IN TONIGHT'S GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN SERIES WE REMEMBER
RIVERSIDE PARK.
IT BEGAN AS A PICNIC GROVE IN THE LATE 1800 BEFORE BEING
PURCHASED BY THE CARROLL FAMILY IN THE LATE 1930s AND THEN
BLOSSOMING INTO NEW ENGLAND'S LARGEST AMUSEMENT PARK.
RIVERSIDE WAS CONSIDERED A FAMILY PARK AND STILL CARRIES
FOND MEMORIES FOR MANY IN THE REGION AS A PLACE FOR FUN,
RELAXATION AND FOR MANY SUMMER EMPLOYMENT.
"CONNECTING POINT" PRODUCER DAVE FRASER TALKS WITH LOCAL
HISTORIAN DAVID CECCHI TO REMINISCE ABOUT A BY GONE ERA.
>> RIVERSIDE PARK REALLY ATTRACTED THE LOCAL AREA BUT
ALSO ALL OVER NEW ENGLAND.
IT WAS THE LARGEST AMUSEMENT PARK IN NEW ENGLAND FOR DECADES.
RIVERSIDE WAS KNOWN AS GALLUP'S GROVE IN THE 1850s.
IT WAS A PICNIC GROVE THAT PEOPLE CAME DOWN FROM
SPRINGFIELD AND AT THAT TIME A FEW MILES FROM SPRINGFIELD WAS
REALLY GOING OUT INTO THE COUNTRY, SO IT WAS ON THE RIVER,
THE COOL BREEZE.
IT WAS A NICE PLACE FOR PEOPLE TO SPEND THEIR SUNDAY
AFTERNOONS.
IT WAS A 300 FOOT DIAMETER POOL.
WHEN IT OPENED IT WAS THE RIVERSIDE PARK AND AUDITORIUM.
THAT SOON BECAME KNOWN AS LAKE TAKE A DIP.
TWARGDAR QUARTER FOR A TOWEL AND BATHING SUIT RENTAL.
BY THE END OF THE SUMMER THEY DOUBLED THE PRICE TO 50 CENTS
AND THAT DIDN'T GO OVER SO WELL, BUT IT WAS A HUGE DIVING
PLATFORM IN THE MIDDLE AND IT WAS THIS BIG CONCRETE STRUCTURE,
AND AFTER THE POOL HAD BEEN FILLED IN, THAT WAS IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE PARKING LOT AT RIVERSIDE PARK UP UNTIL THE
1990s.
PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS.
IT WAS THIS GIANT CONCRETE THING THEY JUST THOUGHT IT WAS SOME
KIND OF TOWER BASE OR SOMETHING, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY THE DIVING
PLATFORM FOR THE POOL THAT HAD BEEN FILLED IN.
ED CARROLL WAS MANAGING THE DRIVE-IN THEATER ON THE PARK,
AND IN 1939, HE BOUGHT RIVERSIDE PARK.
HE STARTED WORKING ON GETTING RIDES.
HE BOUGHT THE THUNDERBOLT AND HAD IT REBUILT.
RIVERSIDE HAD PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING.
THEY HAD A BOWLING ALLEY.
THEY HAD THE SKATING RINK.
THEY HAD THE ROLLER COASTERS.
THEY HAD DANCING.
RIVERSIDE PARK WAS A DESTINATION.
¶ GIVE YOU THAT FEELING ¶ ¶ A GOOD, HAPPY FEELING ¶
>> ED CARROLL WOULD GO OUT TO CALIFORNIA EVERY YEAR AND SEE
WHAT WAS THE LATEST AND GREATEST.
HE REALLY USED DISNEYLAND AS A MODEL FOR RIVERSIDE PARK.
WHEN THE MONORAIL WAS BUILT IT WAS THE ONLY MONORAIL OUTSIDE OF
DISNEYLAND IN THE COUNTRY.
AT THE TIME THERE WAS NO ADMISSION TO GET INTO THE PARK.
SO TO GET PEOPLE INTO THE PARK, THEY HAD FREE SHOWS, SO HE WOULD
SCOUT CELEBRITIES, SINGING GROUPS, HE TRIED TO GET PEOPLE
RIGHT IN THAT CUSP WHERE THEY WERE -- HE COULD STILL AFFORD TO
BRING THEM IN BUT THEY WERE JUST BREAKING SO BY THE TIME THEY
APPEARED AT THE PARK THEY WOULD BE A BIG NAME LIKE THE CAST OF
BONANZA WAS AT THE PARK.
LORNE GREEN WAS SINGING, MICHAEL LANDON RODE THE ROLLER COASTER
WITH PEOPLE.
PEOPLE -- LASSIE CAME OUT TO THE PARK.
PEOPLE REALLY HAVE A LOT OF MEMORIES OF THE SHOWS THAT WERE
THERE ALSO, YOU KNOW, THAT GOT PEOPLE INTO THE PARK AND THEN
THEY WOULD BUY THEIR TICKETS TO DO THE RIDES.
THE RACETRACK OPERATED FOR OVER 50 YEARS.
THEY HAD RACES ON SATURDAY NIGHTS.
THEY HAD THE DEMOLITION DER BEES.
PEOPLE -- THEY FOLLOWED THE DRIVERS.
THEY WERE -- IT WAS A REGULAR TRADITION, AND EVERYONE KNEW THE
RACETRACK.
WHETHER YOU WENT TO THE TRACK OR NOT, YOU KNEW IT WAS AROUND AND
IT WAS PART OF THIS AREA.
WHEN I WAS DOING RESEARCH FOR MY BOOK, THE WAY I PUT IT IS
EVERYBODY HAS A RIVERSIDE STORY.
SO MANY PEOPLE THAT THEIR PARENTS OR GRANDPARENTS MET AT
RIVERSIDE PARK.
SO MANY PEOPLE WORKED AT RIVERSIDE PARK.
THEY MET THEIR SPOUSE AT RIVERSIDE PARK.
IT WAS JUST SOCIALLY RIVERSIDE PARK PLAYED SUCH A HUGE ROLE IN
THIS AREA.
IT WAS A FAMILY PARK, AND IT REALLY JUST TOUCHED PEOPLE IN A
REALLY PERSONAL WAY.