Memories

NOSTAGLIA
Dear Euclid Beach nuts, I writing a message about David Humphrey Scott my memories with him at the mall shows and the Grand ball room. I would like this in the news letter my memories with David Humphrey Scott getting my picture with him and my self and on my birthday with Laughing Sal onOctober 6,1997 he gave me some info and a couple of pictures of the park It was very nice. I gave him some pogs that I made of Euclid Beach Park at the 1997 mall show Sept. 23, 24 1997. Hope to see you at the 10th annual Euclid Beach Mall show Sept. 25, 26, 1999.
Your friend,
Mike Keberdle August 8, 1999
After all these years, memories of Euclid Beach Park live on.
Can it really be that entire generations have passed since Euclid Beach Amusement Park, simply known as "Euclid Beach" and beloved by Clevelanders and Euclideans, who grew up with it, closed it's gates forever? It was indeed; September 28, 1969 that Euclid Beach Park ended its final season. Sue & I were 30 years old then and our children; Larry Jr. 10, Bill 9, Frank 7 and Susan 5. In those corners of old dark attics, you might come across a worn, yellowed photo album. When you open it and look inside, you'll see pages filled with pictures of grandparents and parents standing in front of now vintage age cars, gleaming with the age and the spirits of the 30's, 40's and 50's.
Euclid Beach Park was the end of the bus line for those of us who lived between it's gates and as far east as East 250th Street in Euclid. You could jump on the bus and for a dime ride the bus to the end of the line, which was the parking lot in front of the main entrance to the park. The drop off was in front of the concession stand, and already the aroma of popcorn balls and taffy filled the air. The bus would then pick up passenger if it were after noon, however, if it were early in the morning, the bus would have to head back empty. The biggest challenge of the day would be hanging onto that last dime in order to reboard the bus for the trip home that evening.
I visited Euclid Beach Park from the time my family moved to Cleveland in 1944, it changed over the years as one might expect, but it was the community and the elements that changed around it, Euclid Beach didn't change. In spite of changes in public attitude and the pollution of Lake Erie, the park struggled to maintain it's old timey flavor. Sue and I would take our young family picnicking to the park, the same as we had done throughout our childhood. We would set-up on a green table in the green picnic pavilion and go off to enjoy the rides and the sights. Many hours were spent on the rides and then long walks on the fishing pier watching fish being pulled one after the other from the crystal clear depths beneath the pier, from along side and between it's huge wooden supports. You could actually see the fish schooling beneath the surface and watch them fight to get free on the way to the surface, many would free themselves after leaving the water due to the 20 feet or so from the water to the fisherman's hand. Sue would often point out along side the pier, the large fountain like swimming pool where she and her Mother would swim on hot summer days.
The Penny Arcade. The only place in the park where you could use real money and this was because the machines wouldn't take tickets. The Penny Arcade was full of automated game machines, very high-tech at the time. The Arcade was a semi-open aired building, open on two sides to the midway. Upon entering the Arcade you were greeted by a fortune telling machine on the left which had a Gypsy who would deal out the cards. On the right a wishing well with a mermaid at the bottom, throwing coins into the well would reveal the mermaid who would beckon and swim gracefully. Other machines included glassed in clam shovels that would, with luck, grab small toys and drop them into chute. Also, there were several Nickelodeon machines, which would, after you inserted a nickel, allow you to turn a crank and as cards would leaf by, a motion picture flick would play. As one wandered further into the Arcade you would come upon picture taking machines, and a coin operated sound recording studio. The picture machines, a curtained in booth, only cost a quarter and would automatically take a strip of 6 black & white pictures, each a different surprise pose. The coin operated recording studio was a sound proof booth, upon entering and depositing four quarters a 78 RPM plastic record blank dropped onto a turntable followed by an engraving device. Upon being queued you either began talking or singing. I watched many people for months use the machine before I got up the nerve to try it myself. One of the hits of the day was; "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette", so I chose that catchy little tune. I still have the record, it's pretty well scratched up but if you listen real close you can make out the words being sung by a very impressionable 14-year-old. "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke That Cigarette, smoke, smoke, smoke until you smoke yourself to death.......tell Saint Peter at the Golden Gate that you hate to make him wait, but you just gotta have another cigarette". There were many other machines in the Arcade, the walls were lined with pinball machines, truth machines that would give you an electrical shock if you told a lie. On the way out of the Penny Arcade you could stop at the balloon stand where for a dime a clown head atop a bottle of helium would fill a souvenir balloon for you.
EUCLID DAZE! This was one week during the summer when the Euclid City Merchants would pass out free strips of tickets that would entitle you to ride almost all the rides free. Not only was the day at Euclid Beach enjoyable, but it was a sort of contest among the kids to see how many strips of tickets you could collect during the weeks preceding the big day. Then you could play the big shot at the beach by passing out tickets to regular guests who would otherwise have to pay full price. A few rides required the addition of one or two purchased park tickets and refreshments were not included.
"Euclid Beach Park . . . Is Closed For the Season"
"To my thinking, it hasn't closed yet".
Larry & Sue Shunkwiler
Although I am only 35 years old, I too have great memories of the park. I lived a block away on Lakeshore Blvd. in Villa Beach, just west of Euclid Beach.
Yes, I remember going to sleep and hearing the click-click-click as the roller coasters made their slow way up the first hill. Then a short silence followed by the inevitable shrieks of joy and terror as the cars peaked and started to descend the wood and steel canyons. I remember being scared of old "laughing Sal". Terrified is closer to the truth. So much so that when the Finast store on E.185th street in Cleveland had her on display a few years ago, I still got a flashback of those old feelings.
I can also remember the arcade where they had those machines that were like a miniature crane that you could try to pick up a prize for what? A dime? And if you didn't end up getting a prize, a policeman named Phil Meyer would reach into his pocket a let you pick one from a big policeman's hand. Granted I was only four or five, but those memories are clearer than some formed years later.
The over the falls, the kiddie over the falls! Me and my dad, the first time it seemed like we were "both in the same boat" so to speak. The best part is that I own a part of the magic itself. A smaller carousel horse from one of the kiddie rides that had two horses together with a small carriage behind. It was given to my mother by a park worker named Jim Macintyre. (sp?) It still has the original paint, white with an orange mane and tail. It's cast iron and heavy as..well, a horse!
At the moment it is with my mother in Canada, but it will be coming home to Ohio this summer and I would be happy to exhibit it at any event that helps preserve the memories of the Beach.
On the more melancholy side, I still remember the days that they tore the old coasters down. And the nights that the fire dept, and vandals set them ablaze. My bedroom window lit up all orange and red, and being just a little boy, I thought for sure that fire would rage through Beulah Park into Villa Beach and straight to my house. It was sad closure to a long and great history.
Best regards to all of you who remember,
C S O,Connell
Euclid Beach was my favorite place when I was a boy. I used to constantly pester my father to take us there. When he said yes, we kids would hold hands and dance around in a circle, singing "We're going to Euclid Beach!"
My aunt took me there on a streetcar down Euclid Avenue when I was about five years old -- this was in the mid-1940's. As we approached the park, the conductor would ring the bell and announce, "Euclid Beach next! Euclid Beach!"
I remember my mother making meat loaf sandwiches one misty summer morning when I was nine or ten. Then she would take me and a couple of my friends to the Beach and we would eat the sandwiches on picnic benches before going on the rides.
I have many memories of the Beach over the years. In many ways, it was much nicer than the amusement parks of today. You didn't have to drive miles and miles to get there -- it was right in the city. Parking was free and there was no admission charge to get in. You bought tickets for the individual attractions so there were rarely long lines for the rides (except on "Nickel Days").
The first things you saw going up the path from the main entrance were the Flying Scooters, bobbing up and down above the treetops like giant, vari-colored butterflies. There was always a pungent woodsy smell (from the coaster tracks?) that was unique to the park..
I could go on and on about all the wonderful rides -- the Thriller, the Racing Coasters, Over the Falls, the Flying Turns. Then there were attractions such as the Penny Aracade, the Roller Rink, the Auto Train, Sleepy Hollow, the Collinade, etc.
I could rave about those tasty hotdogs, ginger ale from wooden casks, the Humphrey popcorn balls, taffy, and the incomporable frozen whip.
Or, of course, I could describe those quaint old ticket booths, the many benches and shade trees, the covered wooden walkways, the strange old mural of the bareback rider in the Whip building, riding the Thriller at night with the top of the first hill lit up.
Then there were the surrealistic attractions of the "fun house," such as the slanted room and the crazy staircase. And no trip to the Beach would be complete without a ride through the Laff-in-the-Dark and that final "tunnel of stars"!
I could reminisce about all this and more -- but to save space, I'll merely state: EUCLID BEACH WAS HEAVEN! (Well, er, almost.)
A.V.

Ah! How vividly I remember the splended sweet summertime breeze coming into my elementary classroom window as a child! It could only mean one thing to my youthful mind and my little belly, filled with multitudes of dancing bufterflies. It's the month of May and Euclid Beach Park is open for the season. Although this magnificent Park originally opened in the late 1900's my love affair with it and its wondrous joys, began for me at age five. There it was. Just for me. Wonderful! Wonderful! Kiddieland! the rides for my pleasure included the Ferris Wheel, Pony Track, Rocket Ships, Kiddie Whip, and my all time favorite Sleepy Hollow Railroad. I remember that as being my favorite because of the great scenery. The tracks covered a good area of the park. Right next to the train, right over it too, I could look up at a 'Big Ride".
Kiddieland was a wonderful experience but being so young then, I had little control in that portion of the park.
I think it could have been one too many times on the Merry-go-round that I felt boredom setting in. Afterall, I was no longer intimidated by"Laughing Sal". Through my youthful eyes she frightened me, Very overpowering, she kept watch over the Surprise House.
Now, after I exhausted myself in Kiddieland, I was ready to take on the "Big Rides"! Some of my favorites of favorites were the Thriller and Flying Turns. At five, all I could remember being able to do was just simply look up.
There were four poster flags at the top of that 71 foot high hill. I was in awe. It sure soon became one of my best memories there. I outdid myself one fine sunny day, riding it twenty-one times, non-stop. The Flying Turns took no seat to the Thriller. It was like a bobsled, free wheeling at a speed I'll always remember.
Some of the wonders I appreciated more as a young adult, included Over The-Falls and The pier on Lake Erie. Funny! In those Childhood days I wasn't a bit concerned about romance. That changed as a young teen-somehow. The first time a boy held my hand I was sitting in the boat nervously, waiting to ride Over-The Falls, or, "The Tunnel of Love", if you will. What a fine experience. I was truly grown up! Another romantic occasion was walking on the Pier looking at the moon, holding hands with a friend, and I thought all one caught was a fish, Huh! I got a real kiss!
That glorious Park closed in 1969 with just the original stone arched entrance remaining as a landmark on Lake Shore blvd. Of course, Lake Erie has its place at the north end from where the Park was located. Now, in place of the Log Cabin, the Ballroom,or the Penny Arcade, stands two high-rise apartments. Only the trailer park homes on the original camp grounds serve as a reminder that was.
Humphrey's Euclid Beach Park will remain indelible in my heart and mind, for it was within that park, somewhere between 'Laughing Sal" and the Pier, that a small piece of my youthful heart lies buried. Part of me was left behind when the Park closed for its last season. If only I could have one more Nickle Day!
By Susan Adler

I just entered a time warp when I saw the words "Laughing Sal" on this web site! Catapulted back about 34 years, I saw the young, terrified child standing in front of her, hearing her laugh... couldn't move, either! Just stood there petrified!! Oh, what a memory!
We lived in South Euclid and Lyndhurst most of my young life, and went to Euclid Beach at least a few times every summer. Just hearing the words, "Flying Turns," "Over the Falls," and "racing coasters" brings back incredible images. I can almost smell the wood of those U-shaped tracks of the Turns.
My dad and I were just reminiscing about Humphrey's popcorn, too. What fun! Glad it's still available. How can we get a copy of your newsletter?
Thanks for all the photos!
By Vicki Lynn Samson

What fun to have found a site on Euclid Beach. Do I have memories of the park? Yes, although they are scattered in bits & pieces like a kaleidocope when you put them together they form a delightful collage. I was only 10 or 12 when I paid my last visit to the Beach, but I remeber trips their with parents and friends. There was laughing Sal-for whatever reason she scared the heck out of me. I remeber the thump and bump of going up to the top of Over the Falls, being old enough(you had definitely"arrived" ) to ride the Thriller by myself, the colorful lights on the fountain at night, and the taste of the frozen custard, kisses, and popcorn. There will never be another "Beach" but for those of us lucky enough to know her, she will always live on.
Wendy

My memories are too numerous to tell. My father was the PRATT-WEBB BAKERY pie delivery man to the COLONNADE. His delivery route took him very far east to MADISON,ASHTABULA closer was WILLOUGHBY,WICKLIFFE,EUCLID,PAINESVILLE. He always stopped by our house on the east side and picked up as many of his 5 children that wanted to go with him,and took them with him to the park. We would spend all afternoon at the park enjoying all of the wonderful rides and amusements and the fantastic HUMPHREY popcorn balls (my favorite).The hundreds of times we went to the park are some the best memories i still enjoy telling my kids and friends that never got to experience the BEACH. Thank you for the site,picture of the gate and the opportunity to tell another memory.
R. Komito

Truly, a piece of my heart is still on those grounds. My memories start in the mid 1950's when my Dad's company picnic was held at the Beach. He worked for Cleveland Diesel and every year we got to go to the park for this affair. I lived in Avon Lake then, as I do now, and this is about the furthest I can remember getting away from home but what a magical day it always was. This is, in my minds eye, the equivalent to going to the land of Oz. My early recollections were of us arriving at the park and my Dad having to stop the whole family while he chatted endlessly with one of his coworkers for what seemed like hours each time we entered the park. Here we were, chomping at the bit, with this magical park in such close range and we had to wait for my Dad to get done yacking so we could get on with this excitement. But then he always made us go on the "Bug" since it was the first ride we came to while entering. This always infuriated us kids for some reason but we had to do it. We didn't want to waste time on a minor ride like this when all the bigger rides were waiting for us. But that park had so much charm, heart, or whatever you want to use to describe it. I've since been to some of the larger parks like King's Island and Cedar Point but none of them have that quaintness or ambiance that Euclid Beach did. From the smells to the uniqueness of the rides there wasn't any place like this one and I'm sure that there never will be. All the other parks seem to have a large collection of rides manufactured somewhere else that they bought from an amusement park ride manufacturer, then they put all these rides together on a vast expanse of concrete. But you don't ever get the feeling that there was someone that tried to put together a total experience for you to enjoy like they did at Euclid Beach. From the smells of the popcorn and the taffy and the wood of the rides and the sycamore trees and the smell of lubricating oil...all these things were so unique to the Park. You never could get them anywhere else. I can remember the lurching of the train of cars going up the first hill of any of the coasters and how when you were home in bed that night you could feel that lurching somehow still. The funhouse was something that all amusement parks had but no funhouse was like this one. The upside down room always bewildered me every year. Rolling across the chrome rollers in the floor always thrilled me. The Laff in the Dark was always a fun terror. The Sleepy Hollow railroad always intrigued me. The little town seemed like a place that I would have liked to live. I remember how I always was awed by the goldfish that were as large as a "real" fish swimming under the tracks. The thriller was, what else can you call it, a THRIILLER! The Flying Turns were so unique that I don't think there will ever be a ride to rival this one. And the Over the Falls was so special and terrifying. Then there was the coaster that even on busy days wasn't busy. I can't remember what the name was but it was located away from all the rest of the coasters, hidden away toward the lake. This one was a joy just because we kind of felt like this one we had all to ourselves. We could get off and right back on the next ride without waiting. I have such emotional memories of this park. Like I said, a piece of this park will always be with me. To me, the closing of the park was something close to doing away with Santa Claus. This should not have ever happened. But thanks to all you folks, there is a way to keep it from ever being forgotten. And that is with the books and videos of which I have a copy of all of them. I am so glad that someone took the time and effort to put this collection together. Without them you still have memories but with them you have renewed memories in color and detailed with all the little nuances that your memory didn't bring forth. Bless you all for your efforts! Keep the memories alive and thank you for all of this!

Art Jones

Hello friends, Euclid Beach Park enthusiast, and fellow EBP employees.
My name is Vincent Catalano (known at the Beach as Jimmy) and I was employed at the Park from summer of 1954 through fall of 1961. I worked in the candy stand. I can vividly remember the crew that worked in the candy stand during those years: John Cirino, Joe and Nick Petrecca, Chuck Trivissanno, Nick Puno, John and Al Zanyk and �Mr. Price� who probably was one of the first employees of the Beach. Estil Judd was the manager of the candy/popcorn concession and one of the nicest guys around. He was also responsible for the "Front Stand", where the streetcars and buses used to turn around. "They made a mean toasted cheese sandwich at the front stand".
Some of my fondest memories were when there was a special picnic from a large company like Goodyear or a political event like the Democratic steer roast. We used to work all day long on Monday�s, and sometimes through the night, when the park was closed, stocking up on pop-corn balls by the thousands and candy, literally by the ton, to support these special events.
The candy stand was right in front of the Carousel and at right angles to Laughing Sal. It took about an hour each day to adjust to the repetitive sounds coming from these two �Icons� of the Park and the harmonious blend of background noise from the clatter of the coasters and the laughter and screams from their riders. However, now that I can sit back and reminisce, I would gladly trade my somewhat successful career in an industry full of stress and constant change only to return to those days gone by.
Those of us, who used to cook the syrup for the popcorn balls and blended the ingredients for the Humphry Kisses, used to guard those recipes as if they were top secrets from the Pentagon. Still to this day I would not disclose the synergies of "time, temperature and contents" of these uniquely tasting treats. I don�t think any one of us would. "It�s sort of loyal bond that is all part of the mystique of Euclid Beach Park".
Speaking of cooking candy and popcorn ball syrup, those that did that job eventually would get burned. The Beach had a resident nurse who had a large jar of yellow salve that looked like mustard. She would �spoon� that right on the burn, wrap it up and a day latter it would be healed. "I wonder if the medical industry knows about that stuff"?
Some of the most memorable times of my employment with the Beach were when John Kennedy came to the Democratic rally. There must have been many thousands of people in the park just to see and hear him speak. Another time was when they filmed a Route 66 television episode at the Park. It was filmed on a Monday when the park was normally closed for maintenance. They used a lot of �extras� from local actors groups in Cleveland. We tried to get them to put us in the movie but they wouldn�t, something to do with actors unions and things.
There will never be another Park like Euclid Beach. No admission charge! You could spend all day there walking around, sitting down by the lake or watching the people dance and listening to a popular big band play and only pay if you wanted to ride eat or dance.
They kept the Park clean and well maintained in those days. Every morning before the Park opened they would wash down the grounds, clean all windows and start and inspect all the rides. The candy and popcorn stand would receive about one thousands pounds of sugar and hundreds of pounds of un-popped corn. Also, it was �rule number one� that the large fan that was right over the popcorn poppers never be shut off when the Park was open. They wanted the smell of fresh popped corn to permeate the entire Park. Mr. Harvey Humphry himself cautioned me about not turning it off. He said that it was the smell of the popcorn cooking in the seasoning that brought people to the stand to purchase a box of popcorn or a bag of popcorn balls. "After all, this is what built the Park in the first place".
As an employee they made you fell that you were part of a tradition that started at the turn of the century. I was always impressed that many of the rides were designed and built by their own craftsmen right on the premises. The carpenters, electricians and mechanics were long time employees of the Humphry Co., and they lived right on the grounds. I got to know them and their families and considered them good friends.
The employees would be given a pass and sold special Park tickets (known as �Blues�), that would allow them to ride and purchase food items at a reduced price. Because of the camaraderie within the infrastructure of the employment, one blues ticket could last you all season for food and rides. "I think I still have one left".
Good luck with your organization, and regards to all former EBP employees,
Vince
PS My check is in the mail.

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