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. I hope that whatever parks are now available to families offer todays kids memories that they will carry with them into their 70s too. I was a lonely kid wandering the park every night, until I Paragon Park was an amusement park located on Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. Built in 1917, the wooden. Yes. Boston Public Library/Tichnor Brothers Postcard Collection, Visitors walking the grounds of Rocky Point State Park today may not realize that they are treading on entertainment history, but the reminders are there if you know where to look. Other favorites: the roller coaster that sat right on the edge of the water. In addition to the amusement parks there were shows (I remember seeing Loretta Lynn and others) and they also had auto races on Saturday nights. Shame on you, lol As for Bensons, they had an enormous elephant you could ride on! There was also a small park in or near Whitman, MA cant recall the name that we went to once. Very scary, but such an adventure. The 1917 season would bring with it major changes at Paragon. 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. Please see my listings for other defunct New England Amusement Park shirts. Founded in 1886 in the Riverside neighborhood of East Providence, Crescent Park thrived for nearly a century. STILL one of my fave attractions there and it wasnt even part of the park REALLY. Those were the days! Then in myn40s met a man. The same unwritten rule applied to the Jungle Safari ride (tunnel of love). 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. Dubois County Coroner Katie Schuck said Dawn R.. "It was the noise. My sister was born early on the morning of July 3rd. As recounted in his 1922 obituary, a friend of Dodges invested in what became known as the Nantasket Steeplechase, a collection of amusements licensed from Coney Islands Steeplechase Park that was built on land leased from the Old Colony Railroad. Sorry when it closed. I remember Savin Rock with a fond passion. Think classic American road trip and the name Route 66 will undoubtedly come up sooner rather than later, and for good reason. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff/File/Globe. Within two seasons, however, Paragon was falling short of its financial projections, Eastern Parks investors wanted to abandon the concept. A 20-year-old man also fell when he attempted to stand up on the coaster in 1934, and a maintenance worker was killed in 1946 after he was struck while working on scaffolding on the coaster. I remember going to an amusement park, I thought we walked there from the rental. Dodge commissioned the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) to create a new coaster. Did you hold on tight or tempt fate and ride with your hands stretched toward the sky? 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. Jankovic was riding "The Voyage" roller coaster on June 4 when she became "unresponsive," the theme park said in a Facebook post. 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. If your birthday was in the summer (mine wasnt), a party there was something to anticipate all year. During the 1930s, part of the Giant Coaster was rebuilt and a brightly colored Art Deco main entrance was erected in 1937. ive been in that too by the vfw building on the hill, was so glad to see this site !!!!!!!!!!! I loved Norumbega Park and all the rides. 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. Makes the Delaware beaches we now frequent seem downright tropical! The coaster was 1,400 feet long and featured an 88-foot drop. Fond memories of Nantasket. He operated the coaster until it's demise in 1916 when it was destroyed by a fire. In this video you will ride the coaster THREE times! It remained on the site for a short time after the closing, a hulking ghost of the parks past. \r\rThe coaster was built in 1917 and operated till the amusement park closed for good at the end of 1984. A perfect ending to another day in paradise at the shore! All three suffered an electric shock, fatal to both Haithcoat and Robertson. Used to be a boat we could take from Boston to Nantasket for a great day trip. More for little ones and still open are Storyland and Santas Village in NH a place families still can enjoy. I just found out that the Giant Coaster was relocated to Six Flags in Maryland and is now the Wild One. A small miniature golf course is located on one of the smaller sites that once housed a water slide and, previously, a few rides. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972. Too bad theyre all just sweet memories now. But most significantly, Dodge looked to make an impact with the new and improved park. Here's a list of 13 of the deadliest roller coaster accidents in the last two decades. Paragon Park was an amusement park located in Hull, Massachusetts, USA. I grew up in the 80s and 90s in rhode island and Rocky Point was an amazing amusement park. I was just remembering visiting Bensons as a kid. Today, the only surviving remnant of Paragon Park on the boardwalk is the historic Paragon Park Carousel, which was moved from its original site. Built into the side of Mount Tom it now sits in ruins, closed many years ago. Subsequent owners added various entertainments, including a baseball field on which Babe Ruth once played. Its amazing how fast people forget. Jim- thanks so much for sharing your fond memories of Paragon Park with the RetroRoadmap readers! It was always fun to hang on the beach side with the arcades. I loved the carousel. . It was a historic park. I lived and graduated from Lunenburg High School in 70. My family had the summer home on the hill directly behind Hurleys Bathhouse (for those who remember). I used to love Paragon Park! Roller skating, rides, swimming even a boat that gave rides around the lake. peter; 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 ended in the 70s after a series of fires destroyed it. The Giant Coaster, built in 1917 and removed from the park in 1985, now operates as The Wild One at Six Flags America. The carousel was always a favorite ride no matter how young or old I was. They flew around the 2,456-foot circuit and the coaster utilized two lift hills, each almost 100-feet high. He was the manager and operator of the Green Streak roller coaster in Paragon Park located in Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts. Paragon Park opened in 1905 and lasted for just under 80 years, closing in 1984. Traveled from CT many times in my childhood. In October 2014, it was reborn as the 120-acre Rocky Point State Park. Crews worked around the clock to rebuild the Giant so that it could open that season. In fact, a penny would get you a lot in those days, especially in the penny arcade. 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. Opened by the Fitchburg & Leominster Street Railway on the shores of Lake Whalom in 1893, Whalom Park would be known as one of the 15 oldest amusement parks in the United States by the time it closed for good in 2000. Here on the SouthCoast, many have fond memories of riding the Comet roller coaster at Lincoln Park in Dartmouth. It was worth the over an hour drive to get there. 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. Davids son, Joseph, entered into negotiations with the Old Colony Railroad to purchase the land under Paragon. There was a coast guard station at lands end and a rather exquisite abandoned nightclub also at lands end. A Thanksgiving Day fire at nearby Nantasket Pier destroyed most of the fleet of steamboats that carried passengers to and from Boston. I know it was small compared to others mentioned, Salem Willows was always a blast! My sons favorite memory is throwing up on the flying swings. 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 . that I will always remember. Fires twice damaged the coaster, in 1932 and 1962. 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. 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. Ron what a great time you mustve had there! Except for the flying swings incident. 2022 Dennis Connors Photography. Its assets were sold off in 1979, with the land being cleared for a housing development. Riverside was also my favorite. We would drive to Hull from our house in Boston. What is the state of ionic compounds at room temperature. 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. A postcard view of Rocky Point Amusement Park in Warwick, Rhode Island, c. 1930-1945. Wonderland itself was inspired by the massive Worlds Fair exhibits that had been an international sensation since the mid-19th century. I would show up at the ride with a girl and they would give me a boat all to ourselves. Damage estimates topped $300,000. "It has stood the test of time." But the ride was plagued with many problems that remained with it until it was . After spending months being battered in the public realm, Kahn and Quinn abruptly changed course. Oh my those clam cakes. From dawn to dusk, the restaurant is open all year. News of the developers interest appeared in December 1984 in a place that was unlikely to attract attention a column in the pages of The New England Real Estate Journal, a trade publication generally seen only by those in the real estate industry. Yes, Riverside Park was memorable as was Mountain Park. I can remember Whalom as it were yesterday, spent lots of hrs at the park, stayed with my aunt a lot, lived on Chase ave, down by the play house cabins for the stars. In 1917, another man fell and got creamed into paste after reaching out of the Derby Racer to retrieve his fallen hat. 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. 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. So glad you shared yours here too . 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. 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. The Lynn Shore and Nahant Beach Reservations will be charged the same new fees. Although the Stone and Golden partnership to operate the park had dissolved around 1925, ownership of the land remained divided until 1951. well, all was fine till halfway home and my brother starts getting sick I was on top of my step sister out the window most of the ride home Still great times and I miss when we used to have no cares but having fun.. Now 67 Grew up close to Canobie Lake Park and Bensons Wild Animal Park and spent so much time at both. Mountain Park in Holyoke, MA! Within five years, the rail line was abandoned forever. We had some good times there. DeNoto, who now lives in New York, states in the suit that he took his boy to the park on June 26, 2018 because the lad was finally tall enough to ride the coasters. They also hosted many concerts and special shows! I havent thought about that place in years! 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. The Philadelphia Toboggan carousel was rescued and now operates at Battleship Cove in Fall River. Contents. Rebecca thanks for visiting Retro Roadmap, and best of luck with your novel. It features a 450 spiral helix and a series of bunny hills that produce a significant amount of air time. The entertainment at the Palm Garden rivaled that in the city; in fact, Paragon was on the same circuit as Boston theaters and showcased nationally known performers in addition to the in-house song-and-dance troupe. The roller coaster hit speeds of up to 53 miles per hour during a ride of less than 2 minutes. 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. Roller skating was a big thing for me. Loved going to Rocky Point sometimes just for the chowder and clam cakes but always ended up in the amusement park. I remember going to Bensons Wild Animal Farm several times as a youngster. Today, all that remains of the park is the carousel that was built in 1928, which now is housed in a pavilion a bit down the road from where it once stood, yet still allows for children to ride its hand-carved horses almost a century after they were first created. I still have a pin and coin purse inwon at games there when I was so very young. My parents met at the roller rink at Canobie when young. Six Flags America in Maryland purchased the coaster and relocated it in 1985. David Goran is one of the authors writing for The Vintage News Over the winter, Stone and Golden began working on how they would secure the continuation of Paragon. 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. Long time ago. A rider suffered head, wrist and ankle injuries on Monday after being ejected from a roller coaster in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. 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. 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. There was one that you didnt mention it was between Fall River and New Bedford, along the highway then. For out-of-state visitors, parking at Nantasket Beach will increase from $10 to $15 per day, and $20 per day. Pleasure Island, Wakefield, Mass. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This setting should only be used on your home or work computer. In one incident, a man fell into a pond. I remember as a young girl with some friends taking the train to Revere Beach Amusement Park in the 50s many times. Larry and Phyllis Stone found little common ground in their day-to-day management. Rick glad you have fond (or freezing?!) I would add Norumbega Park in auburndale Mass, and pleasure Island. 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. Now folks who have never been there will get an inkling of how important the park was to so many people! Summing lessons in Lake Whalom, wonderful memories. My grandparents took me. About this Item. Glad to know that the Giant Coaster is still around and can be enjoyed by those who have the stomach for it . Owner / Operator 1950s. I recall going to Storytown in Lake George area now a Six Flags. 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. Revere Beach was the closest, and we visited often. We were upset we had been looking forward to that ride. The first, termed a roaring inferno by the Hull fire chief, ripped through the Arcade Bazaar and Funland, a toy store and group of attractions just up Nantasket Avenue from Paragon. Take a ride down Memory. It is now located next to the old train station and clock tower. The Giant Coaster, which was built in 1917 and was removed from the park in 1985, is now known as The Wild One at Six Flags America. I never saw that girl again. Maybe 5 years old. Master carousel artisan Charles I.D. By 1914 Mr. Schmeck found himself working in the amusement industry. Contents 1 History 1.1 Sale and move Larry and Phyllis Stone decided to divorce, and Klayman, caught in the middle of a dispute between the owners, found himself looking for a new job after 30 years. Paragon Park Hull, Massachusetts, United States Defunct, Operated from 6/10/1905 to 1985 Videos Maps Parks nearby Defunct Roller Coasters: 6 Location Located on Nantasket Beach. You say Wonderland may have helped inspire Disneyland, but Disney employees were actually involved with Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Massachusetts. The amount of time the blackberry has been allowed to ripen has an impact on how bitter, Because of its shape, farfalle means butterflies and is commonly referred to as bow tie pasta. What about Treasure Island in Wakefield Massachusetts? It was small, but close to home, so we got there often! 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. At the time, the park was called Wild World; hence its new name. Not only did they have the rides which we loved as kids, they had a fabulous summer theater, the Valley Players, owned and operated by Jean and Carleton Guild. He contracted with the Philadelphia Toboggan Company to build the tallest roller coaster in the world, Paragons 98-foot Giant Coaster. This incident. Unfortunately it was replaced by a Six Flags. Wish I had more photos from back then, but had no idea the park would be closed. Is Nantasket Beach also open? Carousel Under the Clock, as it was known, operated as a private business until 1996, when the three businessmen who purchased the ride at the auction decided that they needed to recoup their investment. 20 Best Things to Do in New England in March, 10 Best Things to Do in The Spring in New England, 40 Cozy Fireside Experiences in New England, Yankee Magazines Ultimate Guide to Autumn in New England, Yankee Magazines Ultimate New England Winter Guide, Yankee Magazines Ultimate New England Summer Guide, 63 Reasons Why We Love the Cape & Islands, For $14 Million, You Could Own Provincetowns Iconic Lobster Pot Restaurant. It opened in 1905 and closed in 1985. The Likelihood of Dying on a Roller Coaster. The park reopens for the season April 6. I still think of it and its thrills in y late 70s. 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. 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. The site is now home to condominiums. I had a bad experience on one as a kid and never went on one until then. Everytime I drive into town via George Washington Blvd I think back on when me and my siblings would try to be the first to see the roller coaster. 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.". As a South Shore kid I really miss Paragon Park in Hull MA (Nantasket Beach). A friend, 20-year-old William Haithcoat, and a 20-year-old park employee named Darrel Robertson, attempted to rescue him. Then we started aging and before we knew it Savin Rock as we knew it was gone, but not forgotten. I spend my life in that park. Does anyone remember Funland Park worked there too. On June 9, 1991, death stalked the grounds of Kings Island amusement park. Still remember the black rubber knife I bought as a souvenir. 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. \r\rDo you remember hearing the clicking of the cars as they climb to the top? In late 1984, they accepted Kahns offer. I found this video in my archives! 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. The price of a new ride was now in the millions, and the cost of liability insurance for thrill parks continued to climb. Where is the Paragon Park roller coaster now, given this? I have fond memories of the Gay Dolphin Gift Cove, and asked her to check it out when shes in the area. My sister and I roadtripped there in the early 90s we tried to make it from Massachusetts to Miami but found that the country is much bigger once you get out of the northeast, so we stopped in SC. Paragon Park - Roller Coaster on Nantasket Beach - 1984! We would start pressuring Mom and Dad to take us to Rocky Point as soon as the last of the snow melted. A wood coaster was just what the park needed for its 10th anniversary, and Predator delivered. My first date with my now wife of 38 years was there! I wonder if anyone remembers the Pine Island Park in NH. First, patriarch David Stone died during the off season in Miami; three years later, his oldest son, Joseph, died in the middle of parks 1949 season. 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. Keep us posted on your book and have a great weekend! village from 54-56. A new stone-carved front entrance designed by Hugh Cairns would add elegance to the Nantasket Avenue side. well i will stop babbling tc and bs all!! Such wonderful memories of a different time!???? I also remember the racing cars on whalom lake, my Aunt Beverly used to race and was the only woman at the time racing (1960s) So fun so many awesome memories! 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. My first job was parking cars in the lot across the street. "They preserved the spirit of the ride," amusement park aficionado B. Derek Shaw told USA Today. Chuck Lawrence. It put Paragon Park on the map as a must-visit for anyone coming to New England, and was beloved by locals as well. When older went with my friends. Two people are dead and two are seriously injured after the last car on the Quimera roller coaster at the . In short, we The atmosphere was always great! Whalom Park was a wonderful place for so many in the 60s. I vividly remember a Killer Kowalski wrestling show at the pavilion during one of my visits. 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. 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. Wild Mouse was a B. He says he and his son boarded . By then, the Stone family found itself in an unfamiliar position: unsure of how long the park could survive. We enjoyed quite a few evening visits in the 80s. I remember Savin Rock very well. My mom told me about going to Whalom Park as a child (she grew up in Fitchburg) but I didnt get there until I had my own family and we returned to Massachusetts after a tour of duty in Europe. 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!!! About This Item; Obtaining Copies; Access to Original; . My dad worked there. Today, the only surviving remnant of Paragon Park on the boardwalk is the historic Paragon Park Carousel, which was moved from its original site. It closed in 1984. Benson opened his property to the public in 1924, and from there he added attractions such as rides, games, and concessions.

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