David Stone lost two houses on Rockland House Road in the fire; others involved in area concessions lost their homes and businesses as well. Fires twice damaged the coaster, in 1932 and 1962. 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. Traveled from CT many times in my childhood. I circled the site, which seemed so big when I was a kid, and realized how small it was, surrounded by chain link fencing now. I was a lonely kid wandering the park every night, until I \r\rThe coaster was built in 1917 and operated till the amusement park closed for good at the end of 1984. East Bridgewater High School. I thought it was pretty cool that the Paragon Giant Coaster was on the list of the Smithsonians Top Ten Coasters list. I remember barely being able to wait until the park opened at 12?1? Ghosts of Paragon Park 1971. I believe the amusement park in Lincoln Rhode Island is no longer there. Buick Riviera. Among the amusement rides in operation during Paragon Park's history was a traditional-style Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel (PTC #85) built in 1928 with hand-crafted horses, a bumper cars ride known as "Auto Scooters", a Ferris wheel, a horror-themed dark ride called "Kooky Kastle", and a wooden roller coaster known as The Giant Coaster.[1]. The park celebrated the ride's centennial in 2017, although it is thought that none or the original lumber remains. What is the state of ionic compounds at room temperature. What fun memories at all of these places! It was in Killingly, many miles north and east, and my parents had a cranky little boy on their hands. 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. At the very last minute, it would make a sharp turn to keep everyone dry. A Visit To The Retro Roadmap Photo Archives Photos from the American Roadside. As a South Shore kid I really miss Paragon Park in Hull MA (Nantasket Beach). My Late Dad used to work at A&P ( another memory ) They used to have an annual picnic at the park. Newton High Schools Senior Proms were held in the Totem Pole Ballroom ~ what a special memory!! The Giant Roller Coaster of Paragon Park was one of the first sights youd notice as you drove into Hull on George Washington Boulevard. This makes the second fatal accident at an amusement park this year. I spend my life in that park. Our school also had our senior prom there. 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. Happy Anniversary to you both. I am 88 and many classmates are gone. I remember being very unhappy when Paragon was closed because the beachfront was more valuable for condos and snickering at the condo developer going broke when the 1980s bubble burst. In late 1915, he had leased parts of the park to fruit peddler David Stone and fellow hotelier Albert A. Thanks for reviving a special memory! Billed as a miniature worlds fair, the 10-acre park built by the Eastern Park Construction Company was, in fact, fashioned in the image of an actual fair the Worlds Columbian Exposition of 1893. This post was first published in 2020 and has been updated. save the carousel effort was launched, but this time the result would be the formation of the non-profit Friends of the Paragon Carousel and the purchase of the antique merry-go-round for $1.1 million. A perfect ending to another day in paradise at the shore! 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 Likelihood of Dying on a Roller Coaster. Somewhere I have an old B&W photo of tiny little me looking up at an elephant in awe. My wife and I had our first date there. One bidder paid $25 for the entire lot of rainbow-colored trash cans. 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. 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. Yet some may have taken a day trip away from the New Bedford and Fall River areas to visit another of New Englands great amusement parks of old the seaside gem Paragon Park on Nantasket Beach in Hull, Massachusetts. 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. About a month later, a huge blaze destroyed much of the roller coaster, the front entrance, and concessions along the front. Within weeks, however, Kahn-Quinn and the Stones had moved up the closing, deciding that opening the gates to souvenir-seekers, litigious loiterers, and potential vandals was too risky. The coaster shut down when Paragon Park closed in 1984. The skeet ball game. At the center of the park was a lagoon that served as the splashdown point for the popular Shoot the Chute gondola ride. Whalom Park!! True story. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. In 1931, David and Rose Stone created the Paragon Park Operating Company to hold their ownership interest and shield it from creditors. The coaster was rebuilt and reopened in 1986. Download Go. Yes, Mountain Park in Holyoke, MA! 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. No more races. 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. No one riding on the roller coaster was injured, Sheth said. Became engaged watching the submarine races there in 1961. But it didnt take him long to see opportunity in the endless parade of locals coming by to catch a peek at his lions, elephants, monkeys, and other exotic animals. Trailblazer (1974). The last roller coaster-related death in the country was reported in 2007, when an axle on a car broke during a ride in Expoland in Osaka and sent the roller coaster crashing into a guardrail. 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. If youre on Facebook theres a Paragon Park Memories page you might enjoy too: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972. Even met my husband. Is there a wave on Nantasket Beach? Two people are dead and two are seriously injured after the last car on the Quimera roller coaster at the . I remember thinking that day that I would come back and photograph the place right, and get some good shots as there were rumors that the park would close after the next season. This was perfect! It is now adjacent to the old train station and clock tower. well i will stop babbling tc and bs all!! There was also a ski lift-type ride called the Sky Lark, an automobile-themed ride known as "Turnpike Cars" (replaced by a different ride in the 1970s called the "Indy 500"), and a water ride called "Bermuda Triangle" (formerly the "Congo Cruise," the "Jungle Ride," the "Red Mill", and the "Mill Rapids"). 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. So sad that it is gone. My Aunt bought a house near back entrance. Maybe 5 years old. Dad took us there at least once every summer???????? Thanks for the memories. 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. 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. 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. It put Paragon Park on the map as a must-visit for anyone coming to New England, and was beloved by locals as well. Jim- thanks so much for sharing your fond memories of Paragon Park with the RetroRoadmap readers! Aw, I remember going to Bensons Wild Animal Farm! I miss Pleasure Island in Wakefield MA! After spending months being battered in the public realm, Kahn and Quinn abruptly changed course. 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. That was wicked cool when you were a kid. A new stone-carved front entrance designed by Hugh Cairns would add elegance to the Nantasket Avenue side. My favorite was Riverside Park in Agawam MA. Romantic Totem Pole with sofas next to table lamps, and one time, the Spike Jones Band. Oh Rich, I know EXACTLY what you mean about smelling the beach before you even got there. 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 . Went there as a little kid driving Rt.2 all the way from Hartford. I grew up in Springfield and would rather go there than its competitor, Riverside Park in Agawamnow Six Flags. Lincoln Park was THE BEST! Dartmouths Child World Store Was Way Better Than Toys R Us, Dartmouth Bootleggers Role in Ending Prohibition, Dartmouth Responds to Homelessness [TOWNSQUARE SUNDAY], Cheers to National Margarita Day at These SouthCoast Spots, Dartmouth Man Pledges $25,000 to Shawmut Diner Rehab, Dartmouth To Be Home Of First SouthCoast Crumbl Cookies, New Bedford Shawmut Diner Donor to Bristol County Sheriff: Use It or Give It Back, Dartmouth School Bus Rear-Ended in Morning Crash, Have Heart-Shaped Pizza Delivered This Valentines Day. 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. 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. 19T E 347058 N 4681323. It is now located next to the old train station and clock tower. It was a historic park. Due to a private event, the Paragon Carousel will be open from 12pm - 4pm on Saturday October 22. You forgot White City Amusement Park in Shrewsbury MA. Lots of fun and memories were made from my time spent at Whalom. I was just remembering visiting Bensons as a kid. Still remember the black rubber knife I bought as a souvenir. The coaster itself was shortened in order to be ready by the Fourth of July holiday, with its final circular turns left off the drawing board in the interest of time. I remember when they had Elvis performing on the outdoor stagethat was many years ago! White City Amusement Park on Lake Quinsig in Worcester, MA. I did not know that, thanks Larry! Ive ridden the roller coaster that was moved from Paragon to Six Flags America, in both of its locations; Six Flags restored a (horizontal) loop at the end that burned and was removed at Paragon. More for little ones and still open are Storyland and Santas Village in NH a place families still can enjoy. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paragon-Park-Memories/103289636409972?sk=info. Roller skating was a big thing for me. He grew up on Lake Quinsigamond, so Im familiar with White City as well , as the wild animal farm, Nantasket, ( I eventually settled in nearby Cohasset, the carousel is still there. 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. He didn't survive the incident. Great memories going back at least 50 years! 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