According to a Washington Post article from that time, it was purchased at auction for just $28,000. 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 Aftermath: Roller Coaster. I grew up in The Berkshires and looked forward every summer to making a trip to Mountain Park and stopping at the nearby dinosaur tracks along with way. Park. It is now adjacent to the old train station and clock tower. Next, 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. Peter thats so cool that your grandad had the restaurant under the clock! I remember going to Bensons Wild Animal Farm several times as a youngster. He was the manager and operator of the Green Streak roller coaster in Paragon Park located in Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts. 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. The Nantasket Beach Steamboat Company struggled for several years before declaring bankruptcy; the Old Colony Railroad suspended train service in 1932, substituting buses to and from the Nantasket Junction depot in Hingham. As a South Shore kid I really miss Paragon Park in Hull MA (Nantasket Beach). In 1916, park owner George A. When young my parents would take me tomthe Wonderland Park in Revere MA. My late Mom loved the arcade area, especially. Lincoln Park was the highlight of my summer in the early 70s. It is called the Wild One now. My family lived at Hulll Makes the Delaware beaches we now frequent seem downright tropical! Thanks for addding your history to the thread of Paragon Park. \r\rDo you remember hearing the clicking of the cars as they climb to the top? Whalom Park!! A wood coaster was just what the park needed for its 10th anniversary, and Predator delivered. Lizzie- Myrtle Beach is definitely in the air today as a pal just asked about retro roadmap worthy places to go around that area. 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 reason for the hoopla appears to be "Paragon Park: The Musical," co-written by Zoe Bradford and Michael Hammond with music and lyrics by Adam Brooks. Fun fact: a couple of fires over the years changed the configuration of The Giant Coasters track, but it was a fire at another park in St. Louis that allowed Paragon Parks owner to buy a couple of cars from a coaster named The Comet, which is why some of the cars on The Giant Coaster had Comet on them. Revere Beach was the closest, and we visited often. Memories, thanks. Is Nantasket Beach also open? 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. Six Flags America in Maryland purchased the coaster and relocated it in 1985. Storybook characters, a pirate ship and Dodge City with a saloon and stagecoach holdups were among the attractions. Jankovic was riding "The Voyage" roller coaster on June 4 when she became "unresponsive," the theme park said in a Facebook post. There were daily parades and a scenic railroad, too. Still saw remnants of the park in the area. This is one of the smaller "camel humps" of the Giant Coaster being disassembled so that it could be reborn as The Wild One in Maryland. The rest of the site is dedicated to condominium development. Is this all about Massachusetts or not? About This Item; Obtaining Copies; Access to Original; . External links Paragon Park on the Roller Coaster DataBase. Yet, in 14 years (1990-2004), there were only 54 amusement park fatalities. Nantasket Beach. My favorite ride was the merry go round and, when I got older the race track where you could drive cars around a track. The place I remember having the coldest water and almost cramping my toes is Old Orchard Beach in Maine. The Bat, the world's first suspended roller coaster, failed because of design problems. 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 had a great wooden roller coaster as well as a Ferris Wheel and other attractions. Kings Castle, Whitman, great amusements for kids to age 10 maybe 12. The flume was a fun ride but scared the crap out of me. 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. My Park in Holyoke, MA. Rick- that vaguely rings a bell with me but I dont have any photos. 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. \rIt is 1984! But they would find that recovering from a flood was entirely different. I wonder if anyone remembers the Pine Island Park in NH. Police said the ride was going full-speed when the Ferguson was struck. Very scary, but such an adventure. Thank you for putting these wonderful pictures together. Lincoln Park was THE BEST! Early 50s. Unfortunately it was replaced by a Six Flags. Savin Rock Amusement Park in West Haven, CT, How about the old boardwalk at Revere Beach, Pleasure Island in Wakefield,Ma The Kiddie Ranch Rte 1 Saugus, Ma. I lived at Nantasket from 75 79. I can almost picture it. Well put. At about the same time, Dodge decided to scale back from running Paragon on a day-to-day basis. "You can hear cars squeaking and the people screaming," Haraden said in an interview with The Patriot Ledger. Bemsons was my other favorite with animals and rides. 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. 1 g per cup Kelloggs Corn, Why do blackberries have such a bitter flavor? I felt so sorry for that creature. Without even knowing it, wed had our last ride at Paragon Park. So glad you shared yours here too . This was a Great deal $ ! My sister was born early on the morning of July 3rd. My Mom and Dad went dancing there when they were dating! The financial difficulties of the Depression weighed heavily on Paragons operations. Larry and Phyllis Stone found little common ground in their day-to-day management. I really loved Lincoln Park.If youre not you made my morning just for letting me remember Lincoln Park!!! Dawn R. Jankovic, from Brunswick, Ohio, fell unconscious while riding The Voyage roller coaster at Holiday World in Santa Claus, Indiana . If we had saved enough pennies, we would enjoy the shore dinner before we headed home. The roller coaster was the worlds tallest when it was built in 1917. True story. Googling Pleasure Island Massachusetts will yield many fan sites as well as old and new information, not the least of which is a Friends of Pleasure Island website. It is now located next to the old train station and clock tower. There was also a small park in or near Whitman, MA cant recall the name that we went to once. It was often referred to as Disneyland of the Northeast. There are at least two books published reminiscing about Pleasure Island. Thank you! Not only did I grow up in Hull, I worked at Paragon Park from 15 to 19 (1965 to 1969). The coaster was 1,400 feet long and featured an 88-foot drop. 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. \r\rThe coaster was built in 1917 and operated till the amusement park closed for good at the end of 1984. I would show up at the ride with a girl and they would give me a boat all to ourselves. But my most vivid, and fond memory was Misquamucut, and this mystery park! Its layout and format modeled those of Luna and Dreamland at Coney Island, with an ornate front entrance and exhibitions from foreign lands surrounding the lagoon and electric tower. That was wicked cool when you were a kid. How Id love to take one more slide ride. 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. Till I was a teenager lived in Naugatuck CT and lived to ride the wonderful carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug! Its not very long, but theres a scene where kids are running around a portion of the park. Who lived where the park was. It was moved from Nantasket Beach and opened as The Wild One at Six Flags America outside Washington, D.C. back in 1986. I never liked to see animals who were unable to have some freedom from confinement. It was known as Disneyland of the East. One of the most intriguing to me is Holy Land, USA in Waterbury, CT. Its one of those in-between places that some might say doesnt belong on the list because its being, well, you might say resurrected. Only six years before its inclusion on the list of National Historic Landmarks, the 85-foot-high ride with a top speed of 60 mph proved deadly to one rider. I havent thought about that place in years! In late 1985, they canceled the development all together, and announced that they would sell the beloved carousel at auction 28 days later. Thanks for reminding me of some really great times. 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. Salisbury Beach was a once a year treat. 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. That was a summer vacation treat for us kids in NH. 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. Great memories. My Aunt bought a house near back entrance. With the economy still climbing out of a recession, they faced stark reality years of deferred maintenance and the rising popularity of larger theme parks meant that significant investment would be required to modernize Paragon and make it competitive as a destination. The rest of the site is devoted to condominium development. I remember taking the ferry from Rowes Wharf in Boston to Nantasket Beach as a kid. I have vague memories of Savin Rock in West Haven, CT. It opened in 1905 and closed in 1985. Fond memories! If anyone has a picture of this ride please let me know. 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. 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. It will be interesting to see if in time enough energy is generated that can bring this park back. I remember Whalom Park and Bensons Animal Farm fondly. See it here at. 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!!! 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. Golden. It was dismantled and completely rebuilt down in Maryland. Great memories going back at least 50 years! Newton High Schools Senior Prom was held there until, I think, the very early 60s..a special ending to your school years. Their 1928 purchase of a Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel would become the centerpiece of the park, replacing concessionaire John J. Hurleys previous carousel in the same location. It remained on the site for a short time after the closing, a hulking ghost of the parks past. Theyve got a Facebook page too a great place for everyone to gather and share their memories of the park and fun times there. My favorite memories were watching all the people and traffic on Nantasket Boulevard on Friday and Saturday nights, it was better than watching the movie American Graffiti. During really hot days, the guys running the giant roller coaster let me ride for free during my breaks just to cool off. A. Schiff & Associates steel wild mouse roller coaster located at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts, USA. Those poor animals. The roller coaster hit speeds of up to 53 miles per hour during a ride of less than 2 minutes. 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 . I remember as a young girl with some friends taking the train to Revere Beach Amusement Park in the 50s many times. Who makes these lists? about three woopdie doos If I remember it correctly and about 10 lanes wide. My favorite ride was the music express but not too soon after eating. Hi Joanne, I skated most every week end at the roller rink, Lil and her husband were great. War rationing and blackout drills during the 1940s put more strain on the parks operations. 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. 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. At the very last minute, it would make a sharp turn to keep everyone dry. Sad we have to grow up. Paragon Park is where I spent almost every summer night. Not only was the band funny, but exceptional musicians . Except for the flying swings incident. Climb on board the classic, wooden \"Giant Coaster\" at Paragon Park at Nantasket Beach on Boston's South Shore. Anybody know anything?!!! I remember barely being able to wait until the park opened at 12?1? Great park. I miss them both! Became engaged watching the submarine races there in 1961. My family lived in Agawam at the time , and on Sat .nights we could hear the cars racing at the track. Cause of death was categorized as a result of either external trauma or a medical condition based on available information. I also remember Bensons fondly . The parks owners were challenged in a way they hadnt been previously, as cleanup from a fire is relatively straightforward the burned and damaged areas are removed and replaced. At about this time, a movement within the town of Hull to legalize casino gambling complicated Paragons status within the town vision for the future. I had my first kiss on that ride, and a night I have many fond memories of Whalom Park and Im glad you included it. Superman: Tower of Power in Louisville, Kentucky Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Massachusetts. I took my children there all the time ides were reasonable for a family. My family had the summer home on the hill directly behind Hurleys Bathhouse (for those who remember). growing up in Nashua, it was an exciting and exotic school field trip in the early 70s. My Dad was. We went with another family. Now that Im a vegan and animal rights activist, Id hate it. The wooden coaster was previously known as Giant Coaster when it was located at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts. Shortly after railroad executives signed the paperwork the following March, fire broke out in a paint shop at the park. A scaled down replica of a tour around the Holy Land, the premise certainly has promise. Crews worked around the clock to rebuild the Giant so that it could open that season. Never a fan of ferris wheels but I do recall riding the one at Nantasket on our eighth grade class trip. Thanks for the article which sent me many, many years back in time. 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. The atmosphere was always great! Whalom Park was my go to place, the rides, the roller skating rink and the summer stock Playhouse. Not sure what the weather is like where you are, but weve got snow-a-fallin here outside of Retro Roadmap HQ, so instead of going out on the roads, Im looking backward down memory lane via my own photo collection.I figured Id go back as far as I could in my own collection and start with Paragon Park, circa 1984. Nothing like Paragon Park has ever before been seen near than Luna Park at New York, The Boston Globe enthused, referencing the world-famous amusement center at Coney Island.George A. 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. The ride's top speed is 50 mph, according to the park's Web site. Retro Roadmap Photo Archives- Do These Places Look Familiar To You? Part of its track bed would later be incorporated into the footprint of the amusement park. No one riding on the roller coaster was injured, Sheth said. Of the parks you describe, I visited Rocky Point and Bensons Wild Animal Farm as a child. Glad to know that the Giant Coaster is still around and can be enjoyed by those who have the stomach for it . Us kids in NH got a Facebook page too a great place for everyone to gather and share their of... Years back in time enough energy is generated that can bring this Park back rink and people... Shop at the track up at the very last minute, it was moved from Beach... Depression weighed heavily on Paragons operations following March, fire broke out in a shop. Of me among the attractions Coaster\ '' at Paragon Park at Nantasket Beach.! Skating rink and the summer stock Playhouse races there in 1961 girl with some friends the... 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