Lincoln Park, N. Dartmouth, MA We went there all the time as children. What a surprise to have Colossus live at our Zoo here, for many years. We did just one stop at Bensons when I was a child and didnt like it. Approximately 30,000 theme-park-related injuries occur each year, though not many of those can be classified as "serious injuries," and even fewer end in death. The only coaster at the park was Viper, a Huss-Arrow looper from 1982. I was so sad when Lincoln park closed. Paragon Park in Hull, Ma-Lincoln Park, Dartmouth, Ma. They flew around the 2,456-foot circuit and the coaster utilized two lift hills, each almost 100-feet high. There were dances, performances, and exhibitions at the Alhambra Ballroom; the dinner hall on a bluff overlooking the bay was famed for its Rhode Island shore dinners (steamed clams, clam chowder, lobster, clam cakes, fish, corn on the cob, and watermelon). Chester Kahn, a condominium developer whose summer residence was one block away from the Stones Hull home, floated the idea of turning Paragon into a high-rise condominium complex. She convinced me to ride the corkscrew roller coaster and that was the beginning of my love of roller coasters. A 14-year-old girl has died after a roller coaster car came off the track at an amusement park in Denmark. My dad worked there. Fires twice damaged the coaster, in 1932 and 1962. The rest of the site is devoted to condominiumdevelopment. Unfortunately it was replaced by a Six Flags. 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. My family lived at Hulll I believe Lake Compounce still there. And you can still ride the Wild One wooden roller coaster at Six Flags America in Maryland. I remember Lincoln Park. It was a complicated transaction, as Dodge still was leasing the property from the railroad, and subleased the operation to Stone and Golden. Is there a wave on Nantasket Beach? Newton High Schools Senior Proms were held in the Totem Pole Ballroom ~ what a special memory!! With the Stones out of town on vacation, disaster duty fell to Klayman. 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. I can almost picture it. If my memory serves me, there was a airplane ride that soared over the lake ! Remember the himalaya ? With the dragon that breathed real fire that you could see from the main Route. 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. Photo, Print, Drawing Roller coaster, [Paragon Park], Nantasket Beach, Mass. Even though that was in 1984, every time he tells the story he apologises to the poor kid sitting behind him all over again. Thank you for the flashbacks! It is now adjacent to the old train station and clock tower. Your story brought back many memories. "It was the noise. For the life of me I can not remember the name.But it was a really big thing to me back in the day. 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. 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. Met my husband at Lake Whalom and we have been married 57 years this year. Paragon Park - Roller Coaster on Nantasket Beach - 1984! I remember a vacation my family took in Misquamucut RI , in maybe 1957 . Roller skating was a big thing for me. Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff/File/Globe. 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. Great memories! Through the decades, the venues Palladium Ballroom hosted a lineup of performers that ranged from Janis Joplin to the Ramones and Pearl Jam. 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. Yes, Riverside Park was memorable as was Mountain Park. What a great story. We used to go every year! I loved Norumbega Park and all the rides. During peak season, street parking (for free) fills up by 7 a.m. A couple of $20 grassy lots are available away from the beach but close, such as across the street. When you were at the very top, you would head downhill so fast that it looked like you were going to end up in the water. Thank you for the wonderful memories. It was small, but close to home, so we got there often! Pleasure Island Norumbega were our amusement parks of choice. Retro Roadmap Photo Archives- Do These Places Look Familiar To You? 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. Romantic Totem Pole with sofas next to table lamps, and one time, the Spike Jones Band. There was a miniature golf course under the roller coaster. Except for the flying swings incident. Then in myn40s met a man. It operated there from 1917 to 1984. This incident. I worked for Paragon Park as a ride operator for three consecitives summers from the age 14-17. Paragon Park was an amusement park located on Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. These old beach attractions are truly an endangered species. The Friends operate the carousel next door to the former railroad station, and in 2013 opened a small museum of Paragon memorabilia. SUMMER - Open six days a week during the summer (closed Tuesdays). Other favorites: the roller coaster that sat right on the edge of the water. The carousel was always a favorite ride no matter how young or old I was. The doll has to be from the fiftys because my aunt died, and she was 81 when she died in 1992. A great first job! 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. My question exactly! Also remembr White City Park near Worcester fondly. I had so many old photos of me so young with families and cousins srbthede park, Canobie is still open, far as I could tell, Canobie Lake Park is definitely not closed. United States--Massachusetts--Nantasket Beach. 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. 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. Growing up in Everett,MA I know several of these parks. Mountain Park in Holyoke, MA! They married in 1935. 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. Me toonear 77, remember Bensons fondly==I was born and raised in Webster Mass.-I still have a scarf, pik with horse on it that says Bensons Wild animal park on it. village from 54-56. 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. Chuck Lawrence. At the time, it was considered the deadliest. The musical runs from July 27 through . I do recall later that year being able to pick up a trinket or two at Building #19, a local salvage and odd lot shop, but even now the sight of this sign makes me kick myself. The park opened to rave reviews. Neither one mentioned. The Great Blizzard of 1978 put the park under six feet of water as the Atlantic Ocean and Hull Bay converged on the Hull peninsula and left a wake of destruction. On June 26, 2019, two trains at Cedar Point bumped on the Valravn roller coaster. Did you hold on tight or tempt fate and ride with your hands stretched toward the sky? I remember riding the elephant at Bensons. 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. Took my kids to Kings Castle Land, Whitman, Ma, I miss Riverside Park, Agawam, Ma-not the same since Six Flags took it over. At the very last minute, it would make a sharp turn to keep everyone dry. It was closed in the 80s and there are condos located on the site. From late June to early September, lifeguards are on duty. 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. My grandparents took me. We lived in Rockland when I was very young and could see that often. Touted as the strangest farm on earth, this park was developed by John Benson, a British animal trainer who had originally purchased a 200-acre lot about an hour north of Boston to serve as a temporary home for animals he would buy and sell. This was a Great deal $ ! The roller coaster hit speeds of up to 53 miles per hour during a ride of less than 2 minutes. 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. Rebecca thanks for visiting Retro Roadmap, and best of luck with your novel. Does anyone remember the amusement park in Medway, MA that was destroyed in a fire back in the 70s? Back before we moved to Connecticut in the. My best friend took me there when I moved to the area in 1983. Within a few weeks, Kahn announced that the developers would ride to the rescue and keep the ride operating, either on-site or at a separate location within the towns borders. Salisbury Beach was a once a year treat. 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. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972?sk=info. It features a 450 spiral helix and a series of bunny hills that produce a significant amount of air time. Oh just one more comment,thanks to Larry Stone who put me to work every summer running the flying scooter, flying cages, or the rocket swing,then the lindyloop, We had so much fun. How Id love to take one more slide ride. Dogs are banned from the state-owned Nantasket Beach Reservation from May 1 to September, and a local law change would have no effect on the states rules. 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. The park reopens for the season April 6. It opened in 1917, closed in 1984. A Save the Carousel effort began in earnest in February, with local residents lobbying Larry and Phyllis Stone to keep the merry-go-round intact, and keep it in Hull. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Disneyland, 2003. I loved the Giant Coaster and the Congo Cruise. Great memories going back at least 50 years! . Elvis came there back in the 50s. Many years back the classic shore dinners in a pavilion over the water made it famous. In its 96 years, 1985 was the only season of operation the roller coaster has missed. The Chicago event introduced the concept of the midway of attractions now common at amusement parks and carnivals (known then as the Midway Plaisance), and inspired the construction of hundreds of enclosed parks across the country, many of which took their names from the White City nickname of the whitewashed buildings that surrounded the Columbian Expositions central lagoon. Lincoln Park in Dartmouth, MA, just part of New Bedford, MA! Sorry when it closed. Subsequent owners added various entertainments, including a baseball field on which Babe Ruth once played. But my most vivid, and fond memory was Misquamucut, and this mystery park! From dawn to dusk, the restaurant is open all year. He contracted with the Philadelphia Toboggan Company to build the tallest roller coaster in the world, Paragons 98-foot Giant Coaster. 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. 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. Park. Over the winter, Stone and Golden began working on how they would secure the continuation of Paragon. I do remember Whalom Park and Bensons Wild Animal farm as well, we took our own children there a few times as well! The actors included many stars on their way up including Hal (and his then wife, Ruby). The deejays used a trailer, called the Sundeck Studio, which was outfitted with broadcasting equipment. I can always remember when we were getting close to the the beach and we would pick-up the scent of the ocean and we could hear the screams coming from the riders on the coaster. 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. Although the Stone and Golden partnership to operate the park had dissolved around 1925, ownership of the land remained divided until 1951. 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. Copyright 2021 Retro Roadmap. Jack! Used to be a boat we could take from Boston to Nantasket for a great day trip. Very interesting about the Amusement Parks/brings back childhood memories. This makes the second fatal accident at an amusement park this year. I took my children there every Wednesday . 2023 www.patriotledger.com. 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