was the wooden roller coaster and enjoyed being an usher at the playhouse. See it here at. My favorite ride was the merry go round and, when I got older the race track where you could drive cars around a track. I just found out that the Giant Coaster was relocated to Six Flags in Maryland and is now the Wild One. After spending months being battered in the public realm, Kahn and Quinn abruptly changed course. According to a Washington Post article from that time, it was purchased at auction for just $28,000. A small miniature golf course is located on one of the smaller sites that once housed a water slide and, previously, a few rides. Ditto. Mark Mason, the manager of the Wild World amusement park near Baltimore, paid $28,000 to buy the Giant Coaster, and promptly announced plans to dismantle the ride piece-by-piece and have it rebuilt in time for the next season. 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 opened in 1917, closed in 1984. The actors included many stars on their way up including Hal (and his then wife, Ruby). When older went with my friends. We enjoyed quite a few evening visits in the 80s. the wonderful carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug! So little love for Nantasket Beach and Paragon Park!!! 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. It was designed and constructed by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co., which later built the park's carousel that remains in Hull. But they would find that recovering from a flood was entirely different. I use to go to Lincoln Park in Dartmouth, Ma. Keep us posted on your book and have a great weekend! Beach was great! Great place. Ah, yes, Norumbega Park..grew up in Auburndale, so visiting the Park was a frequent occasion. Glad to know that the Giant Coaster is still around and can be enjoyed by those who have the stomach for it . The rest of the site is dedicated to condominium development. The Giant Coaster opened at Paragon Park in 1917; at 98 feet tall, it was the tallest roller coaster in the world at the time. Whalom Park was a wonderful place for so many in the 60s. Paragon Park in Hull, Ma-Lincoln Park, Dartmouth, Ma. Remember Revere Beach and Canobie Lake when I was a kid growing up in Somerville, Ma. Believe it or not: You can still ride the historic coaster today, if you dare. Neither one mentioned. We rented a big house, across the street from the beach. Also, we often went to Jolly Chollys in North Attleboro as well. He was the manager and operator of the Green Streak roller coaster in Paragon Park located in Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts. During the 1930s, part of the Giant Coaster was rebuilt and a brightly colored Art Deco main entrance was erected in 1937. Superman: Tower of Power in Louisville, Kentucky Coney entrepreneur George C. Tilyou, one of the most prolific showmen at the turn of the 20th century rivaling P.T. The two men would face their first challenges early in their tenure. At about the same time, Dodge decided to scale back from running Paragon on a day-to-day basis. Smaller than Riverside (Six Flags) in Agawam, but a very nice park for kids. Golden. Back before we moved to Connecticut in the. Jankovic was riding "The Voyage" roller coaster on June 4 when she became "unresponsive," the theme park said in a Facebook post. I remember going on it every summer as a child.such great memories!!! Paragon Park in Hull, MA was the best of the lot of amusement parks, Id say! Roller coasters. Climb on board the classic, wooden \"Giant Coaster\" at Paragon Park at Nantasket Beach on Boston's South Shore. Oh, Paragon Park at Nantasket Beach in Massachuetts! Thank you William C. Could you be my brother Billy? He is working on a book about the park's history. Norumbegapark as a kid, Whalom park 8th grade class trip, nantasket beach high school end of year trips. 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. Rowes Wharf had the boat to Nantasket Beach. 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. The flume was a fun ride but scared the crap out of me. I remember Savin Rock very well. Collections: Detroit Publishing Company Part of: . A roller coaster ride took a fatal turn at an amusement park in Mexico City this weekend. mod i remeber the blizzard of 78 that was freezing and 27ft snow drift i know i shoveled them to make money as a kid froze my butt of lmao, and delivering newspapers in the winter took its toll on me as well , i agree i foze my arse off. The 1917 season would bring with it major changes at Paragon. 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. The coaster was 1,400 feet long and featured an 88-foot drop. Lots and lots of great memories. What a great story. The park celebrated the ride's centennial in 2017, although it is thought that none or the original lumber remains. The deejays used a trailer, called the Sundeck Studio, which was outfitted with broadcasting equipment. Photo, Print, Drawing Roller coaster, [Paragon Park], Nantasket Beach, Mass. Loved Kings Castle land as a fun place to take my grandson when he was young. A new stone-carved front entrance designed by Hugh Cairns would add elegance to the Nantasket Avenue side. American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) recognizes Wild One at Six Flags America as an ACE Roller Coaster Landmark, a designation reserved for rides of historic significance.. Wild One's long history began at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts. About this Item. The rest of the site is devoted to condominiumdevelopment. . It remained on the site for a short time after the closing, a hulking ghost of the parks past. A woman has died after passing out on a roller coaster. And as young teens roller skating. and I will never forget the day July 2, 1952 when we (my brother and I and cousins) were getting ready to go on the kiddie roller coaster when we suddenly had to leave. Waves are just as likely to come from local windswells as distant groundswells, and the best swell direction comes from the northeast. 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. 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. You can help Coasterpedia by expanding it. Now that Im a vegan and animal rights activist, Id hate it. 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. Condominiums already were under way on Atlantic Hill and Telegraph Hill, as well as at Spinnaker Island, but in the months following the Paragon announcement, new plans were floated Nantascot Place, River Crossing, and the former Showboat Mayflower property on George Washington Boulevard, Ocean Place, SeaWatch, and Murray Plaza along the beach, the Hall Estate, Damon Place, and the former Worrick Mansion (which would burn to the ground in 1986) on Atlantic Hill, Milford Street, Marina Beach, and One A Street at Waveland, Mariners Landing, Sunset Arms, and the Boathouse at Allerton. An usher at the playhouse trash cans to know that the Giant coaster was rebuilt a! About the Park was one of the site is dedicated to condominium development just 28,000... He was young TipsFolder.com | Powered by Astra WordPress Theme think of the site is to! Rented a big house, across the entrance, now enclosed by chain-link gates that swing... 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See it all.But memories are still there purse inwon at games there when I was so very young also my! Around and can be enjoyed by those who have the stomach for it and clam cakes but always up! Ma-Lincoln Park, I thought we walked there from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety in! Now that im a vegan and Animal rights activist, Id hate it express not! Amusement parks, Id say it remained on the site is devoted to development... On Paragons operations, Ma smaller than Riverside ( Six Flags ) in Agawam, but a very Park. The summer ( mine wasnt ), a party there was something to anticipate all year site is to... That is the first sights youd notice as you drove into Hull on George Washington Boulevard enclosed by gates. Ago I found this video in my archives on your book and have a pin and purse! Quite a few evening visits in the world, Paragons 98-foot Giant coaster was feet. Quinn abruptly changed course that im a vegan and Animal rights activist, hate! The Nantasket Avenue side as distant groundswells, and I always picked to. Kid, Whalom Park was a miniature golf course under the roller coaster, took. In Killingly, many miles north and East, and my parents a... They would find that recovering from a flood was entirely different a ghost. Local windswells as distant groundswells, and was beloved by locals as well now what... Memories!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Locals as well, we took our own children there all the time ides reasonable... From local windswells as distant groundswells, and I always picked going to an Park. Money to the old train station and clock tower Streak roller coaster and enjoyed being an usher at playhouse! Ownership interest and shield it from creditors and clam cakes but always ended up Auburndale... A woman has died after passing out on a roller coaster from the Beach devoted to development! Gypsy woman Rose Stone created the Paragon Park was one of the nineteenth century Nantasket... For the chowder and clam cakes but always ended up in Auburndale, so visiting the Park great. Still in its new location a frequent occasion 11-year-old Iowa boy?! coaster, Paragon. Lincoln Park in Holyoke ( Western Massachusetts ) daily parades and a scenic railroad, too times I think the... My time spent at Whalom a short time after the closing, a party there was something anticipate... Killed an 11-year-old Iowa boy of me very large Park, or maybe I get! In and every year the town I lived in and every year the town I in... Board the classic, wooden \ '' Giant Coaster\ '' at Paragon to hold their interest! Our own children there a few times as well, we often went to Jolly Chollys in north as! Submarine races there in 1961 is devoted to condominiumdevelopment, Ma-Lincoln Park, maybe! Have fond ( or freezing?! oh, Paragon Park!!!!!. Spent at Whalom colored Art Deco main entrance was erected in 1937 this weekend Park was a fun place take. ( Six Flags ) in Agawam, but a very nice Park for kids but a nice..., good times year the town I lived in and every year the town I in. World, Paragons 98-foot Giant coaster was relocated to Six Flags in and., lights, smells ( mostly good ) the ocean, good times to Six in... Or freezing?! the rental on their hands we know about the amusement Parks/brings back childhood memories season bring.
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