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. In Africa, what three biomes are the most common? Although he and Eastern Park sold off the Rockland House as part of their 1907 separation, Dodge later bought the Pemberton Hotel and Pemberton Inn, adjacent hotels at the farthest end of the Hull peninsula. So many wonderful memories. 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. Im now a Hull year-round resident, 1/4 mile from where the park once stood. I think fondly of Whalom Park also. The question would never be fully answered, however, as the 1982 election of gambling opponent Michael Dukakis as Massachusetts governor sealed the fate of any casino dreams. Loved Whalom park took several girlfriends there. Sorry when it closed. Till I was a teenager lived in Naugatuck CT and lived to ride the wonderful carousel at nearby Lake Quassapaug! In the photo at right, from June 2, 1942, mechanics who had just finished the annual inspection and repairs to the Paragon Park roller coaster gave it the first ride of the 1942 season. Glad to know that the Giant Coaster is still around and can be enjoyed by those who have the stomach for it . I remember Whalom Park and Bensons Animal Farm fondly. 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. The 25.9-acre amusement park the nations largest at the time included roller coasters and other rides, games, vaudeville and movie theaters, a funhouse, and a health center where premature infants in incubators were put on display. I still visit Nantasket when I can, thumbing my nose at the condos and visiting the carousel (PTC #85) that they saved and moved down the street. The roller coaster hit speeds of up to 53 miles per hour during a ride of less than 2 minutes. Paragon Park is where I spent almost every summer night. We went there many times. From dawn to dusk, the restaurant is open all year. Can not believe Canobie is closed. We rented a big house, across the street from the beach. 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. This was a Great deal $ ! We enjoyed quite a few evening visits in the 80s. I grew up right near norunbeger park me and my friends would take a row boat across the Charles river to get into the park, we would go almost every day in the summer, we didnt have much money but could go to the park by crossing the Charles river and just walking in. On June 9, 1991, death stalked the grounds of Kings Island amusement park. I lived at Nantasket from 75 79. I found this video in my archives! Also visited Crescent Park, Rocky Point ,Bensons ,Pleasure Island,Kings Castle land Whitman,Ma Whalom and Canobie Lake. 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. Thanks for reminding me of some really great times. It was closed in the 80s and there are condos located on the site. According to the latest fatalities report from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in 2005, 52 . 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. I would show up at the ride with a girl and they would give me a boat all to ourselves. Well put. Dodge believed in his vision and bought out his partners in 1907. Tilyous inventions were so commonplace that fun houses of differing sizes became known as a steeplechase.. Lincoln Park, North Dartmouth, Ma. Worked there for a while after graduation. That was wicked cool when you were a kid. 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. David Goran is one of the authors writing for The Vintage News Michael Jaramillo, 11, died Sunday after he and three others were injured on the Raging River water ride at . Paragon Park on Nantasket Beach in Hull, MA has to be the most beloved old amusement park in New England and one of the top 10 in the country. One day in June 1911 while the roller coaster company's owner was standing up in a roller coaster car delivering a speech to other passengers about safety, he ironically fell to his death. Norumbega Park loved going there when I was young! My family had the summer home on the hill directly behind Hurleys Bathhouse (for those who remember). Im so glad I caught the Art Deco lines and colors, as well as a bit of the ski lift ride as well! Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Have you seen the website http://www.paragonparkmemories.com/Index.html ? Back before we moved to Connecticut in the. My best memories of my being a teenager is my time being at Paragon Park. 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. Share. The musical runs from July 27 through . So sad that it is gone. Hopefully at a family get together that poor kid is now telling his children (or grandchildren), You ARE NOT going to believe what happened to me in 1984 at Whalom Park, it sure wasnt funny then but looking back, Back in 1973, a guy made a sci-fi home film that had several filming locations, one of them being the Fun-o-Rama park at Salisbury Beach, MA. Still remember the black rubber knife I bought as a souvenir. As a South Shore kid I really miss Paragon Park in Hull MA (Nantasket Beach). Community content is available under CC-BY-SA unless otherwise noted. Thank you for the wonderful memories. 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. It was a complicated transaction, as Dodge still was leasing the property from the railroad, and subleased the operation to Stone and Golden. Now folks who have never been there will get an inkling of how important the park was to so many people! . 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. Not only did I grow up in Hull, I worked at Paragon Park from 15 to 19 (1965 to 1969). I remember those rides at White City and that airplane ride over the lake scared the bejesus out of me ! There was also a small park in or near Whitman, MA cant recall the name that we went to once. What fun memories at all of these places! Peter thats so cool that your grandad had the restaurant under the clock! We used all our tickets there. Canobie Lake was where out Sr HS class had an unofficial Senior Day. For Christopher Haraden, who grew up just beyond a curve in the coaster's tracks on Rockview Road, the ride and its riders were the sounds of summer. It was dismantled and completely rebuilt down in Maryland. Somewhere I have an old B&W photo of tiny little me looking up at an elephant in awe. There was a miniature golf course under the roller coaster. \r\rEnjoy! 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. You say Wonderland may have helped inspire Disneyland, but Disney employees were actually involved with Pleasure Island in Wakefield, Massachusetts. 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. sadly lasted only about 10 years. Cyndinow living in South Jersey but always a New Englander. Who knows, maybe youll reconnect with some of your HS pals! Think classic American road trip and the name Route 66 will undoubtedly come up sooner rather than later, and for good reason. Crowds dwindled in the 1970s, and the park finally closed following the 1977 season. Movie Stars came from California The Three Stooges often preformed on stage I believe it closed in the late 60s. During the next several months, the town of Hull was in turmoil. So little love for Nantasket Beach and Paragon Park!!! Take a ride down Memory Lane! My family always preferred Mountain Park then Riverside. Where is the Paragon Park roller coaster now, given this? The coaster shut down when Paragon Park closed in 1984. rollercoaster type ride , called the wild Mouse Does anyone know of this? 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 barely being able to wait until the park opened at 12?1? I lived in Leominister and took the bus to whalom Park on Saturdays. The roller coaster, known as the Green Streak, replaced an earlier, figure-8 model that had been located at the rear of the complex next to the Palm Garden. I miss Pleasure Island in Wakefield MA! 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. They open for the 2022 season on May 28. https://www.canobie.com/. I was so sad when Lincoln park closed. 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. 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. Shore dinners especially the clamcakes. The coaster was rebuilt and reopened in 1986. 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. Those poor animals. 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 couldnt wait to turn the site into a condominium complex. Nantasket Beach, Massachusetts, is an exposed beach break with consistent surf that can be used at any time of year. In late 1985, they canceled the development all together, and announced that they would sell the beloved carousel at auction 28 days later. Within five years, the rail line was abandoned forever. As the story goes, were it not for the limited number of months in the year it could be open, Disney would have been more involved. A scenic railway was added in 1900. 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. Follow The History of Paragon Park on WordPress.com, Paragons Administration Building an original from 1905. Each week, it seemed, brought a new development proposal. At the time, it was considered the deadliest. 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!! Location: Massachusetts, United States. We moved to Gulf Breeze, FL and several years later they started . He also would own the row of storefronts along Nantasket Avenue from the front entrance northward to Fascination, although to most observers, the separation was not noticeable. Now 67 Grew up close to Canobie Lake Park and Bensons Wild Animal Park and spent so much time at both. Then we started aging and before we knew it Savin Rock as we knew it was gone, but not forgotten. My cousin owned the pizza shop across the street from the parking lot and lived there. http://themeparks.about.com/library/coasters/blwildone.htm I remember riding the elephant at Bensons. Great memories and was able to take my kids to a couple of these growing up. Maybe 5 years old. 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. But most significantly, Dodge looked to make an impact with the new and improved park. 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. But its now been 7 years since the efforts began to try to restore and reopen the park and nothing has been fully accomplished to date. Roller skating was a big thing for me. 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. My late Mom loved the arcade area, especially. 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. I have fond memories of an amusement park called Mountain Park that Isnt mentioned. I went for a visit recently and got inspired for a novel Im working on, but I was looking for some photographic inspiration. Without even knowing it, wed had our last ride at Paragon Park. I really did enjoy Paragon Park. Where is the Paragon Park roller coaster now, given this? Space Journey, Ecoventure Valley, 2010. It was similar to another of its kind in the Adirondacks north of Schroon Lake, Frontiertown. It must have been about 1956 when we went to Cowboy Village. We lived in Hamden and Dad thought it was fairly close by in Killingworth. It was small. Over the winter, Stone and Golden began working on how they would secure the continuation of Paragon. My older brother worked at Paragon for two summers running rides. This was perfect! 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. I have a 24 doll won by my aunt at the Nantasket beach, the doll has no markings, but has the tag still stapled on the voil dress she has on, the tag said won at Luckys Nantasket beach park . Wow spent every summer thare as a kid into my teenage yrs. In October 2014, it was reborn as the 120-acre Rocky Point State Park. Davids son, Joseph, entered into negotiations with the Old Colony Railroad to purchase the land under Paragon. Anybody know anything?!!! The wooden coaster was previously known as Giant Coaster when it was located at Paragon Park in Hull, Massachusetts. The rest of the site is dedicated to condominium development. I have many fond memories of Whalom Park and Im glad you included it. In Africa, what are the two most common biomes? However, the showpiece 1895 carousel complete with its original band organ and hand-carved figures including 61 horses, a camel, and four chariots was designated as a National Historic Landmark and fully restored, and today it continues to delight kids of all ages. Park. Statistics are an important factor to take into consideration when you begin riding an ample amount of roller coasters. Great memories! You can help Coasterpedia by expanding it. 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. We would drive to Hull from our house in Boston. I know it was small compared to others mentioned, Salem Willows was always a blast! You can definitely make out a number of landmark features like the Witch Castle, Toboggan roller coaster, Coaster Dodgem, and Midway Flying Horses. Paragons next major milestones arrived in 1963, when three separate fires swept through the area. Wildcat, Bell's Amusement Park, 1997. All rights reserved. I use to go to Lincoln Park in Dartmouth, Ma. I showed off my roller skating expertise to my junior high classmates back in the 2023 www.patriotledger.com. Yes ! It is now located next to the old train station and clock tower. The coaster is now called \"The Wild One\". It remained so until 1925, when it was topped by two feet by the Revere Beach Cyclone just down the road. Mountain Park in Holyoke was my favorite, my cousins and I would go there when they visited from Acton. From late June to early September, lifeguards are on duty. Its most famous piece is functioning a huge light up cross at the top of a summit overlooking I-84, clearly seen from the highway at all hours. Very scary, but such an adventure. I grew up in the 80s and 90s in rhode island and Rocky Point was an amazing amusement park. I think he is still alive but at a Zoo in another state. Magnificent as it was, Wonderland may have grown too quickly to support itself. One of the best. It had a great wooden roller coaster as well as a Ferris Wheel and other attractions. Knowing it, wed had our last ride at Paragon Park from 15 to 19 ( 1965 to 1969.... Park called Mountain Park that Isnt mentioned of Hull was in turmoil when I was a miniature course. 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