Paragon Park - Hull, MA, USA
Posted by: NorStar
N 42° 16.148 W 070° 51.272
19T E 347058 N 4681323
Paragon Park, which operated from 1905 to 1984 by Nantasket Beach in Hull, MA, was a local amusement park that had many rides including a well known roller coaster, which today is operated in a Six Flags amusement park in Maryland.
Waymark Code: WM72ET
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 08/23/2009
Views: 14
Most of this information came from a marker by the Paragon Carousel, which, together with the clock in the same block, are the only remains of Paragon Park.
Paragon Park was a local amusement park in Hull, Massachusetts. The area was then a popular resort where you could take a steamship or a train from Boston. On the outside of the peninsula that the town is on is Nantasket Beach, which is still crowded with people on a hot summer day. There were hotels and other accommodations.
In 1905, Paragon Park was started as an amusement park. In the 1920s, David and Rosa Stone bought the property, and the operation was run by the Stone family right through 1985. In the early years of the park, there were a few rides and the Palm Gardens Restaurant and Grill, which was modeled after a German beer garden. Rides were added over the years. The most famous ride was the Giant Roller Coaster, which was one of the largest in New England and drew people from around the country. Certainly, the high track could be seen for miles around. In addition, there was a flume ride, a Tilt O Whirl, a Himalaya, bumper cars, and, the carousel. The sign said that during the summer, the park employed over 300 high school kids college kids and seniors a year.
By the 1970s, Hull was waning as a resort town, and it was becoming more like an outlying suburb. The great snow storm, the "Blizzard of '78," did some damage to the park. In 1985, the park was closed and most of the items were removed to make way for high-rise condominiums. The roller coaster was saved. It now is called "The Wild One" at Six Flags America in Mitchellville, MD. The carousel still remains in Hull, moved a small distance from its original location. Inside the carousel building are pictures of the park.
Old pictures and personal accounts of the park by someone are found in this link:
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visit link)
Other sources:
Friends of the Paragon Carousel:
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visit link)
About.com (The Wild One Ride):
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visit link)