Steen Thomas "Tom" Parker is pictured on a pony at Cedar Point in 1929. Tom's grandfather, Leroy Parker, was a concessionaire at Cedar Point from about 1924 until 1954. Leroy, along with two other Sandusky men, operated the Concourse Amusement Company. Among the rides in the company were: Noah's Ark, Caterpillar, Rocket Ships, Joy Plane, Scooter, and Heigh-De-Ho in the Dark. Leroy and his wife Ada owned a farm in Perkins Township until 1941, but they would still manage to put in many hours during the summer at Cedar Point. They had a cottage on the Point, and their many grandchildren would often spend the weekend at the cottage, enjoying the beach and the many fun attractions of Cedar Point. Tom's younger sister Sally used to mention playing with the gypsies' children while she was spending time with her Grandma and Grandpa Parker.
After Tom married and moved to California, on occasion he would bring his family back to Ohio. These candid family snapshots were taken in August, 1954. Tom is pictured with his Grandpa Leroy Parker and his extended family.
Take a look at Cedar Point's website to read more about history of this delightful amusement park. The grandchildren and great grandchildren of Leroy and Ada Parker have fond memories of their summer days and nights spent at Cedar Point.
See previous posts in the Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay to learn more about the Parker family, and view photos of the final resting places of Tom, Leroy, and Ada Parker.
Oh, the good old days when families would look forward to summers (or just weekends) at places like Cedar Point! The rides and amusements would seem "hokey" to kids now, but back then they were the height of excitement!
ReplyDeleteI used to like the "Rotor," but now I really like the train!
ReplyDeleteOh I know what you mean, Dorene! I used to enjoy all those "exciting" rides, the Blue Streak (which was the BIG coaster back in the day), the Rotor, Scrambler, etc. too. Now, all I'm up for is the train or maybe the sky (gondola) ride. Do they still have that one? Today's thrill rides are best left to the young ;-)
ReplyDeleteMy daughters say that the Sky Ride is still there! I must say, that nowadays, we just send the kids & grandkids over to Cedar Point!
ReplyDeleteWhat fun it must have been to have a grandparent at the park! Thanks for the link, my great-aunt and uncle worked at the park in the summer of 1901 and their timeline hints that they probably worked in one of the new hotels.
ReplyDeleteDarien Lakes Park in Western NY used to be a sister park to Cedar Point and our passes were good at both but we never did get to Ohio in those days. Like you we used to take the kids and drop them off as a group once they were old enough.
It is great to hear of other bloggers with Cedar Point connections!
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