Rocky Point Amusement Park - In My Footsteps Podcast Episode 12

In My Footsteps Podcast Episode 12: Ancestry DNA Review; Rocky Point Amusement Park; Classroom Film Strips; This Week In History

In Their Footsteps: New England History - Wonderland Amusement Park, Revere, MA

    The amusement park has been a staple of American culture for well over a century. Filled with rides, attractions, food, and more, they are perfect for day trips, or centerpieces of family vacations. In the 21st century there are many iconic amusement parks that still bring in countless people. Places like Six Flags, Hersheypark, and Busch Gardens to giants like Disneyland/Disney World, and Universal have become legendary over the decades.

    Amusement parks as they are known today got their start at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. Sea Lion Park became the first enclosed amusement park in 1895 with Steeplechase Park, Luna Park, and Dreamland following shortly thereafter. As the popularity of these parks grew other areas of the country wanted to get in on the action. Some places became icons after being built, while some crashed and burned quickly.

    Just 5 miles north of Boston sits the town of Revere, essentially the gateway to Massachusetts' North Shore. It was here that the first public beach, Revere Beach, was established in 1896. With a reputation as a burgeoning tourist destination it only seemed natural to up the ante by creating one of those new amusement parks inside the city limits. The result ended up being the spectacularly brief legacy of the Wonderland Amusement Park. Here is its story.

    After the creation of Revere Beach in 1896 the city began to capitalize on its popularity by building up Revere Beach Boulevard. It surrounded the beach with rides, food, and hotels for the throngs of new visitors. In the subsequent years the city garnered the nickname "Coney Island of the East." In 1905 to further enhance that lofty reputation three men came along with an idea to create their own amusement park in Revere.

    First up was John J. Higgins, a man who had only recently moved to Chelsea from Savannah, Georgia. A commercial real estate broker, Higgins purchased 25 acres of land in Revere northeast of the beach and west of the railroad tracks. He envisioned an amusement park from the get go feeling that its proximity to the beach, railroad, and Boston, would make it far more appealing than other new parks like Norumbega in the Auburndale section of Newton, or Paragon Park on Nantasket Beach in Hull.

    With the land secured next into the fold was Floyd Thompson. The New Yorker was a natural partner having attempted to create the largest amusement park at Coney Island only a few years earlier. He had a deal in place for Steeplechase Park and neighboring land but it fell through. Thompson was more than happy to help create the park in Revere. He did after all still have contracts for performers and the architecture knowledge of how to build the park.

    Finally came Harold Parker, Massachusetts Highway manager and railroad investor, he was selected as president of the newly created Wonderland Company. The main players assembled, the land acquired, and the plans in motion, ground was broken for the Wonderland Amusement Park on November 1, 1905. There were 300 men working on the job throughout the winter with an estimated budget of $600,000 ($17.7 million in 2020). Fate seemed to be on their side as the weather that winter was as warm and dry as one could have hoped, putting the project well ahead of schedule.

The main entrance to Wonderland (Boston Public Library)

    It was described in newspapers at the time as a small city with attractions mirroring Coney Island and recent world's fairs. Wonderland had been hyped as much as possible in the weeks leading up to opening day on May 30, 1906. The park had 2 entrances, the main one at the end of Walnut Street, and a beach entrance located near where the present-day Wonderland Station MBTA Stop is located. This entrance included an iron pedestrian bridge allowing people to cross over the railroad tracks safely.

    Some of the main attractions people saw that first day included: Shoot the Chutes, this was a giant water slide where a pair of railroad cars descended into a lagoon. It was purchased from the 1904 St. Louis Expo and brought to Revere in 6 railroad cars. There was Hell Gate which was another boat ride but this time passengers descended down a dimly lit whirlpool inside a hexagonal-shaped building. It was an extremely popular ride. The Wonderland Restaurant and Ballroom, located in the same building, included a 1,000-seat dining room with the ballroom upstairs. There was also a scenic railway taking people around Revere to see the famed beach among other sites.

An aerial view of Wonderland (Boston Public Library)

    Perhaps the most well known attraction at Wonderland was the Fighting the Flames exhibit. After a fire fighting show astounded people at industry conventions in Germany and England, and a similar show was put on at the 1904 St. Louis Expo, it was Floyd Thompson who decided it was a necessary part of the new amusement park. A 3,500 seat grandstand was built before a mock city block that would be stuffed with flammable materials and set ablaze twice daily. Actual retired firefighters put out the blazes with actors and acrobats posing as people in distress being rescued.

    The park had seemingly everything. There was a Penny Arcade. The Theater for children included acts like monkeys riding on the backs of dogs. Wonderland had animal shows, marching bands with parades ala Disney in more recent times, and rotating temporary attractions meaning people had to come back or else they'd miss something new. There was even an Infant Incubator exhibit with real babies. This was at a time when such advancements to care for premature infants were not readily available. So when it is said Wonderland had everything it was not an overstatement.

    Wonderland was a success on the backs of its creators and their dedication to giving the paying audience all they could hope for. During its first summer an estimated million people came through the entrances of the new park. However the success was not enough to cover the cost of staffing and the wide array of attractions. Shockingly Wonderland filed for bankruptcy after the 1908 season. The entire park was sold at auction in March 1909 in a creative twist the same management team bought it for 50 cents on the dollar. They created a new entity called the Walnut Street Corporation and were able to press on for the 1909 season, albeit with far fewer attractions to keep costs down. Therein lay the problem.

Shoot the Chutes Ride at Wonderland. (Boston Public Library) 

    1909 was a successful year for Wonderland yet it could not plug the sinking ship. Revere Beach was a hot destination and people had been opening more and more businesses around it, siphoning off some of Wonderland's clientele. The crowds still came but the writing was on the wall. It opened for the 1910 season later than usual on a rainy June 17th, a bad omen for what ended up being the final hurrah for Wonderland. In another sign of the impending end the park's assets were being listed for sale in local newspapers even as the park was open late in the summer. When the gates were locked after Labor Day they never opened again. The spectacular Coney Island of Boston was no more.

    After the rides and buildings were sold and removed the land that once housed the park sat empty for many years. It eventually saw a miniature golf course, and later a bicycle race track which both failed. The Wonderland name was resurrected in 1935 this time as a dog racing track. The Wonderland Greyhound Park lasted from 1935 to 2010 before closing. Today the only reminder of the former amusement park is the aforementioned Wonderland stop of the MBTA.

    Wonderland was an incredible success and an incredible failure all at once. Millions of people visited the park in its 5 seasons of business. Yet the desire to give the people everything they could want in one amusement park ultimately led to its downfall. Still for a few fleeting moments Coney Island had a rival on the outskirts of Boston. Wonderland was truly a spectacular flash in the pan and a prominent moment in time at the dawn of the 20th century.

For more on Wonderland check out these links.

• Lost Wonderland.com

• Wonderland Amusement Park - New England Historical Society

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

View my previous blog posts: 

In Their Footsteps: Cape Cod History - The Pilgrim Landing 400th Anniversary

In My Footsteps: The Time Period I Wish I Could Visit

Be sure to check out my website: Christopher Setterlund.com

In My Footsteps: Trip 30: Salem, Mass.

In My Footsteps

Christopher Setterlund

Trip 30: Salem, Mass.

March 6, 2010

            Much like with my visit to Plymouth, Salem, Massachusetts seems to overflow with history.  Just about every street, every house, every building in general has an amazing story.  Certainly the first thing that comes to mind when hearing the name ‘Salem’ is the infamous Salem Witch Trials of 1692.  The ‘Trials,’ in which twenty-six people were found guilty of witchcraft, have left their mark all across this historic town.  Not confined to the Halloween season, witches adorn the police cars that pass by.  It gives Salem an aura unlike most places in the United States. 

            The Witch House, also known as the Jonathan Corwin House, located on Essex Street, is the only building still standing with a connection to the Witch Trials.  For a deeper look into the history of that era there is the Salem Witch Museum and the Witch Dungeon Museum.

            However there are many other sites to see in this town that do not have any connection to the Witch Trials.  A perfect place to start is at the Salem Maritime National Historic Site.  With twelve historic structures on nine acres of waterfront land this was the first American National Historic Site.  As soon as you step foot on the grounds you are face to face with a replica of the Friendship of Salem(left).  The original ship was built in 1797 and captured as a war prize by the British during the War of 1812.  The Friendship of Salem was an East Indiaman ship, meaning that it was chartered to the historic East Indian Company founded by Britain which dealt in trade with the Asia and India.  The ship is open for tours year round, weather permitting, and is a very faithful replica of the original.

            Derby Wharf, Salem’s longest at a half mile, stretches out into Salem Harbor and houses a tremendous view of the Maritime Historic Site as a whole.  Sitting at the end of the wharf is Derby Wharf Light, a brick square lighthouse built in 1871.  Standing only fourteen feet tall, Derby Wharf Light was built due to belief that another lighthouse, in addition to the two that already stood, were needed to complete the lighting of Salem Harbor.  Not open to the public, this lighthouse is solar powered and is still used to this day for private navigation.

            Close by on Derby Street sits The House of the Seven Gables(left), one of the places with a connection to literary legend and Salem resident Nathanial Hawthorne.  Seven Gables is a 17^th Century mansion, now a museum open to the public for a fee.  The seven ‘gables’ refers to the triangular portion of a wall between the edges of a sloping roof.  In addition to The House of the Seven Gables being a Hawthorne novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne’s most famous work, was set in 17^th Century Purtian Boston.  Hawthorne’s birthplace(below) itself is also a historic landmark located on the ground of the House of the Seven Gables museum. 

As the story goes, Nathaniel Hawthorne was born ‘Hathorne.’  He added the ‘w’ to his last name during his twenties when he discovered that his great-great grandfather was a judge that had presided over the Salem Witch Trials.  Even with a legendary author like Nathaniel Hawthorne it all comes back to the Witch Trials.  All around The House of the Seven Gables are historic homes, it seems like every house you pass has a plaque on it dating the buildings up to 300 years old.  Salem’s Heritage Trail, a painted red line that leads through the towns’ roads, begins at Remember Salem Gifts and ends at Derby Wharf.  It is a great trip through history and some great exercise on a sunny day. 

            A spot visible from Derby Wharf that is another historic area is Winter Island.  Sitting on forty-five acres, Winter Island has two attractions that must be seen.  The first one is Fort Pickering which was originally built in 1644.  Manned during the War of 1812, the Civil War, and the Spanish-American War, Fort Pickering’s remains are still visible in the hills along the shore.  Fort Pickering Light(left) was built in 1871, the same as Derby Wharf Light and Beverly’s Hospital Point Light.  Nearly destroyed by the Blizzard of ’78, this lighthouse was brought back from the brink by a group of concerned citizens in the early 1980’s.  It is a beautiful site along Salem Harbor, you can risk walking the rocks to stand along side the light as I did, but it is probably easier to sit on one of the benches on the nearby hill and have a more comfortable viewing experience.

            On the opposite coast, facing Beverly Harbor, sits the Salem Willows Amusement Park.  Part of an oceanside neighborhood, the thirty-five acre Salem Willows became a public park in 1858 and also became a popular summer retreat for folks living in Boston.  It is home to a remarkable hand-carved carousel originally created in 1866.  There is a tradition of great summer jazz concerts at the Willows and in the past jazz legends like Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong played here.  The first ice cream cones were introduced to Americans on this site in 1906.  As great as the amusement park is, Salem Willows also has some beautiful views of Beverly Harbor and is great for walking or picnicking as well.

            There is almost no way to see all that Salem has to offer in one trip.  I know myself that a second trip is needed for me to fully appreciate this epicenter of so much history.  I loved all I did see and am looking forward to visiting each and every historic spot in the future.  I believe that all Americans, not just locals, should visit Salem at least once it is a gold mine as far as historical and cultural significance.  Have fun and happy traveling!

Directions: Salem Maritime National Historic Site:  From Rt. 128 heading north take Exit 25A.  Turn right onto Rt. 114, follow Rt. 114 until bearing slightly right onto Rt. 107.  Turn right to stay on Rt. 107/Bridge Street, take the 2^nd right onto Williams Street.  Turn right onto Rt. 1-A, left at Derby Street.  The Maritime Historic Site is on the right as well as Derby Wharf Light and The Friendship of Salem.

The House of the Seven Gables: From Rt. 128 heading north take Exit 25A.  Turn right onto Rt. 114, follow Rt. 114 until bearing slightly right onto Rt. 107.  Turn right to stay on Rt. 107/Bridge Street, take the 2^nd right onto Williams Street.  Turn right onto Rt. 1-A, left at Derby Street.  Follow Derby Street, parking area for Seven Gables is in between Hardy St. and Turner St.

Winter Island/Fort Pickering:  From Rt. 128 heading north take Exit 25A.  Turn right onto Rt. 114, follow Rt. 114 until bearing slightly right onto Rt. 107.  Turn right to stay on Rt. 107/Bridge Street, take the 2^nd right onto Williams Street.  Turn right onto Rt. 1-A, left at Derby Street.  Continue onto Fort Ave.  Turn right at Winter Island Rd.

Salem Willows Amusement Park:  From Rt. 128 heading north take Exit 25A.  Turn right onto Rt. 114, follow Rt. 114 until bearing slightly right onto Rt. 107.  Turn right to stay on Rt. 107/Bridge Street, take the 2^nd right onto Williams Street.  Turn right onto Rt. 1-A, left at Derby Street.  Continue onto Fort Ave, follow it to the end, Salem Willows is on the left.    

References: The House of the Seven Gables

            Salem Willows Amusement Park

            Salem Witch Trials.com

            Salem.org