Joseph G Blake

Dana Shepard (Treister)

For those of you who share my nostalgia for Euclid Beach Park, another former Clevelander shared with me a 128 page soft cover book published in 2012 entitled "Images of America:  Euclid Beach Park" -- mostly vintage photos with captions. Fun to flip through for sure!  I have fond memories of a time when several of us from SHHS '64 went to Euclid Beach for the day... by bus.  A major adventure and lasting memory.

Dana Shepard Treister

Betsy Dennis (Frank)

Dana, A few years back there was an article in the Cleveland Jewish News about a ride that had been put on wheels and went around to nursing homes and gave people rides. Those with dementia really enjoyed as did others. Betsy

Marianne Coplan (Schapiro)

Euclid Beach!  Great memories of a grand old place.  When my now- 40-something nieces were little girls, there was a small amusement park outside of Cleveland--afraid I can't remember exactly where--that had quite a few of the actual old rides from Euclid Beach.  AND the popcorn balls!  I lvoe the idea of a travelling ride for seniors--very cool.  

Gretchen Effler

In my late twenties, I lived in Bratenahl and used to drive by the entrance gates to Euclid Beach Park that stood forlornly in front of an apartment development. Across Lake Shore Drive the McDonalds displayed small memorabilia and nostalgia-inducing photos. My most vivid memories of the park were from well before high school. I attended Gesu Elementary School in University Heights, and we went there annually on what we called  'Catholic Day.'  Riding in the rocket ships, those big silver tubes that were halfway between Airstreams and blimps, we would repeat the rumor that the older kids knew to be true, that one year a group of nuns were in the ride when the cables broke and the rocket ship went soaring out over Lake Erie. Of course it sank beneath the waves and not one of the passengers was heard from again. We could only pray for a timely repetition of that marvelous event.

Dana Shepard (Treister)

I am enjoying everyone's memories of Euclid Beach!  Gretchen -- YOU went on "Catholic Day", but I went on "Silver's Temple Day"!  I know there was always a raffle and ONE memorable year we won a can of maple syrup (!), and I remember dancing later in the day in a ballroom pavilion.  But mostly the rides - I loved Dodge-em and the Whip, and then as a teen the NEW ride -- the Rotor!  And being terrified of the laughing mannekins in front of the Fun House (which also scared me...).  I delighted in taking my grandchildren to Kiddieland here in Chicago -- a much smaller scale, but also old-school vintage rides - but that closed forever 5 years ago.  Michael and I were in Paris with our now-14-year old elder granddaughter over XMas this year and we all delighted in riding several of the beautiful vintage two-level carrousels located around the city!

Beverly Parries (Rideout)

I loved going to Euclid Beach with my sisters by bus. It took us 3 buses and probably several hours to get there. The real treat to me was going to Cedar Point.

Larry L Nudelman

Euclid Beach Park had so many memories when I was a kid.  It was such a shock that when I went back in the early 70's to work there, and it was to build The Euclid Beach Manor Care Nursing Home complex.  They had already built a senior apartment complex there a year earlier.   I walked around the property seeing the old ride locations, not picking up signs or other now lost items that I thought of as just "Junk" not something to collect.  The McDonalds and Burger King across from the park, Now both Gone, did have a lot of nostalgic signs and photo's on the walls.  The Humphry Family took the kiddy rides to Streetsborro, Ohio on the way to Kent State, to a park called  Shady Lakes Park .  At my age I 'm surprised I can remember it like yesterday.  They used to have Nickel Day's there.   All rides were a nickel.  That was the last time a nickel got you anything.  At that park I would take my 6 year old son and 4 year old Daughter and they would  have a ball all day while their dad would try not to get sick taking them on the rides, because they were too small. That park too is now closed. It is just a family campground.  Years ago, at least 20, someone bought one of the rocket ships and about six of the roler coster cars and made them both into two car rides that he brings to parades or car shows.  On September 28 of this year, There is an old Car Cruse and Euclid Beach Festival at the old park location.  They have Laughing Sal, The laugh in the dark  "Greeter", Popcorn Balls, soft serve icecream and Photos of the park and tours of the park.  You can even have a rocket car ride for $3.00.  The old Carosel that was at the park is now at its new home at The Crawford Auto Air Museum where they built a glass enclosed room just for the carosel.  They hope by the December of 2014 the fully restored horses  will be in working order.

Arthur Charles Scott

Euclid Beach nostalgists will want to know about two books published by Amusement Park Books in 1977 and 1979:  Euclid Beach Park Is Closed for the Season and Euclid Beach Park - A Second Look.  Large format, nearly 600 pages in all, hundreds of photos, detailed history of the park.  Fantastic stuff.  A quick check of abebooks.com shows lots of copies available online.  Happy hunting!  --Art

Steven Dono

Flying turns resurected.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g-UO_ivToA&feature=youtu.be

Betsy Dennis (Frank)

Gretchen, It was the rocket ships that were taken around on wheels to the nursing homes in the Cleveland area. Betsy

Lesley Dormen

Oh, those silver rocket ships!  Maybe not a bad way to go out.  Popcorn Balls are definitely Proustian.  And the sudden thrilling drop "over the falls" in that boat ride. Wild Mouse. Laugh in the Dark. I'm ordering at least one of the books...thanks for posting. 

Joseph G Blake

Joseph G Blake

Burt Weiss

One bag of Turkish taffy + The Bug = reverse peristalsis

Patricia Ann Richards (Armstrong)

Euclid Beach...Euclid Beach:  with its promising twin towers - best amusement park in the USA bar none!  Been to many in various countries, counties, states etc...Disneyworlds, DIsneyland, 6 Flags (maybe it was 9) ...all of them not a patch on Euclid Beach.  OK, maybe Coney Island when I went there in 1957 was slightly more amazing...but it didn't have the magic of that plot of ground in an odd part of Cleveland.  Basically you had to drive there...getting there by bus from Shaker was a logistical nightmare.  Even driving there was exciting, though it seemed to take forever...passing Nela Park et al, all on the way to that once-a-year destination.

But when you got there...WOW!  Elements of "The Twilight Zone"...a place which had not changed for 40/50 years: "rides" which would never have have passed "health and safety regulations", let alone political correctness.

Dana went there with Silver's Temple group, Gretchen on "Catholic" day, and me, with the annual "Eastern Star" picnic...where you got your hand stamped with a purple star and rode all the rides for free.  Eastern Star is the female counterpart of the Masons.  We brought our picnic to eat in the big "log cabin"...hardly able to eat, even though my grandmother's German potato salad was my favourite...so keen were we to get to the "rides".  All our aunts, uncles and cousins were there, grandparents,too!  But never my Dad - he was always working.  Nor was it his scene at all...of course, in his younger days he used to fly aeroplanes and make parachute jumps at county fairs...so I guess the Silver spaceships didn't really do it for him.

We didn't buy the hot dogs or the hamburgers...but we knew we would come home with a package of popcorn balls at the end....and the taffy...so sticky, so gooey, so amazingly sweet...amazing stuff!  God help any fillings in our teeth!  Even watching the machines "pulling" the taffy was worth at least 3 or 4 minutes of rapt attention.

My brother and I rode "The Thriller" 21 times during one visit...interspersed with the "Flying Turns"...the second best "ride" in history.  And of course a ride or two on "The Flying Derby".  And all the other rides...the silver spaceships, the small gauge railway train through the miniature village, the flying butterflies, during  which  my brother bit me because I was making our butterfly fly so erratically...he was freaked out big time!  The racing coaster which, at the age of 5, was my first roller coaster ride, accompanied by my Aunt Ruth...SURE I was going to die???all these are indelible memories! happy memories.  Oh!  And the stomach losing "Over the Falls"!  AND "THE BUG"!

The slightly sinister "laughing ladies" in a box...the roller skating rink...the dancing when the light faded, the tower with it's many colours... all on the shore of the once swimmable Lake Erie!   "Those were the days, my friends, I thought they'd never end..."   But, indeed, they did!

Trust me...all the modern rides where they strap you in as if you were an astronaut in today's theme parks do NOT provide the thrills, the sense of imminent danger, that a day at Euclid Beach provided.  

And if you think I'm only remembering stuff so vividly because I was a kid visiting Euclid Beach for one magical day a year...I went there until it closed, and I was in my 20's.  More than once a year!

All subsequent  "rides" with their loop the loops, being upside down for periods of time, manufactured largely by German companies, SAFE AND RELIABLE, just don't do the trick for me that "The Thriller" did.  There was that aspect of risk, which is so dear to my heart, at Euclid Beach.  And none of the "amusement parks" has that anymore...unless, of course, one is willing to risk life and limb at the various "travelling amusement fairs" which come to town occasionally...some of them really dicey!  Run by "carney folk"...and actually quite exciting.

On my last trip to Cleveland I bought the book about Euclid Beach...but it's so depressing.  All those rides "finito"...that unique place in Cleveland forever lost.  And all its anodyne replacements run by big corporations and heartless, risk averse accountants...Yeuchhh!

Well...all this verbiage shows that I'm still a dreamer, still not really tuned onto the 21st century...at least as far as amusement parks are concerned...excuse me...they are now "theme parks"!   More's the pity!  

Anybody interested in investing in a "true, old fashioned amusement park?

It's a rhetorical question!

Looking forward to seeing anybody who wants to see me August 1st and 2nd.

I'm not really obsessed by the demise of Euclid Beach...am much more interested in what you've been doing lately!  It's just that the subject came up on our message forum, and it hit a nerve!

Looking forward to seeing all of you, 'cause I remember ALL OF YOU!  Well...most of you.

I REALLY DO....unless we really had NO interaction in our 3 years at SHHS.  Perhaps there were some of you with whom I never exchanged a word...but that doesn't mean I didn't know you were on the scene.  I was a watcher, an observer...very few of you escaped my notice!

Until 1st August then...

Fondly,

Patty RIchards Armstrong

Neil T Glazer

Ah, "The Flying Turns" at Euclid Beach. Desperately in love with Arlyn Katovsky and trying to get to "first base" was a challenge. We were "going steady" for several months and the "Flying Turns" seemed the ideal place to cuddle close and to "cop a feel". Using the ride as an excuse for grabbing her was so easy. When we got off the ride she pulled me close but instead of a kiss she slapped me across the face. She broke up with me immediately...can you blame her? I reminded her that I paid for both of us so she slapped me again. By the time we went to Miami University she had forgiven me, thank goodness! Arlyn, where ever you are I hope this brings a smile.   Love Neil

Alaina Weisman (Zachary)

I feel that I must add my voice to a couple of the wonderful posts I've followed here.  So ---                                          Euclid Beach!  In addition to remembering the wonderful wooden dance pavilion, and loving the salt water taffy, was there also the machine where we watched the taffy being pulled?  Many family outings have left strong impressions and one was watching my mother purchase a Hershey's chocolate bar which, when unwrapped, revealed worms... the cautionary tale was don't buy chocolate in the summer. (Before air conditioned concessions.)  I had an embarassing incident at the Rotor as a pre teen, but I thought the Rotor was NOT at Euclid Beach but a more suburban amusement park... someone correct me... anyway, I was wearing a skirt that day and as the Rotor picked up speed, I began slipping down the wall, not being suspended in mid air.  Yikes.   Living my entire life in Shaker, first on Hildana Rd. and then to a house we had built on Morley, I learned early just how stratified Shaker was.  The first black child was in my elementary school, Malvern.  Darlene Talley showed up after winter vacation and I invited her to play.  I learned she was the daughter of a maid..... someone on Morley, watching us walk home together was extremely uncomfortable and phoned my mother to tell her and ask her did she know I was playing with a black child.  Regarding the VanSweringens and their known anti semitism, it was long known within our family that my parents wanted to build a home north of Warrensville Ctr. but were told the Weismans could purchase land there but not build.  And the other incident that has long stayed with me was the pleasure of being a guest at the Cleveland Skating Club because some of my friends belonged and would invite me on Friday nights.  I was passionate about ice skating then and this was before they flooded a pond near Byron.  I remember the phone call my mother made to the CSC about membership and she was told that the Weismans would not be comfortable there.  We joined the Arena and later the Northfield Rink.  I have been a life long liberal......                                                                                                   On the quesion that Maryann Copland asked about doing the Hallelujah Chorus... how well I remember  singing with the choir and how many Messiahs I have sung since... even conducting and being a supply tenor at a little church upstate New York.  My entire performing career has involved singing until quite recently.  Were I able to attend the reunion, I would happily lend my still soprano, still flexible voice.  One very happy PS to this diatribe is the warm memory of visionary Mr. Ellis performing the rather new (then) Poulenc Gloria with art teacher and soprano Cinderella (Be Nice) Paradiso as the soloist.  The experience singing it then has stayed with me my entire life and one of the glory moments of my career was getting to BE that soprano soloist fronting for the Hudson Valley Choral Society's two performances some years ago in Catskill NY.  Somewhere, there's a recording.  Just wanted to add a few memories to the mix.  

Betsy Dennis (Frank)

Joseph, I also remember Budin's. I remember having dinner there one night with Judy Glicksberg and her family and I think Jeff Feder was also there. I remember how nice Judy was to me and that made a difference as I didn't have many friends.

Alaina, We moved to Shaker because my parents wanted me to have more exposure to Jewish children. I was one of only 4 Jews in Caledonia school in Cleveland Hts, but part of the East Cleveland school district. I remember I wanted to stay at that school and asked my parents why we couldn't move just to Forest Hills and I was told, Jews couldn't live there. That would have been in 1958 when we moved to Shaker.

Betsy Dennis Frank

PS Alaina, I will be in Santa Fe July 16-23.

Phyllis Hammer (Gubanc)

And speaking of Euclid Beach [this will be a very poor segue], do any of you remember Nela Park? When I was a kid, we'd all pile into the car around Christmas, dog included, and drive through Nela Park to look at the lights. I don't think that I'll ever see a Christmas tree without expecting to see a wagging tail obscuring my view of it. 

This trip back to MemoryVille is going to be quite interesting. My first job was at Bordonaro's Grocery Store at the corner of Chagrin and ... something...Lynnfield, I believe.

Even though we've lived here in Cowlumbus since 1984, Cleveland, and Shaker, in particular, will always be home. Hard to explain, because, as a kid, I always thought that if I could leave Cleveland, I'd never look back.

More later. Litterboxes to be cleaned...One must do one's chores, after all.

Looking forward to seeing you all in August.

Phyllis Hammer (Gubanc)

Betsy, one of the things I took so for granted when growing up in Shaker was the diversity. I tended to assume that every community had Jewish people, Black people, a vast range of people. It wasn't until I got older and moved around a bit that I realized how fortunate I was to have had the Shaker experience. My father's family was Jewish, and I learned so much about my heritage by being able to spend time with them and grow up in a community like Shaker.

David Tracy

Hi, Folks.

I regrettably have to decline the wonderful time you all are planning in August, but I moved down here in west coast Florida, and I don't drive anymore due to a stroke I had earlier. But I, too, am reminiscing about the good times spent at Euclid Beach. The coasters were great, of course, but my 2 favorites were the Flying Scooters, the ride you see when you first get in the park, and Laugh In The Dark, where the cop comes out from behind a pole and says "No foolin, buddy", and a little way down the track is the nervous guy in the bath tub. A little bit crazy, but, so am I. Also, my dad took moves of my brother and myself waving from the Rocket Ships, back in 1951. Well,,,,, never forget,,,, COOLITWIDTHABOOMBOOMSOVADAY.

Marianne Coplan (Schapiro)

I remember Nela Park, too.  Always seemed very magical.  And speaking of holiday lights, those of us who sang in A Cappella Choir always had a grand time singing at the Shaker Square tree lighting cermeony, where Santa sould arrive on the Rapid.  Afterwards, on at least one occasion that I recall, many of us continued to carol around the Square (which was and is, of course, actually a circle)--led by the alwyas fabulous Tom Young, in a rather wonderful "homage" to Mr. Ellis.  I also remember the choir going into Stouffers after we sang and being treated to hot chocolate.  Those were indeed the days. . .

And speaking of singing--thanks to Alaina for responding to my suggestion about a mini choir reunion; so sorry we won't see you at the reunion. Any other singers intrigued by that idea???

Ronald G Simon

Hello everyone. Been reading a lot of great stuff about Euclid Beach Park and it brings back a lot of memories. I can remember going every year on Fairmount Temple Day. it was that one great day with my family to enjoy everything that went on in the Park.

Alaina Zachary, once known as Alene was my next door neighbor on Morley. You look wonderful and it sounds like you have had a wonderful life.

David Tracy, long time no talk. How are you? I am in Tampa, west coast of Florida too.

Betsy Dennis, nice to hear you speak of Judy Glicksberg. She was a great person and a friend to all. She died far too young.

Neil Glazer, You always thought you had great moves with the ladies, but as you told us, Arlyn wasn't very impressed.  She was a terrific person, and a good friend. Do you remember her parents? Marty was probably the coolest Dad ever. 

Myrna Passov Eglund, Are you still living in Cleveland? If you are, I'll bet you were on the Reunion Committee. How are you? Miss your Dad? He was a great guy.

Joseph G Blake

Hoping not to be too serious, let me add these comments about the Van Sweringens. It certaily is true that their company operated a "restricted" policy in practice in the period 1910 to 1935. But it is also true that such Babbitry was commomplace at the time.

For example, Woodrow Wilson is thought to be progressive but as President he heavily supported policies to segregate the Federal government in DC long after the end of the Civil War. This had not happened previously because all the presidents between LIncoln and Wilson were from the North whereas Wilson was a Virginian. The end of the First World War ushered in a period where Americans wanted "normalcy" and expressed all their fears. For the first time the US imposed severe restrctions on immigration. It was a period of excessive nativism. The KKK was at its strongest. Klansman marched openly in NIles and Canton, Ohio. They loathed anything which was thought to be un-American. Immigrtants, Catholics and Jews were added to their list. The Klan virtually took over the GOP in Indiana and decided to hold their national convention in South Bend Indiana, near to Notre Dame circa 1925. The students at ND decided to head to town and attack any Klansmen who were walking around town in their sheets. And they did. The Notre Dame leadership then confined students to the campus and cooled things off. In Pottsville, PA the Klan burned a white cross on a hill overlooking the town as a message to the Catholics living there. Many years later a Catholic school was built on that hill and there is a big cross marking the spot where the Klan placed a burning one.

In the 1920s Cleveland had six department stores but Halle Brothers was considered the leading name until Higbee's occupied their terminal location in 1931. The beautiful Halle store was across from the Union Club where the Protestant leadership reigned every day for lunch. Ironically Sam Halle and his brother Salmon woud not have been welcome for any meal or even a cup of coffee. Nonetheless, as an indication that times would change, Sam Halle married Blance Murphy, an irish Catholic who often said "Sam Halle is my religion." Four of their five children married into leading gentile families- Chisholm. Sherwin, Crile and Little. Their one daugher Kay never married but dated Randolph Churchill in the 1930s when he was in the USA to accompany his father, Winston Churchill who was on a speaking tour of America. The tour was sponsored by Bernard Baruch, Sam Halle and others who were trying to help him recover his losses incurred during the 29 crash. The Union Club accepted its first Jewish member, Jack Lampl around 1970.

The major achievements of the Vans might be summarised this way.

They were the last leaders who had a vision for the future of Cleveland. They reshaped Cleveland physically witness the Terminal Project at the Square and the three suburbs Shaker Heights, Beechwood and Pepper Pike. Few if any had that much influence on any city which prevailed long after their deaths.

They had an uncanny ability to select very bright and talented people to shape and execute their vision for Cleveland. Few comparable suburbs can compare to Shaker in the rigorous design and construction standards they imposed. So many of the houses and streets stand out in ways that the folks in Grosse Pointe, the North Shore, the Mainline, Scarsdale or Wellesley can only envy. When you attend the reunion at the Shaker Club note the unique Georgian houses on the left side of Courland Boulevard- all the creative work of architect Clarence Mack.

By the mid 1920s, the Vans were busily trying to consolidate their railroad properties- the Nickel Plate, the C&O and the Erie into a single railroad. That did not happen before the crash and therefore the consolidation of the railroads nationally did not occur until well after the Second Wolrd War- the 1970s and later. The purchase of the Nickel Plate was central to making the rapid transit a desirable way to travel everyday to and from Shaker Heights. They really were not involved in the day to day operations of Shaker Heights real estate transaction except for big questions and by 1925 Shaker Heights was fully laid out.

But as it was said long ago, the Vans should have never gone east of Green Rd or west of the Mississippi ( they foolishly bought the Missouri Pacific in 1930).

But they reflected the values of the time. My mother used to say how ugly the election of 1928 was because of the virulent hatred directed at Al Smith, a Catholic. However, I never had the nerve to ask did she make the connection that Shaker was resrticted when she and my father moved there in 1928. I suspect she did not really understand all that albeit my father certainly did. But as you all know now, we and are parents are not always logical or consistent in how we/they lived our lives. May our chidlren be so forgiving of us.

The ultimate absurdity of the Babbitry of that time was well captured by Grouch Marx. He used to say he would not join a club which would accept him as a member. He also would tell the story of being a guest with his family at a restricted club. His then wife was a Gentile. He asked if his son could go swimming. He was told, "Mr Marx, this club is restricted!" He replied, "Can he go in to the pool up to his waist? My wife is not Jewish."