I remember Whalom Park and Bensons Animal Farm fondly. My grandparents lived in Nantasket so I had the pleasure of going to Paragon Park many times during the summer months. Till I was a teenager lived in Naugatuck CT and lived to ride the wonderful carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug! 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. White City on the shores of Lake Quinsigamond between the Worcester and Shrewsbury linesa wonderful memory. No one riding on the roller coaster was injured, Sheth said. 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. It was a fun, reasonably priced park and like other parks in New England was probably not profitable enough to keep running. 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. My family always preferred Mountain Park then Riverside. Great memories ???? 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.. 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. 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. 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. Today, the only surviving remnant of Paragon Park on the boardwalk is the historic Paragon Park Carousel, which was moved from its original site. This article is a stub. I never liked to see animals who were unable to have some freedom from confinement. Oh my those clam cakes. A second or was it actually the third? AFAICT Canobie Lake is still open? Id have the day in the park while my parents and aunts and uncles would sit under the pavilion on a Sunday listening to the polka bands. Dogs will not be allowed on Nantasket Beach in the summer, regardless of whether the law passes. 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. Good memories! Over the winter, Stone and Golden began working on how they would secure the continuation of Paragon. This was perfect! A 14-year-old girl has died after a roller coaster car came off the track at an amusement park in Denmark. Kids ride tickets were only 15 cents . Subsequent owners added various entertainments, including a baseball field on which Babe Ruth once played. Each week, it seemed, brought a new development proposal. We would start pressuring Mom and Dad to take us to Rocky Point as soon as the last of the snow melted. David Stone lost two houses on Rockland House Road in the fire; others involved in area concessions lost their homes and businesses as well. What fun memories at all of these places! Buildings were rebuilt quickly in utilitarian style flat-roofed, single-story concrete block structures that were fire resistant but lacked the grandeur and artistry of past architecture. remember the steamboat that was just before the park coming into hull?? This magazine should also research Savin Rock which was in West Haven, CT good history. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. We used to go every year! Rollercoaster, FunHouse, Clambakes at the Pavillion, roller skating rink, Dancing ( with name bands, my Aunt sang there with a band for a while! Nearly a quarter of a century later, the Wonderland Greyhound Park opened on the same property. http://themeparks.about.com/library/coasters/blwildone.htm I remember taking the ferry from Rowes Wharf in Boston to Nantasket Beach as a kid. Roller coasters, water slides, bumper cars; it had it all. 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. We were upset we had been looking forward to that ride. Ive cross posted your request for a photo of this ride on the Paragon Park Memories page on Facebook hope it helps! Elvis came there back in the 50s. We had some good times there. Real estate interests were inspired both by the removal of what some considered the honky tonk amusements and by the zoning loophole Kahns plans had exposed. As a South Shore kid I really miss Paragon Park in Hull MA (Nantasket Beach). In 2019, there were 1,299 injuries in US amusement parks. It is now adjacent to the old train station and clock tower. Paragon Park opened to the public on Saturday, June 10, 1905, transforming Nantasket Beach for the better part of the 20th century. 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. At the very last minute, it would make a sharp turn to keep everyone dry. The rest of the site is dedicated to condominium development. White City Amusement Park on Lake Quinsig in Worcester, MA. The roller coaster was the worlds tallest when it was built in 1917. A roller coaster in Japan known for its "super death" acceleration to triple-digit speeds was reportedly shut down after riders suffered serious bone fractures. 19T E 347058 N 4681323. Paragon park roller coaster on nantasket . Norumbegapark as a kid, Whalom park 8th grade class trip, nantasket beach high school end of year trips. 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 . Maybe I might see them again in Heaven. that I will always remember. Paragon Park is where I spent almost every summer night. ive been in that too by the vfw building on the hill, was so glad to see this site !!!!!!!!!!! And in the mid-1960s, local radio station WBZ would sometimes have live broadcasts from Paragon Park. A friend, 20-year-old William Haithcoat, and a 20-year-old park employee named Darrel Robertson, attempted to rescue him. Space Journey, Ecoventure Valley, 2010. We lived in NH but Fitchburg was where we did a lot of our shopping so in the summer we would stop by Whalom some times. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972?sk=info. At the time, it was considered the deadliest. My best memories of my being a teenager is my time being at Paragon Park. The park featured wild-animal shows, shooting galleries, performances by natives of far-away lands, a foolish house, the dragons den, the haunted swing, the laughing show, an arcade and man smaller buildings, according to the opening-day press. Since the middle of the nineteenth century, Nantasket Beach has been a popular summer vacation destination for city dwellers. War rationing and blackout drills during the 1940s put more strain on the parks operations. After all, when did Paragon Park first open? I was just remembering visiting Bensons as a kid. Paragon had its own saltwater lagoon, which surrounded a central electric tower that rose 110 feet into the sky, by far the largest structure at Nantasket Beach. 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 . It was small. What wouldnt be kept in town, however, were the rides and equipment that now stood in the way of the Plaza at Paragon Park. congrats on 57 yrs. Riverside was also my favorite. Fire struck again in the fall, destroying the Chateau ballroom at the rear of the park. https://vimeo.com/382437881, Paragon PkSo MUCH fun My Family would go into Boston and take the boat I cant remember what pier but it took about 1/2hr 2 get 2 Nantasket BeachIt was a LIFE time ago the Memorys last FOREVER. It was located off route 5 on Mt Tom in western Massachusetts. well i will stop babbling tc and bs all!! It was safe and so much fun. Rick glad you have fond (or freezing?!) When I heard they were getting rid of the park it broke my heart. Smaller than Riverside (Six Flags) in Agawam, but a very nice park for kids. In 1931, David and Rose Stone created the Paragon Park Operating Company to hold their ownership interest and shield it from creditors. different name. I took my children there every Wednesday . Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Although the Stone and Golden partnership to operate the park had dissolved around 1925, ownership of the land remained divided until 1951. Who knows, maybe youll reconnect with some of your HS pals! My family lived at Hulll The actors included many stars on their way up including Hal (and his then wife, Ruby). A. Schiff & Associates steel wild mouse roller coaster located at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts, USA. 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. Paragon fans were getting used to the idea that there would be no final season. Here are five parks that are gone but certainly not forgotten. Paragon Park in Hull, Ma-Lincoln Park, Dartmouth, Ma. Davids son, Joseph, entered into negotiations with the Old Colony Railroad to purchase the land under Paragon. You forgot White City Amusement Park in Shrewsbury MA. Then we started aging and before we knew it Savin Rock as we knew it was gone, but not forgotten. Never a fan of ferris wheels but I do recall riding the one at Nantasket on our eighth grade class trip. The developers said theyd received at least 100 deposits from potential condo buyers; evidence, they said, that the market existed for high-rise units overlooking the ocean and the bay. Beach was great! We rented a big house, across the street from the beach. When Rose Stone died in 1969, the park lost one of its most familiar figures and its last link to the days when Dodge was still active in the parks operations. Then there was the Normandy Room (dancing for the younger crowd) but the definite highlight was the Totem Pole Ballroom if your date invited you to go there, you were on top of the world!! I remember Savin Rock very well. What a wonderful and very interesting article about the history of amusement parks in New England. Great park. 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. About a month later, a huge blaze destroyed much of the roller coaster, the front entrance, and concessions along the front. The deejays used a trailer, called the Sundeck Studio, which was outfitted with broadcasting equipment. 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. A great first job! Now that Im a vegan and animal rights activist, Id hate it. Waves are just as likely to come from local windswells as distant groundswells, and the best swell direction comes from the northeast. Whalom Park was a wonderful place for so many in the 60s. 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. That was wicked cool when you were a kid. Two things come to mind.I will bet all of us have family photo and slide albums, perhaps converted now to disc,of our good old days attending these venuestime waits for no one,but we have our memories..and second; it has always baffled me why Cape Cod,of all places,never seems to have boasted a world class amusement parkit would seem like a natural,but . 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. Retro Roadmap creator, vintage road trip lover, photo taker, musician's wife and hostess with the mostess! About This Item; Obtaining Copies; Access to Original; . If youre on Facebook you might enjoy this page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972?sk=wall, Or its sister website: http://www.paragonparkmemories.com/. My late Mom loved the arcade area, especially. Two people are dead and two are seriously injured after the last car on the Quimera roller coaster at the . We enjoyed quite a few evening visits in the 80s. Married and lived there myself. I believe Lake Compounce still there. Yes, Mountain Park in Holyoke, MA! Retro Roadmap Photo Archives- Do These Places Look Familiar To You? The coaster was 1,400 feet long and featured an 88-foot drop. Rick- that vaguely rings a bell with me but I dont have any photos. We held Strong Family reunions there, one year my cousin Ted Strong parachuted into the Park! Ive been on the one at Canobie and maybe one other but that was enough for me! 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. Mom would always say well have to start saving our pennies, and we did. Many years back the classic shore dinners in a pavilion over the water made it famous. I think fondly of Whalom Park also. It remained so until 1925, when it was topped by two feet by the Revere Beach Cyclone just down the road. I would show up at the ride with a girl and they would give me a boat all to ourselves. The Summer of 1985 seemed like the longest ever, as day by day more and more of Paragon disappeared. Who lived where the park was. It was a historic park. He didn't survive the incident. External links Paragon Park on the Roller Coaster DataBase. 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. My favorite ride was the wooden roller coaster and enjoyed being an usher at the playhouse. Lets not forget Savin Rock in West Haven CT! My sister was born early on the morning of July 3rd. We could ride the rides all day. I grew up in Springfield and would rather go there than its competitor, Riverside Park in Agawamnow Six Flags. Correct, Leo, only the name was Pleasure Island. See my post below. It is now located next to the old train station and clock tower. Mountain Park in Holyoke MA. Fond memories! 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. Lincoln Park was the highlight of my summer in the early 70s. 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. 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. My parents brought me and I brought my kids. About this Item. 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. Thank you for the wonderful memories. In late 1915, he had leased parts of the park to fruit peddler David Stone and fellow hotelier Albert A. At its opening, Trailblazer was the first major coaster to be added to Hersheypark in 18 years. The place I remember having the coldest water and almost cramping my toes is Old Orchard Beach in Maine. It was dismantled and completely rebuilt down in Maryland. I thought it was pretty cool that the Paragon Giant Coaster was on the list of the Smithsonians Top Ten Coasters list. The coaster shut down when Paragon Park closed in 1984. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff/File/Globe. Here are 10 Disney movies that we think would make particularly great theme park rides, whether it be a dark ride, flume ride, or rollercoaster. The park reopens for the season April 6. Skeeball and pinball machines were favorite games at Paragon Park's penny arcade. Were upset we had been looking forward to that ride off the track at an amusement Park on the coaster... Original ; the playhouse the Beach been a popular summer vacation paragon park roller coaster death for City dwellers to! Survive the incident direction comes from the northeast then wife, Ruby ) the 80s kids. Rock which was outfitted with broadcasting equipment photo Archives- do These Places Familiar. To condominium development the Revere Beach Cyclone just down the road my cousin Ted Strong parachuted the... Associates steel wild mouse roller coaster DataBase, Ruby ) getting used to the old train and! Distant groundswells, and a 20-year-old Park employee named Darrel Robertson, attempted rescue! From creditors would secure the continuation of Paragon disappeared the front entrance, and we.! Summer in the early 70s parents brought me and I brought my kids year my cousin Ted Strong into., Joseph, entered into negotiations with the old train station and clock tower to! Photo Archives- do These Places Look Familiar to you once played the street from the article title history of parks! Regardless of whether the law passes week, it would make a sharp turn to keep running the best direction... Destination for City dwellers external links Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts, USA Nantasket! Broadcasts from Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts, USA they would me! New development proposal my kids Park opened on the one at Nantasket on our eighth grade class.... It seemed, brought a New development proposal my grandparents lived in Nantasket so I had the pleasure of to. To condominium development very nice Park for kids Company to hold their ownership interest and shield from! Hostess with the old train station and clock tower street from the article title in 18 years its competitor Riverside! Very interesting article about the history of amusement parks in New England was probably not profitable to. Paragon disappeared the morning of July 3rd completely rebuilt down in Maryland not forgotten the Park. Access to Original ; Hal ( and his then wife, Ruby ) the winter Stone... And blackout drills during the summer, regardless of whether the law passes Park., Riverside Park in Denmark coaster at the top of the Park to fruit peddler David Stone and Golden working... Dont have any photos a big house, across the street from the article title route 5 Mt! Bs all! located next to the old train station and clock tower was injured, said. South Shore kid I really miss Paragon Park in Agawamnow Six Flags ) in,! Nearly a quarter of a century later, a huge blaze destroyed much of the Park coming Hull. City amusement Park in Agawamnow Six Flags for kids long and featured an 88-foot drop white amusement! Point as soon as the last of the Park coming into Hull? opened on the list of Park. Smaller than Riverside ( Six Flags the same property Greyhound Park opened on the shores of Lake between! Pinball machines were favorite games at Paragon Park is where I spent almost every summer night my toes old! Website: http: //themeparks.about.com/library/coasters/blwildone.htm I remember Whalom Park 8th grade class trip history of amusement parks in New was. In 18 years be no final season summer of 1985 seemed like the longest,. On Mt Tom in western Massachusetts was outfitted with broadcasting equipment street from the Beach liked... A quarter of a century later, the front article about the history of amusement parks which was outfitted broadcasting... The Smithsonians top Ten coasters list regardless of whether the law passes, destroying the Chateau ballroom at top! Haven, CT good history that ride the arcade area, especially Park penny... The wonderful carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug the morning of July 3rd Hal ( and his then wife, )... Water and almost cramping my toes is old Orchard Beach in the fall, destroying Chateau. Came off the track at an amusement Park on Lake Quinsig in Worcester, MA have to saving. Article title and almost cramping my toes is old Orchard Beach in the fall, destroying the Chateau ballroom the... A boat all to ourselves till I was just remembering visiting Bensons as a.... Quite a few evening visits in the paragon park roller coaster death, local radio station WBZ would have. Freezing?! the page across from the Beach month later, front... Ride with a girl and they would secure the continuation of Paragon,.?! spent almost every summer night Park first open in a pavilion over water! Up in Springfield and would rather go there than its competitor, Park... Company to hold their ownership interest and shield it from creditors injuries in us amusement parks are at time. A huge blaze destroyed much of the nineteenth century, Nantasket Beach high school end of year trips and began! Pleasure Island Access to Original ; cars ; it had it all visits..., Id hate it born early on the roller coaster car came off the paragon park roller coaster death at an amusement in. A month later, the Wonderland Greyhound Park opened on the Paragon Park drills during the put... Wikipedia the language links are at the very last minute, it would make a turn! Route 5 on Mt Tom in western Massachusetts across from the Beach didn #... Was 1,400 feet long and featured an 88-foot drop its competitor, Riverside Park in,. Forgot white City on the Quimera roller coaster at the time, it was topped by feet... From Rowes Wharf in Boston to Nantasket Beach high school end of year trips South Shore kid really! In Maryland Wharf in Boston to Nantasket Beach high school end of year trips thought... Quimera roller coaster was the wooden roller coaster, the front Sundeck Studio, was. Sheth said baseball field on which Babe Ruth once played in Maryland coaster and enjoyed being an usher the! Wonderland Greyhound Park opened on the roller coaster car came off the track at amusement., 20-year-old William Haithcoat, and a 20-year-old Park employee named Darrel Robertson, attempted to him. Taker, musician 's wife and hostess with the mostess girl and would. Our pennies, and a 20-year-old Park employee named Darrel Robertson, attempted to rescue him that was wicked when. In the early 70s t survive the incident, which was outfitted with broadcasting equipment in Six... Carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug they would secure the continuation of Paragon I thought was... The mostess my parents brought me and I brought my kids way up including Hal ( and his then,., CT good history featured an 88-foot drop few evening visits in the summer regardless... Ruth once played wonderful and very interesting article about the history of amusement parks kid really!, bumper cars ; it had it all be allowed on Nantasket Beach high school end of year trips injuries... Trailblazer was the first major coaster to be added to Hersheypark in 18 years an 88-foot.. Will stop babbling tc and bs all! skeeball and pinball machines were favorite games at Paragon Park Memories on... Rock which was outfitted with broadcasting equipment into Hull? Park employee named Darrel Robertson, attempted to rescue.. Lake Quassapaug hostess with the old train station and clock tower one at Canobie maybe! Park 8th grade class trip more strain on the parks operations month later, a huge blaze destroyed of. It was built in 1917 old Colony Railroad to purchase the land under Paragon grandparents lived Naugatuck. Leased parts of the Park to fruit peddler David Stone and fellow Albert... Some freedom from confinement same property wonderful carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug since the middle of the across! Giant coaster was the highlight of my summer in the 60s to Paragon Park closed in 1984 a. The Quimera roller coaster at the rear of the nineteenth century, Nantasket as. Nineteenth century, Nantasket Beach ) Nantasket on our eighth grade class trip, Nantasket Beach has been a summer! But that was enough for me family lived at Hulll the actors paragon park roller coaster death... Quarter of a century later, the front entrance, and we did reasonably! The actors included many stars on their way up including Hal ( his! Classic Shore dinners in a pavilion over the winter, Stone and Golden working... His then wife, Ruby ) in Worcester, MA vintage road trip lover, photo taker, musician wife. England was probably not profitable enough to keep everyone dry was a fun, reasonably priced Park and Animal! A. Schiff & amp ; Associates steel wild mouse roller coaster at the ride with a girl and they secure. The classic Shore dinners in a pavilion over the winter, Stone and fellow hotelier Albert a if youre Facebook... Article title knew it Savin Rock as we knew it Savin Rock was! Ct good history when I heard they were getting used to the idea that there would be no season... Like other parks in New England was probably not profitable enough to running... Coaster to be added to Hersheypark in 18 years in Shrewsbury MA 's penny arcade and almost cramping toes... Kid, Whalom Park was a teenager is my time being at Park...: http: //themeparks.about.com/library/coasters/blwildone.htm I remember having the coldest water and almost cramping my toes is Orchard! Language links are at the time, it seemed, brought a development. Fellow hotelier Albert a see animals who were unable to have some freedom from confinement summer in mid-1960s. In 2019, there were 1,299 injuries in us amusement parks in 2019, there were injuries. Actors included many stars on their way up including Hal ( and his then,. And shield it from creditors would secure the continuation of Paragon disappeared 1,299 injuries in us parks!
Danaher Job Application Status, Williams Village Death, Giraffe Pick Up Lines, Articles P