Lost Amusements: Euclid Beach Park

By Brian George:

The sights, sounds, tastes, and memories of Euclid Beach Park will forever hold a special place in the hearts of the hundreds of thousands who visited. Euclid Beach was Cleveland’s own piece of Americana. It was a model park that set high standards for not only its employees and entertainment values, but also for its guests. It was family owned and operated, and family oriented. The Euclid Beach Park atmosphere and tradition was reminiscent of Chicago’s Riverview Park and New York’s Coney Island—two of the country’s most historically-renowned amusement parks.

The 75-acre Euclid Beach was nestled on the rolling shores of Lake Erie on Cleveland’s east side at the corner of Lakeshore Boulevard and Collamer Avenue (now East 156th Street). The park was platted on the former site of the Cobb family farm by the Euclid Beach Park Company, which was established in 1894. The company was comprised of a group of Cleveland investors, including noted businessman and politician William R. Ryan, Sr. One year later, on June 30, under the managerial leadership of Ryan, Euclid Beach Park formally opened to the public. During its inaugural season, the quaint Coney Island-inspired park relied on its dance pavilion, gambling, concerts, carnival-like freak shows, and a beer garden to attract guests. The park’s early enticements also included a wooded area for picnickers and a 1,700-foot long beach for bathers.

In 1896, Licking County native LaMarcus A. Thompson built the park’s first roller coaster, the Switchback Railway. Thompson’s reputation in the amusement industry was ignited by his conception and construction of a similar ride concept twelve years earlier at Coney Island. Despite standing just 35-feet tall and traveling at a slow-moving speed, the Euclid Beach Switchback Railway was a well-liked ride. It was Cleveland’s first roller coaster. Other rides and attractions built in the park’s sophomore season included a carousel, fun house, maze, and observation wheel.

Although Euclid Beach was just eight miles east of Cleveland’s Public Square, it was a considerably long distance at the time for visitors to travel. A trolley route along Lakeshore Boulevard took patrons directly to the front gate. The Euclid Beach Park Company also extended a pier into Lake Erie to accommodate passenger steamships from Cleveland. The company acquired the steamships Duluth and Superior to carry guests to and from a dock on the Cuyahoga River and the park. Both ships measured in length of 98 feet and had a maximum capacity of 800 passengers. If large crowds were anticipated at the park, management contracted two additional steamships, the State of Ohio and Promise. The fare for a round trip aboard one of the steamships was just 25 cents and included admission to inside the park. Steamship service to the park ended in 1901.

In 1897, Ryan parted ways with Euclid Beach and established Manhattan Beach Park, located a little over one mile to the west on Lakeshore Boulevard near the present-day Bratenahl-Cleveland border. This new venture presented Euclid Beach with its closest challenger. However, Manhattan Beach’s existence was fleeting. In 1905, White City, a more-worthy rival, would occupy the grounds of the short-lived Manhattan Beach.

Following Ryan’s departure, Lee Holtzman took helm of Euclid Beach Park’s operations. After an unsuccessful 1900 season, he and the Euclid Beach Park Company relinquished all responsibilities and offered the park for sale. In 1901, Dudley S. Humphrey II and six of his family members signed a five-year lease agreement to take over the operations. Humphrey had been a popcorn concessionaire at the park before closing his stand in 1899 due to his dislike of the park’s repugnant entertainment acts, distasteful atmosphere, and lack of respectable ethics. Humphrey knew the park well and knew it needed an overhaul. Under his and his family’s direction, Euclid Beach Park would no longer be a place for alcohol vending or consumption, gambling, or unsavory freak shows. He strictly enforced his family’s personal moral philosophies at the park and expected all guests to abide by the same values. Disorderly behavior inside the park was not tolerated. Disruptive patrons were told to leave by a hired squad of park police officers. At the front gate, visitors were denied entry if they did not adhere to a respectable dress code. Humphrey presumed that appropriate attire encouraged proper amusement park behavior and a suitable environment. Only children were permitted to wear shorts. This exception was sufficiently advertised with signage throughout the park. Guests were also turned away at the entrance if thought to be intoxicated.

The managerial tactics employed by Humphrey countered the amusement park mainstream. The rejuvenated attitude toward Euclid Beach Park put an end to the depressing and demoralizing standards prevalent in the park’s first six seasons and was collectively accepted by many families, companies, and community groups from all across northeast Ohio. Advertisements promoted the park as “temperate,” “moral,” and “uplifting.” Albeit unconventional, the stern rules and regulations worked as the Humphrey’s entertained 1,500,000 guests in their first-season.

Humphrey’s first decade of overseeing Euclid Beach was very successful and progressive. The park steadily transformed into a full-fledged, highly regarded amusement park. One of the first ride additions under the new ownership was the Harry Traver-designed Circle Swing in 1902, which was positioned close to the lake just west of the pier. The swing was constructed by the Traver Engineering Company. Two years later, the Switchback Railway was razed and replaced with a more contemporary roller coaster, the Figure Eight Roller Toboggan. The roller rink was then expanded into the remaining space left by the Switchback’s removal. The Figure Eight was a compact roller coaster designed by Henry B. Auchy and built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC). Due to its quick outdatedness, the Figure Eight lasted just five seasons.

Euclid Beach’s PTC carousel (model #9) debuted in 1905. It was a three-horse abreast merry-go-round. Five years later, it was replaced with a newer PTC model (#19), featuring forty-four horses (four abreast), two chariots, and ornate decorative carvings. In due time, the carousel’s theming was made over with an Art Deco facelift—an adornment that was maintained until the park’s closure.

In 1906, the Humphrey family took full ownership of Euclid Beach Park after their original five-year lease expired. In the early 1900s, Euclid Beach’s positive reputation was put to the test as worthy competitors were being established in the Cleveland area. Luna Park, also on the east side of the city, debuted in 1905. The park was one of two new facilities carrying the renowned “Luna” name (the other in Pittsburgh) and was patterned after the successful Luna Park at Coney Island. And as previously mentioned, White City on Lake Erie was established in 1905. The Euclid Beach attendance did not appear to waver. While White City drew daily crowds in the hundreds, Euclid Beach attracted thousands. Luna Park, very popular in its own right, did not enforce the same moral standards as Euclid Beach Park, which may have been a deterrent to some guests.

Later in the decade, two new roller coasters were constructed. First, in 1907, the Scenic Railway was introduced. It was also designed by Thompson, who began developing and manufacturing similar models throughout the country as the Switchback Railway coasters were becoming obsolete. An interesting aspect of the Scenic Railway was that the ride speed was regulated by workers aboard the train. Brakemen—known at the park as “brakies”—controlled a clutch that when activated, made contact with a raised central rail in the track. The friction between the clutch and rail limited the speed of each train. More importantly, since the Scenic Railway was built two years before the innovation of under-friction wheels, the brakemen prevented the train from derailing while navigating turns. When the Scenic Railway was first built, it featured a three-car train requiring two brakemen. The train was shortened by one car in the 1920s, requiring just one brakeman. The typical Scenic Railway showcased elaborate theming and aesthetically-pleasing visual surroundings. The “Scenic Railway” brand was intended to afford pleasure to riders. It incorporated a host of characteristics common to those of dark rides, such as tunnels, electrically-activated lighting, motion effects, and exotic themes. The Euclid Beach rendition included dark tunnels along its course and was ornamented with a grandiose entrance with towers at each of the building’s four corners. With a price tag just under $38,700, the Scenic Railway was Euclid Beach Park’s most expensive attraction to date in its young history.

The next roller coaster appeared in 1909 and was originally named the “New Velvet Coaster.” Located just east of the Dance Pavilion, the New Velvet Coaster sat in the space once occupied by two of its predecessors, the Switchback Railway and Figure Eight. It was also known as the New Velvet Ride and Velvet Coaster. It was eventually christened the “Aero Dips” (pronounced Air-e-o). The moderately-sized Aero Dips was designed by the illustrious John Miller. It was the first of three coasters that Miller designed or collaborated on at the park. The Aero Dips was a double out-and-back circuit with its lift hill paralleling the Lake Erie shore. It generated excitement to all its riders, young and old, into the 1960s.

Miller—contracted as the chief engineer for the Ingersoll Engineering and Construction Company out of Pittsburgh—developed the Derby Racer roller coaster for the 1913 season. The coaster’s layout featured paralleling tracks along much of its course so that two trains could race one another. The track however formed one complete circuit—a design element known as a mobius loop. Essentially, passengers departing the station on left-side train would return to the platform on the right side, and vise versa. The Derby Racer was extremely popular when it first opened. The 59-foot tall, 2,814-foot long (one circuit) roller coaster was a very profitable ride. The park invested $45,000 to construct it, and because of its high ride capacity (72 passengers per race), quickly began reaping a rapid payback. The Derby Racer was later renamed to simply, “Racing Coaster,” to avoid confusion with the similarly named Great American Racing Derby, a fast-paced carrousel built in 1921. An example of a Miller-designed moebius looping roller coaster still in operation is the Racer at Kennywood in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania near Pittsburgh.

A defining era in Euclid Beach Park’s history was the 1920s. This decade followed the conclusion of the First World War and marked the onset of the nationwide prohibition on alcoholic beverages. Amusement parks across the country, like other entertaining and carefree activities were at the forefront of America’s leisurely trends. Despite the postwar recession in 1920 and 1921, Euclid Beach did not experience a decline in ticket sales. The park’s attendance in 1920 was 22 million. Also, since Euclid Beach was already established as a “dry” park, it effortlessly survived prohibition—unlike its east-side rival, Luna Park.

In 1921, Euclid Beach added the Great American Racing Derby, a unique high-speed merry-go-round. This ride, manufactured by the Venice, California-based Prior and Church Company, was designed to simulate a horse race. It featured 64 wood-carved horses in full stride, crafted by M.C. Illions and Sons of Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York. The horses sat four-abreast, atop a 93-foot diameter revolving platform. The mechanics of the ride not only enabled the horses to move in an up-and-down motion, like traditional carrousels, but also in a back-and-forth movement. The most distinctive characteristic of the Great American Racing Derby was its fast speed. For the duration of the ride, which was commenced by a bell, each row of horses jockeyed alongside one another until the very end. At the “finish line,” victorious horses were ornamented with small American flags by the ride operator and triumphant jockeys were rewarded with a free ride.

In 1920, the 35-foot tall, PTC-assembled Mill Chute ride was introduced. A successor to Coney Island’s Chute-the-Chutes, the Mill Chute was a popular water ride that elevated six-passenger boats up and over a lift hill, down a steep plunge, and into an elongated catch pool at ground level. The landing produced a considerable splash and doused riders. In stature, the Mill Chute closely resembled a roller coaster structure. It operated unchanged for seventeen seasons. In 1937, the park augmented various elements of the ride, including heightening the lift hill by two feet and making the drop steeper. The alterations were drafted by Perce Killaly and calculated by park handyman, Howard Stoneback. Ride modifications (of all rides) at Euclid Beach were often completed entirely in-house by a knowledgeable maintenance staff. After the changes were made, the Mill Chute was renamed “Over the Falls.”

Euclid Beach’s trio of operating roller coasters in the early 1920s—the Scenic Railway, New Velvet Coaster, and Derby Racer—was a formidable collection for the times. The park was not done adding to its coaster inventory. Between the 1923 and 1924 seasons, Euclid Beach embarked on a project that resulted in the creation of one of northeast Ohio’s signature roller coasters, the Thriller. The Thriller was blueprinted by Herbert Schmeck of PTC and built by park handyman, Howard Stoneback. It was PTC’s “Number 42” roller coaster and one of Schmeck’s many masterful designs. The Thriller was located adjacent to the Derby Racer at the eastern end of the park. It was an out-and-back roller coaster featuring a 90-degree dogleg that routed the second half of the 2,927-foot-long circuit along Lakeshore Boulevard. The Thriller lift hill measured 71.5 feet tall (Euclid Beach’s tallest ride at the time). It dropped 71.15 feet drop at a respectable 40-degree angle. Trains reached speeds of 30 miles per hour. Instant popularity and ticket sales allowed Euclid Beach to recoup the entire $90,000 cost of construction in its inaugural season (800 riders per hour). Not too long after the its first season, Schmeck redesigned the Thriller’s second hill by lowering it from 60.5 feet to 20 feet. After the adjustment, the new bunny-hop produced an increased amount of negative gravitational forces, providing a split-second sensation of weightlessness known as “airtime.” The Thriller was always regarded as an incredibly smooth and fast roller coaster. Exemplary maintenance carried out by dedicated park staff attributed to the longevity and upkeep of the coaster—and all park rides.

Despite the economic shroud brought on by the Great Depression, Euclid Beach Park pressed forward. Throughout the decade, Euclid Beach was hampered by low ticket sales and dropping attendance figures. In 1929, over 13.5 million ride tickets were sold. Four years later, sales plummeted to fewer than 6 million. As a result, the Humphrey’s were forced to make cost-effective changes, like lowering ride ticket prices and even reducing the workforce. Though times were tough, Euclid Beach continued to introduce new attractions, including the Surprise House (1935) and the Flying Scooters (1938). The park also initiated projects to improve existing attractions. In the 1930s, the Circle Swing was given an exciting and futuristic new look. The biplane vehicles were replaced with space-themed, stainless-steel rocket ships. The chassis were fabricated and constructed by Euclid Beach maintenance worker, Bill Parker. It was appropriately renamed “The Rocket Ships.” There were also rides lost in the 1930s, including the outdated Scenic Railway (1936).

All throughout the Humphrey era, entry to the park was always free, even during the depression. Rides and concessions required a fee. Access to the Lake Erie pier was also free. Amidst the Great Depression, the open pier was a vital attraction. Even though steamship dockage was discontinued in 1901, the pier attracted all sorts of people, from fishermen, smitten stargazers, to anyone wanting a better view of the lake. Although the pier never generated a profit, Humphrey recognized its appeal and value. The forces of Lake Erie’s relentless wave action and Mother Nature’s harsh winter storms annually plagued havoc on the popular landmark. Nearly every year during the off-season, Humphrey devoted money to repairing and remodeling the pier.

Another complimentary attraction at the Euclid Beach was the beach itself. The beach was the foremost geographic feature that initially enticed the Euclid Beach Park Company to select the site. Expansive sands extending from either side of the pier were typically crowded by bathers. Like the pier, the beach too was subject to the persistent onslaught of waves. Erosion control measures were customized and installed by Harvey Humphrey, son of Dudley Humphrey. In the interim, Humphrey’s erosion control structures not only decelerated the loss of sand, but also helped replenish the disappearing beach by regulating the natural movement of sand.

In 1930, Euclid Beach unveiled the revolutionary Flying Turns roller coaster. At the time of its debut, the Flying Turns was only the second of its kind. The prototype model was built one year earlier at Dayton’s Lakeside Amusement Park. The Flying Turns concept was developed by Aero Dips and Racing Coaster designer John Miller and World War One squadron aviator John Norman Bartlett. This collaboration combined roller coaster design expertise and experience of Miller with Bartlett’s vision. During the development of the ride, Miller was working for the National Amusement Device Corporation (NAD) in Dayton. The Flying Turns aimed to simulate the sensation of piloting a warplane. Described as “Euclid Beach’s new sensation” in a 1930 issue of Amusement Park Management, the Flying Turns integrated traditional roller coaster components, such as a wooden framed structure, a chain lift hill, and gravity, with a bobsled-type course devoid of metal tracks. The ride’s circuit was an open, concave, trough-like track assembled with narrow strips of cypress wood. Rather than using customary roller coaster trains, the Flying Turns vehicles closely resembled toboggans, or monoplanes, and freely navigated the smooth cypress trough with swiveling castor wheels. Its course consisted of a series of slightly descending and twisting figure-eight and S-turn patterns. Since the trains did not travel on a fixed railed track, the cars banked heavily within the chute’s turns. At times, the ride speed was augmented due to a heavier load weight, banking the vehicles nearly perpendicular to the ground within the turns. The Flying Turns offered continuous redirection and relentless side-to-side wavering. There were very few hills along the course, enabling the trains to gradually gain speed and rarely slow down. Speeds only reached 27 miles per hour, however passengers still experienced extreme gravitational forces and hard-banking dives within its meandering, 1,320-foot trek. At Humphrey’s request, The Euclid Beach Flying Turns was much larger than the forerunning model at Lakeside Park. Euclid Beach’s version stood at 73 feet and was the tallest ride at the park. The Flying Turns was closely adjacent to the Thriller, which was closely adjacent to the Racing Coaster. Combined, the three rides formed an impressive skyline of wooden roller coasters. The Flying Turns was an instant triumph and longtime favorite at Euclid Beach. Unfortunately for Miller and Bartlett, the innovative ride coincided with the economic hardships of the Great Depression, and few others were built.

The 1930s was not only a rough decade for the park, but also for the Humphrey family. In 1933, Dudley S. Humphrey II, the man behind the park’s renaissance, growth, and success, died at the age of 81. Managerial responsibilities were passed to his son, Harvey. One of the first popular attractions to Harvey Humphrey’s credit was the Surprise House in 1935. The fun-filled funhouse was strategically designed with immaculate and subtle triggering devices that would activate a myriad of surprises, including gusts of air shooting from holes in the floor, which presented drafty and awkward situations for young ladies wearing skirts. The Surprise House also introduced guests to Laughing Sal, a nerve-racking mechanical doll fabricated from an assemblage of paper mâché, gears, cams, cogs, and springs. Laughing Sal, with her bright red hair and big smile revealing a missing tooth, stood tall and was dressed in a plaid dress with an apron. She moved back and forth in rhythm with her shrilling laughter. Her antics captivated onlookers and petrified others.

Economic hardships were lifted in the late 1930s. For many patrons, a visit back to the Beach was a homecoming back to carefree and splendorous times. However, the Second World War brought new challenges to Euclid Beach. Like every American citizen, Euclid Beach Park had to make sacrifices to support the war effort. Ride and concession maintenance and the installation of new attractions was kept to a minimum since supplies, materials, rations, and other resources were being streamlined to American military forces. Even the balloon stand was forced to forgo business between 1942 and 1948 due to rubber in such high demand. Despite cutbacks the park flourished. Euclid Beach Park served as an important and popular escape from the realities of war. Ticket sales reached nearly 20 million in 1945—reminiscent of the park’s golden years.

Ticket sales never again eclipsed 1945’s tally. The 1950s were still an advantageous decade for the park, however, waning trends were becoming noticeably imminent. Euclid Beach Park was victim to new societal and cultural movements, including suburbanization and the shifting transportation patterns. Residential migration away from Cleveland’s interior and into the suburbs placed Euclid Beach Park in the opposite direction of a ‘getaway.’ The advent of the automobile reduced the dependency of the streetcar and eventually exterminated the once dominant and indispensable mode of transportation. The ability to freely drive gave potential Euclid Beach patrons more options for recreational opportunities and allowed for freewill travel without the constraints of arrival and departure times. Additionally, the reemergence and stability of Cedar Point in Sandusky became a more appealing weekend-long escape option.

In 1959, Dudley S. Humphrey III took control of the park after the passing of his father, Harvey. Humphrey III’s tenure as manager was the bleakest era for Euclid Beach since the family first took helm in 1901. In the 1960s, patronage was declining at a rapid pace. To spark interest, new rides were installed, including the Turnpike (1962), Antique Automobiles (1963), Big Eli Ferris Wheel (1963), and Tilt-A-Whirl (1964). To no avail, attendance continued to dwindle, forcing the park to carry out drastic measures. After the 1965 season, the beloved Aero Dips roller coaster was demolished to reduce maintenance stresses. The following year, another favorite attraction, the Great American Racing Derby, was sold and relocated to rival park, Cedar Point (where it still operates as Cedar Downs Racing Derby). In 1968, Humphrey III disclosed that Euclid Beach’s expenditures far outweighed park earnings. He also revealed that the park had been in financial crisis for half a decade. That same year, Humphrey III saw no other alternative but to sell the park. The park was bought by developer, Dominic Visconsi, who announced that 1969 would be Euclid Beach Park’s last season. Visconsi’s intention was to level the long-standing and popular amusement park to create prime real estate for high-rise apartment complexes. Euclid Beach Park’s last day was September 28, 1969. Its closing marked the end of urban amusement parks in Cleveland. Luna Park and Puritas Springs Park (on the west side) had closed years earlier.

Many small rides were relocated to the Humphrey Company-owned Shady Lake Park in Streetsboro (Portage County), which opened in 1978. Shady Lake Park was short-lived; only lasting five seasons. Following the closing of Shady Lake, some rides including the Antique Cars, Flying Scooters, and Rotor were sold to Old Indiana Fun Park in Thorntown, Indiana. Old Indiana later closed in 1996 due to a fatal accident involving the park’s miniature train. Upon Euclid Beach’s closure, the PTC carousel was moved to Palace Playland in Old Orchard Beach, Maine where it operated until 1997. Other rides faced harsher fates. The remarkable collection of roller coasters featuring the Thriller, Flying Turns, and Racing Coaster, along with the Over the Falls, were all razed in 1970. The famous Euclid Beach entryway arch is the only remnant from the amusement park era fully intact—still standing in its original location. Today it greets the residents of an apartment complex that sits on the western part of the park’s former property. In 1973, the scenic entrance arch was distinguished as a Cleveland Historical Landmark.

In 1982, the Ohio Department of Natural Resources acquired 16 acres of the former park and incorporated it into the state park system. The Euclid Beach land became part of Cleveland Lakefront State Park, which also included Edgewater Park, Gordon Park, the East 55th Street Marina, Wildwood and Villa Angela parks. The property is now part of the Cleveland Metroparks’ Euclid Creek Reservation. Many footprints and remnants of old rides and attractions can be discovered. One of the most visible remnants is the circular perimeter of the fountain and cement pier approach, which sit side-by-side near the bluff. Another relic is a 50-foot long segment of the Antique Cars found in the center of the park. A small portion of the Flying Turns loading platform—located along the easternmost boundary of the park—can also be found.

Euclid Beach Park was a model institution guided by a strong and dedicated family. The Humphrey’s preached the same values and morals at the park on the first day as they did the last. Despite the physical loss of a classic American amusement park, the legacy, lore, and countless treasured memories will never be forgotten.