Remembering that which you grew up with

[Wishfire 2]

This is a thread for everyone to remember the things/people/events they knew as kids that are slowly degrading under the wheels of time.

 

My rememberance goes to Lincoln Park, and amusement park just over the town line from where I grew up. Lincoln Park @ wiki.

 

It's been closed down for 20 years now. I barely remember it from my childhood. Most of my memories of it were from walking (or biking) past it as I grew older.

 

Now, it seems that the lot is being considered for a housing project. It's a damn shame, if you ask me. If I had the money, I'd buy it and restore it to it's former glory. Some of the original rides are still in existence, though they've been relocated. I'm not sure if I'd want to bring them back if I could, as they've become important parts of their new locations. However, it would still be nice to bring back a piece of the region's history.

 

On the other hand, however, it might not be a good idea. When I was growing up, my best friend's father owned a waterslide park, just a couple miles down the road. He had to sell it due to lack of patronship, because people would rather go to the (not quite) nearby larger waterpark. Likewise, Lincoln Park went out of business because of (among other things) other larger amusement parks.

 

I still find it a shame. There's a bigger amusement park 50 miles away, so let's ignore the one in walking distance... Ironically, one of the major parks in the region, Rocky Point, was one of the main causes to Lincoln Park's downfall, yet it was closed down 11 years ago for the same reasons.

 

EDIT: The link was wrong. It has been corrected.

Edited February 18, 2007 by WishfireOmega

[Kor37 9]

Many traditional amusement parks will face the same problem. Disney has announced that they are planning to build "Mini-Disney" amusement parks all over the country. This is going to kill the traditional amusement park.

 

We have a park in Baltimore County called North Point State Park. Its right on the water. Its just your average pretty park with trails and picnic tables and stuff. The last time we were there, I went into the Ranger station that was there. Its a small shack that isn't staffed but it has some pictures and a scrap book to look at. I looked at the scrap book and I discovered that this very park used to be called Bayshore Park and at the turn of the century, it was the largest amusement park on the East Coast! They actually had a trolley line run from downtown Baltimore city to this park. The trolley station is still there but its been converted into a picnic table area. When you walk through the trails, you can still see the remnants of the old amusement park. It was pretty facinating. I would bet big money that hardly anyone in Maryland is even aware of this.

Edited February 18, 2007 by Kor37

[Wishfire 2]

Many traditional amusement parks will face the same problem. Disney has announced that they are planning to build "Mini-Disney" amusement parks all over the country. This is going to kill the traditional amusement park.

 

Are you serious?! Now I hate Disney even more... :)

Edited February 18, 2007 by WishfireOmega

[Vulcan_lover 1]

I would have to say, my most important memory from growing up is any memory with my father. I feel like I have so many with him, but in retrospect, I have like none. He died when still young. I have to say one of my favorite memories of him, was when I was about 4. It was late in the evening and my father had a group of his work buddies over, and they were just chillin' in the study, smoking cigars and drinking, when I had a nightmare. My father rushed to my bed and comforted me, and then carried me back downstairs with him, and held me in his lap till I feel asleep. For now on, when ever I smell cigar smoke, I think back to my father and his buddies discussing politics and business and just being men, it's like a scene from a movie. I don't know, there was just something about that night, that proved to me that you can have it all, a family, friends, career, just everything. And that's what I think of when I remember back to my childhood.

[Kor37 9]

I would have to say, my most important memory from growing up is any memory with my father. I feel like I have so many with him, but in retrospect, I have like none. He died when still young. I have to say one of my favorite memories of him, was when I was about 4. It was late in the evening and my father had a group of his work buddies over, and they were just chillin' in the study, smoking cigars and drinking, when I had a nightmare. My father rushed to my bed and comforted me, and then carried me back downstairs with him, and held me in his lap till I feel asleep. For now on, when ever I smell cigar smoke, I think back to my father and his buddies discussing politics and business and just being men, it's like a scene from a movie. I don't know, there was just something about that night, that proved to me that you can have it all, a family, friends, career, just everything. And that's what I think of when I remember back to my childhood.

 

 

Thats a great memory of your Dad. I'm sorry he's not around for you anymore.. :)

[Theunicornhunter 2]

Lightning bugs - when I was little they came out every summer evening - if you've never seen a lightning bug (firefly) you've missed one of the pleasures of a summer evening in the South. My sister in law speculates that all the spraying for the mosquitoes has probably killed the lightning bugs as well - I figure it is loss of habitat due to incessant growth.

 

I miss riding my bike with friends around the neighborhood (good heavens in high school my friend and I used to ride all over town). Now with cell phone distracted drivers pummeling their SUV's through the streets I'd be afraid to ride on a city street - that and the proliferation of dangerous dogs roaming the neighborhoods - in my day German Shepherds were the most serious threat and I had a couple of close calls but people weren't killed like they are now - people have to be afraid of letting their children walk down the street to a friend's house.

 

I miss sitting on the porch listening to the sounds of the evening - people don't have porches like they once did and everybody is always inside "plugged in" in some fashion. I think that is why I enjoyed attending my little niece's softball games last summer - just sitting outside in the summer evening is its own kind of magic.

 

I miss the time when people didn't seem so busy and had time to enjoy one another.

 

I miss this dessert my mother used to make - blackberries and dumplings.

 

Heck, I miss being young. :)

[Kor37 9]

The lightning bugs must have all moved up here. We have tons of them in the summer! I remember catching them when I was a kid and putting them in jars.