Talking to your grandparents

I just had the privelege to speak with my grandpa, great aunt, and some cousins from Ohio. They all grew up right on Geauga lake (which I had been pronouncing incorrectly all this time..."Jogga", not "Ge-ow-ja"). Of course I had to ask what it was like going there as kids.

Grandpa said that all the kids would take their pennies, hop on the trolly, and go all day for roughly one dollar. My aunt said that the Fourth of Julys on the lake we amazing and nothing compared to what they do today. She mentioned that they would have model ships sail out onto the lake and sink and was accompanied by spectacular fireworks displays. For any of you who have seen the movie "Picnic", I'm sure much of that midwestern summertime festival feeling contributed to their fond memories.

I've had similar conversations with my other Grandfather who grew up on the west coast and made many trips to the great old amusement piers of Santa Monica, Venice, and Long Beach.

Of course this is not the only subject that I like to get into, but it's kinda neat to get into something that I have a deep interest in.

Has anybody else here taken the time to talk about the old days with older relatives? What did they say? Seen any pictures?

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"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza
*** This post was edited by janfrederick 9/16/2003 3:35:16 PM ***

My mom and dad have told me about their trip to Six Flags Over Texas during its first year (when my dad was stationed in Wichita Falls with the Air Force). But that's about the only story I've heard. I come from a non-enthusiast family. :)

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A day is a drop of water in the ocean of eternity. A week is seven drops.

I have talked with many friends and relatives regarding the old Muskego Beach (Dandalion Park) here in Wisconsin. This park was one of the old picnic parks. They all talk about this one wooden coaster they had there. I vaguely remember it since I visited the park when I was a little tyke. Anyways, everyone I have talked to always said that you could see boards falling everytime the coaster went through the course and that there were a bunch of people killed on the ride one time. (sounds like a bunch of over exageration to me)

I also talked to an older friend of mine as well as having gone to a few seminars from the Waukesha County Historical Society regarding an old trolley stop park here called Waukesha Beach. I heard stories how they would go to the ballroom on dates and how they would ride the Hummingbird roller coaster because that was the greatest ride around there at the time. I also believe that one of the coasters that was built there, the name escapes me was supposed to be the sister coaster to the Rye Aeroplane. At the height of the park they had three wooden coasters and what they claimed was the best fun house around. Right now I am working on getting some kind of a web site on this park started because it was a true gem and a part of the history of this area.

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Bob Hansen
Resident Airtime Whore

About two years ago I was talking with my Grandma (who is now 94) about roller coasters. I'd always known about her trips to ride the coasters at Marshall Hall and Glen Echo in Maryland, but this time she mentioned a trip she took to Ontario, Canada, where she rode a 'really rough roller coaster.' I asked her, 'Was it the Crystal Beach Cyclone?' She said it was definitely at Crystal Beach, but she didn't remember what it was called. I asked her if she remembered when she rode it. After trying to recall certain things that were prominent in that period of her life, she concluded that it was in the early 40s. I opened up a roller coaster book and showed her a photo of the Cyclone, and asked her if that was the coaster she rode.

'Yes, that's it.'

What amazed me even more than the fact that she rode THE Crystal Beach Cyclone, arguably the most insane coaster ever built, was how nonchalantly she spoke of it.

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-Mike Buscema

'No matter how skilled the designer is, every time we push the envelope we learn new things about coaster design.' --Dana Morgan
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*** This post was edited by Vater 9/16/2003 4:06:45 PM ***

Its pronounced "Gee - Og- A" Lake. Also, i have heard stories of Cedar Point when it was nearly the size of Conneaut Lake Park (according to my dad). He remembers that the only roller coaster was Blue Streak. I have seen his small videos shot in the 70's. Its amazing how much CP has evolved...

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Shaun Rajewski
CoasterLine
http://www.coasterline.com

My parents have movies of Coney Island in Cincinnati, OH. That was when I was in a stroller. Mom would tell me how they would go all the time. In fact, they have movies of them in a boat when it flooded. My dad got caught by the police, but he still has the movies. I do believe that they had the movies converted to VHS.

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Vater said:

What amazed me even more than the fact that she rode THE Crystal Beach Cyclone, arguably the most insane coaster ever built, was how nonchalantly she spoke of it.

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-Mike Buscema

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Guess we know where you got your thrill seeking genes from!!!

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Bob Hansen
Resident Airtime Whore

Yes, and believe me, I've told her that before!

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-Mike Buscema

'No matter how skilled the designer is, every time we push the envelope we learn new things about coaster design.' --Dana Morgan
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Actually Rctycoon2 it is Gee-ah-ga. No O sound.
There was a debate a little while back about it.

http://www.coasterbuzz.com/forum.aspx?mode=thread&TopicID=33153

Haha Janfredrick I beat you too it! :)
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What I do when I'm not riding roller coasters!
*** This post was edited by Sarah Jackson 9/16/2003 4:17:20 PM ***

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Rctycoon2k said:
Its pronounced "Gee - Og- A" Lake.

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I heard them say what sounded like "Jogga", but I think they were just running the "Gee-Ah" together. Either way, much different than "ow".

Hey coasterdude, you should look into getting that converted to mpeg so that we can see. :)

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"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza

My whole family, parents grand parents, aunts and uncles grew up at Euclid Beach, when ever we go anywhere they always say yeah this park is nice but its no Euclid Beach. Also my one grandfather grew up as a teenager working at Idora then they moved to Cleveland and he worked at a stand at Euclid beach, on top of that my mothers family always went to Euclid beach along with a yearly trip to Cedar Point and Conneaut Lake and my grand parents use to take my aunt to Kings Island back when it first opened and me and my bro there in the mid 80's to early 90's. As a kid my dads family use to frequent Euclid Beach, his grandmother lived right by it, along with going to Chippawa Lake, and Idora in Youngstown while visiting relatives.

Infact a few weeks ago I was visiting my terminally ill grandfather and my uncle and I where taking about Cedar Point and all my grandfather said as F$%K that its all about Euclid Beach.

But both sides of the family in the past up until today have always said Geauga Lake(SFWOA) is or was a dump compared to all the other parks around. As a kid we only went there for my grandfathers FireFighter company picnics. But next year we'll hit it up a few times with our $29 2004 SP.

Unfortunatly finding old pics is hard right now with both grandfathers being dead, my one grandmother along with my mother have been traveling damn near nonstop for about 8 years now and they haven't dug any pics out yet. The sad part is they travel hit some parks and they don't ever really ride rides any more, WTF. My other grandmother has been a bit on the crazy side for some time now so she hasn't dug any pics out either.

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janfrederick said:
Hey coasterdude, you should look into getting that converted to mpeg so that we can see. :)

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Hmm. I'm no expert, but the next time I am out at my parents home, I'll see what I can do. That actually isn't a bad idea.

Thanks,

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Dang! It completely skipped my mind to ask about other parks they may have been to. My one cousin lives in "San-dusk-ee" and has grandkids that all have season passes (much to Jeff's chagrin ;) ). They all asked if I was aware of the "new one" they just built this year. My cousin said the kids were all to afraid to try it yet.

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"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza

My father tells me that he used to go to Bertrand's Island, Palisades and Coney Island, but doesn't remember too much about the coasters. My mother went to Olympic Park and got the crap scared out of her on their coaster (Whirlwind, perhaps?)... she has never been the same since!

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-Rob
A.C.E. member since 1990
Posting @ Coasterbuzz since 2000
E.C.C. member since 2002

I talk to my grandparents and other old people about the long gone local parks. My pap used to work the side friction coaster they had called the School of Mines. It was an enclosed coaster that went thru scenes about the coal industry. From what everyone says about Edgewood Park it must have been an awsome place for it's time. Swimming, boats, dance halls, skating rinks, rides, ball fields, picnic groves, old parks had just about everything to keep everyone entertained all day.

I can just imangine how much Knoebles will change in the next 30 years or so. It changed a great deal since I was only a baby.

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Signature will be closed today. Sorry for the inconveinance.

My mom grew up going to Euclid Beach, Geauga Lake, Cedar Point, Chippewa Lake, Puritas Springs...all the Cleveland-area parks. My grandfather always carried his movie camera with him and we have film of some of those parks....somewhere. I really need to find it.

Dad grew up all over the west and midwest and used to go to Peony Park in Omaha before moving to LA just before High School. He has fond memories off all the old piers in LA. I even remember going to the Long Beach Pike when I was a kid, but I was too small to ride anything. Like my grandfather my Dad also had his Super-8 camera and took film of some of those old parks.

mOOSH - must find those rolls of film!

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2004 Coaster Calendar now available. Order before Oct 5th and save. See S&D Greetings for details.

"...I also believe that one of the coasters that was built there, the name escapes me was supposed to be the sister coaster to the Rye Aeroplane."

It might have been a twister-type coaster but there were no clones or near-clones of the Rye Airplane Coaster from Prior & Church or Harry Traver.

mOOSH

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2004 Coaster Calendar now available. Order before Oct 5th and save. See S&D Greetings for details.

Yes...must find film. Old film + VHS Conversion + Goofy Enthusiasts like myself = $$$ ;)

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"I go out at 3 o' clock for a quart of milk and come home to my son treating his body like an amusement park!" - Estelle Costanza

I got the information from the book The American Amusement Park in which the park was mentioned briefly as being a trolley stop park and having the sister coaster to the Rye Aeroplane. I also heard the same thing at one of the Historical Society Seminars. The name of the coaster was the "Bobs".
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Bob Hansen
Resident Airtime Whore

Bob - I stand corrected. According to my book on Harry Traver he did not design or build such a coaster, however P&C may have. That's a good possibility considering it's now known Traver had little to do with the Rye's Airplane [original blueprints were by Fred Church].

mOOSH

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2004 Coaster Calendar now available. Order before Oct 5th and save. See S&D Greetings for details.