Next, wed begin our long drive home, happy and exhausted. Lincoln Park was an amusement park situated between New Bedford and Fall River in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts. Had some Rosies in NB a few years ago & it brought back so many memories. The jack-knifed car remained stuck on the roller coaster track well into the 1990s, until vandals tore it off. In its earliest days, it served as a picnic park at the end of the trolley line. In 1941, the park was purchased for $40,000 to expand the rides into a true amusement park, operated by John Collins & Associates. Due to tax issues and declining attendance Lincoln Park was closed forever in 1987. And in the 70s, everything was groovy, and Lincoln Park was the epicenter of cool. And, not getting frisked or entering through a metal detector at the gate. An exclusive look at old photos of Lincoln Park: Who do you recognize? For. Did you grow up near it as a child? I recently snuck into the park for a memory ride of of the Commet, even took some picx and grabed a piece of the shattered and rotted wood for a souvineer. In its history, the ride had a variety of terrible accidents. ArtInRuins is not a non-profit entity, but it does accept monetary donations to support the infrastructure (servers). I still keep in contact with Tom Barboza and Kurt Santos who also worked there. Quite a few romances blossomed there, too, those were the days. Zuma Fun Center, Houston. There were some old light bulbs, fragments of wooden, colored banners, and you could make out the spots where all the rides had once been. The rides, especially the roller coaster, were lots of fun. I grew up in Fall River, I now live in Sparks, NV near Reno, NV. When I was younger and we would visit family in Holyoke, we would always travel to Riverside Park which is now Six Flags New England. On September 29, 1987, the braking system on the roller coaster failed, causing one of the cars to jackknife. I went with my mother and I won the Miss Taunton Daily Gazette contest. In July 2012, the Comet roller coaster was demolished. He was retiring and that was going to be his last day at the park. I remember while playing with Johnny and the blue jays in the tap room how people would ask Why does the bass player put the guitar down in the middle of the song and leave then after a while come back pick up the guitar and start playing again. I lived in Taunton which wasnt too far from there. i wish this place with all my heart to reopen. The rides, food (especially fried clams) and music will be remember forever. The interactive Game Pavilion with over 150 games including Spin Doctor, Time Crisis III, Mission Ranger, Gold Rush and Bustin Balloons await players of all ages and skill levels by offering a variety of competitive, interactive games and prize redemption games. The great White City Amusement Park opened in June 1905, after the opening was delayed twice due to problems with the park's electric power production equipment - there was no commercial electrical power available in the area, so the park produced its own. We would walk down and stand in the median on Rt 6 and just watch in amazement. Need INFORMATION on the FIRST LADY visiting the Park after WWII? As a child growing up during that time in Fall River with my sisters, the memories are still as strong as when i was a little boy. Oh what a shame what has happened there. The huge amusement parks that are so popular now seem like overkill, and running through the park with a gang of your friends is like a memory from a dream. Ill never forget that treachorous plunge that made you come right out of your seat! A much loved, family-friendly, local amusement park, active from 1920 through 1987 and home to The Comet wooden roller coaster, 47 images: Press to view larger or scroll sideways to see more. The Herald News. I still live in Fall River Ma. It was after one of these checks that I went over to the Bubble Bounce to say hi to Bob Rayno who had ran that ride for many years. My art teacher loved going to Lincoln park as a child and always had dreamed of bringing her children there. I would love to go in & take more before they get rid of it all for good, but the signs say no. Everything seemed oversize. It was my lucky number, 13. For those who dont know them, they had a hit song way back called Lets go to the Hop. However, the town did not have control over the project because it hasnt met the states 10 percent affordable housing ratio. []. Lincoln Park closed forever in 1987 and some rides were auctioned off. Especially of her riding Mother Goose a favorite book of hers at the time. The owner of the park, Jay Hoffman, invested $75,000 on restoring the park, assuring the public that the rides were inspected and safe. It was awesome, but back then, I was only 9/10 yrs and not the fan of coasters I am now. You will have to excuse me now, I have to go out and buy some lottery tickets because you never know. And i was like well, why is it closed? Demolition crews on Wednesday demolished the roller coaster known as the Comet, which was a centerpiece of the long-closed Lincoln Park. RSS/Atom: Property Feed, The days of Lincoln Park were the best days of my life. New England is home to several abandoned amusement parks like Lincoln Park, Rocky Point, Crescent Park, Paragon Park, and Whalom Park. A tribute site to Lincoln Park and The Comet with hundreds of photos from past and present, history, information, videos, and more! (At that time he had long banana curls, with natural curly blond hair and blue eyes.). In its earliest days, it served as a picnic park at the end of the trolley line. A fatal accident on the park's 1946 "Comet" wooden roller coaster in 1986 caused people to question the safety of the park. He always laugh when we descended and I begged him never to do that again because my brother Billy, would start to shake the cart and I would scream to Heaven to get me down. The sound of the roller coaster and the kids screaming, cotton candy stuck to your fingers, candy apples, soda and popcorn, lost in the fun house, kiddie train, monster ride and cooling off on the merry go round while dad waved at us. The remainder of the roller coaster that was left standing was demolished on July 11, 2012.[1]. Summer family outings were common. And clambakes for annual outings for my fathers work, they were great, too. He was just following his nose to the great smells though, he didnt mean any harm. the history and film of the park. Luckily, no one was hurt, but the car remained in its position until vandals moved it. My aunt and uncle who had no children would drive down to our home in Taunton from Boston just to take me to Lincoln Park for the day. Which actually breaks my heart (Even thought i have never been to it.) my brother and I use to go under a desk we had as kids and play that we were going in the car to LP. My Grandmother was Elizabeth (Magloan)Powers and she lived in Brookline MA on the same street as Joseph P. Kennedy before he married Rose. A few photos are of the former train shed that went around the minature golf course. This plan included moving the park's 1921 carousel to Battleship Cove in Fall River, and dismantling a smaller "kiddy" version of the "Comet" roller coaster. I continued to work at the park until 1985. my sons and my whole family just loved lincoln park and would like to get dvd for my sons and grandchildren to see how much fun we had there. Lincoln Park closed in 1987 and remained abandoned and vacant until the Comet roller coaster was torn down on July 11, 2012. With Six Flags New England, Massachusetts is the hub for amusement park thrills in the New England states. Bob had suffered a heart attack and later that day I found out that he had died. My favorite ride to operate was the Tilt-A-Whirl. http://mark-wiley.artistwebsites.com/featured/the-comet-mark-wiley.html, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lincoln_Park_(Dartmouth,_Massachusetts)&oldid=1158594236, This page was last edited on 5 June 2023, at 01:39. A series of fires in the 1990s destroyed 90% of the structures on the site, including the original dance hall. Of course us kids assumed it went without saying was an obvious occupational hazard that any man would eventually incur if they stood on that grey platform hoisting the little ones from the carts on a hot August day, then pulling the large wooden levers that would start the carts rolling into a sea of adrenaline. In addition, the state would contribute $3,000 per unit when building permits are issued, for an amount of $1.27 million. Clam Cakes, Popcorn and Cotton Candy was the breakfast of champions for park goers. A majestic Victorian pavilion was constructed to house the attraction; nearly as lavish as the carousel itself, the splendid structure now perches over Heritage State Park, offering panoramic views of the Battleship Cove fleet. The Comet. I too as a kid remember going to Lincoln Park with my mom, aunt, grandma, and great grandma. My very first memory, which is a foggy, 5 year old memory, is of a small semi enclosed rink, similar to that of bumper cars, where riders would sit on these little wheeled platforms with handles. We could have a big reunion party! And the drive home, always quiet. I remember going to Lincoln Park as a child on Easter Sundays. I can still picture the parks lighting sound and smell in my mind. Built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1920 during the Golden Age of wooden carousels, Carousel #54 was shipped from the City of Brotherly Love to North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, where it served as the crown jewel of Lincoln Amusement Park for seventy years. However, a fatal accident on the parks 1946 Comet wooden roller coaster in 1986 caused people to question the safety of the park. and bought a dvd, but it would not work said there was a error on the dvd. Although no one was injured, this was the final ride of the coaster. There was always the hope that it would re-open but after the fires I knew it would not. Of course now it all being over grown it is hard to tell where everything was situated. The community has been constructed in multiple phases and serves a variety of lifestyles including a 55 and over community. Lincoln Park Amusement Park was a opened in 1894 by the Union Street Railway Company of New Bedford, Massachusetts, located in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts on the border of Westport,. I almost cried at the sight of my beautiful Lincoln Park. By the time I was old enough to go without them I was too chicken! Find Your Park. Have photos to contribute? Youth Center Park Celebrate Lincoln Park Days on the last weekend of August! And i found out that it was for sale and someone had bought it and wants to get rid of all of the remanding stuff that is still standing, such as the roller coaster, some food buildings and other rides. I would like to thank a few of the people that I remember by name and there are many that the names that I have for gotten but I can picture them in my mind. The remaining buildings decayed for 15 years or more before the land was finally redeveloped for housing. I used to compete in roller skating with the RIFSC from Riverdale Roller World in Warwick. & I drive by there all the time. I see it getting worse, and worse and worse. Thus, Lincoln Park evolved into an amusement park. Thanks for the opportunity to reminisce. I had been going to the park since 1975, for the rides and rollerskating. This continued into the 1920s, which was when Lincoln Park became more of an amusement park. It has appeared in several newspaper articles. I was reading that a couple had gone to the park in the 50s and when on the ferries wheele and had there first kiss. Lincoln Park; early years. The park ran continuously until closing in 1987. For me it has so many great family memories. In 1987, during the Comets last run, faulty breaks caused the last car to derail and hang precariously off the track with its passengers inside. If I had alot of money I would reopen it as a park. 5 Albums. I am not a wealthy person but I can still dream. This park is a part history. It was located behind the Bubble Bounce and next to the Paratrooper. This was not to last forever. We were from Rhode Island, and we usually went to Rocky Point (also, sadly, demolished and about to become condos), but a trip to Lincoln Park was a huge event because the rides seemed much more exciting. I would like you to help get it up and running or even start a fundraiser to get it back in business. However, the picnic ground business began to decline as the auto became more affordable, and people started to drive to bigger and better attractions. This vintage carousel used to be the merry-go-round at Lincoln Park Amusement Park up the street in North Dartmouth. A smaller version of the coaster was also built for younger kids in 1951, called Comet Jr. My mothers high school prom was held in the ball room. So please read this letter. We played in the Pavillion and often rehearsed in the Bowling Alley which by that time had become an arcade. Well no one knew I had carried a radio and that being on salary I had to also had to deal with the problems in the park. Once a year my mother would take us kids (if we were good), and we would spend the whole day just running around like crazy people. Park was deemed unsafe due to the bus loads of New York residents that would attend the park on weekends. The memories are so great, The Ferris Wheel, where I would scream when the young boy who ran it would stop it at the top when I was in the car. I can remember going to Lincoln Park almost every summer. When the park closed, the carousel was nearly shipped to New York to be auctioned off, but was rescued. jetmech [at] gmail [dot] com. I myself moved down the street a few miles from it in 1983 and remember it still being open and was sad to see it shut down in 87. When I was young Lincoln Park was one of THE places to go. If anyone would like to see pix from what remains i would be happy to email then to you they are bit grainy but they do give a glimpse of what remains. Its sad that young people of today will miss out on so many great memories. I look at my lincoln park remembers book all the time & Im happy but very sad. Anyway the memories were great and like many who have seen her up close past and present will always have those wonderful memories of Lincoln park. After the park closed, it remained intact without incident until the fires. My anecdote circa 1974-1978 Our family trip would be for the 4th of July Fireworks. A former classmate sent me this YouTube archive film of Lincoln Park with a song about the Park from Johnny Botelhos CD - Im Home. In a May 1987 story from The Providence Journal, he is quoted as saying that the park had been fully inspected and was safe. I will post what i sadi at the end of this mesage. I started working at a building called Front French. All the best to all out there with the wonderful memories of a great place to have shared wonderful times. However, just four months later on September 29, the braking system on the roller coaster failed, causing one of the cars to jackknife. We lived in Fairhaven near the water, and seafood was the best and inexpensive. Its so sad to see the great parks from the past being slowly erased by time. The previous project under 40B affordable housing regulations, which called for 252 units, was endorsed by the Select Board. I was a summer born baby in Mattapoisett Mass. There is a fence around the roller coaster, because its literally falling apart. But, she kept losing. The best thing (besides the anticipation that kept building) when planning an outing at the Park was bringing picnic baskets and using the picnic area. I also ran rides for Manny Correira and and worked some of the game stands for Slim McConnell. Most photos copyright 20022023 ArtInRuins unless otherwise noted. Single family homes, apartment buildings and commercial space will be constructed in its place. 1977. Under the original management team of John Collins, Max Zand, and Harry Prince, Lincoln Park evolved into its modern form after purchasing a bigger tract of land in the mid-40s. We do not track by default allowing cookies will show us how visitors use this site anonymously. Wonderland Park, Amarillo. I went here today, since it said it would be torn down. This roller coaster named the commet was the fastest, longest, most enjoyable roller coaster in the world until I think the 19050s. Thanks to Joe Grassella ,Jim Grassella, Slim and Shirley Mc Connell John Rebello and family, Harry Prince Earnie Maritti Nobert Pont, Ray-Led the grand march in the ballroom Manny Viera and Andy in maintaince Dick Bohn who originaly help build the Comet Coaster in 1943, Rousseau in the arcade an Dominic Spidola The park artist that also did work for Cresent park.Althogh he wasnt a tall guy, he did big things as an artist there . we hope). We made a trip back to New Bedford in 1977 & I wanted to take my children to Lincoln Park, but the weather was too bad for that. The simalarities of the two parks are uncanny to say the least. Recently Added. But for me it was a nighmare being only 10 or so. Things never stay the same. First it took 90 mintues+ from Dorchester to get there. As a child of the 60s-70s, my parents would load the four of us kids into the station wagon, sometimes with a couple of extra friends for our annual summer pilgrimage from the Cape to Lincoln Park. However, the picnic ground business began to decline as the auto became more affordable, and people started to drive to bigger and better attractions. I will end with the fact that Lincoln Park was the only park for me! The entrance to the coaster says Enter the vagina of hell. Its understandable since accidents and fires have occurred here. You have to drive around a bit, but its fairly easy to find portions of the fences that are torn down so you can get in. In the mid 60s a man died as a result of standing up as the car descended the lift hill. I am a train collector. If you go around there are paths leading to small things like rundown concession stands, the outer structure of what once was a carousel, a tilt-o-wheel platform, and lots of colorful/somewhat obnoxious graffiti. Home; History; Rides Games & More; Photo Gallery; Video; More Photos/Video; Apparel and Gifts; Blog; Links; . A.I.R. Area residents rallied to save the carousel and had it moved to its current location. Looking at the pictures of the ruins of Lincoln Park is just heart wrenching. We today attend these huge theme parks and have the time of our life. I worked at LP for 15 seasons and loved the park since I was a toddler. Lincoln Park: later years. Kind of eerie, ghostly and mostly sad to witness what was such a vibrant park to now appear to be something from a sci fi movie set.
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