HISTORY
wiki text: Riverside Amusement Park was an amusement park in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from 1903 to 1970. Originating as a joint venture between engineer/amusement park developer Frederick Ingersoll and Indianapolis businessmen J. Clyde Power, Albert Lieber, and Bert Fiebleman and Emmett Johnson, the park was built by Ingersoll's Pittsburgh Construction Company adjacent to Riverside City Park at West 30th Street between White River and the Central Canal in the Riverside subdivision of Indianapolis.
The decade of the 1960s was not a kind one for Riverside Amusement Park, which was losing attendance for the first time since the end of World War II. By the time John Coleman lifted the "whites only" policy (in response to a series of protests organized by the NAACP Youth Council in 1963), the park was losing $30,000 a year.
Increased cost of insurance, maintenance, and new rides, coupled with increased competition from the emerging theme parks, were cited by Coleman as the park closed for the last time at the end of the 1970 season. All the rides were sold or demolished by 1978.
The land lay undisturbed for more than two decades, until the construction of the River's Edge subdivision in the early 2000s.
STORY
In 1979 my buddies and I heard that they were getting ready to bulldoze the site of the long defunct Riverside Amusement Park in Indianapolis so we decided to drive by to get a final look. When we got there we were amazed to find easy access to the grounds. With my trusty Practica LLC at hand we ventured within and explored for several minutes until we came to the stark realization that this neglected plot of land had become the home to countless wild dogs. Picking up debris for clubs we beat a hasty retreat (pausing of course for a commemorative selfie.)
The pictures were taken on 35mm slide film... Back in 2005 I came across the slides and crapily scanned them using a junky flat-bed scanner and used those images to create the Animated GIF below to send cross country via email to one of the krew.
Ticket Booth
Shoot 25¢
From Inside Ring-Toss
Main Attraction
The Weed-lined Path
Wheee!
Domed (Doomed) Skating Rink
Three scared cats in a dog park! (that's me on the right rockin' the Frampton 'do)
Take Two
wiki text: Riverside Amusement Park was an amusement park in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA from 1903 to 1970. Originating as a joint venture between engineer/amusement park developer Frederick Ingersoll and Indianapolis businessmen J. Clyde Power, Albert Lieber, and Bert Fiebleman and Emmett Johnson, the park was built by Ingersoll's Pittsburgh Construction Company adjacent to Riverside City Park at West 30th Street between White River and the Central Canal in the Riverside subdivision of Indianapolis.
The decade of the 1960s was not a kind one for Riverside Amusement Park, which was losing attendance for the first time since the end of World War II. By the time John Coleman lifted the "whites only" policy (in response to a series of protests organized by the NAACP Youth Council in 1963), the park was losing $30,000 a year.
Increased cost of insurance, maintenance, and new rides, coupled with increased competition from the emerging theme parks, were cited by Coleman as the park closed for the last time at the end of the 1970 season. All the rides were sold or demolished by 1978.
The land lay undisturbed for more than two decades, until the construction of the River's Edge subdivision in the early 2000s.
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STORY
In 1979 my buddies and I heard that they were getting ready to bulldoze the site of the long defunct Riverside Amusement Park in Indianapolis so we decided to drive by to get a final look. When we got there we were amazed to find easy access to the grounds. With my trusty Practica LLC at hand we ventured within and explored for several minutes until we came to the stark realization that this neglected plot of land had become the home to countless wild dogs. Picking up debris for clubs we beat a hasty retreat (pausing of course for a commemorative selfie.)
The pictures were taken on 35mm slide film... Back in 2005 I came across the slides and crapily scanned them using a junky flat-bed scanner and used those images to create the Animated GIF below to send cross country via email to one of the krew.
If there is a prize for worst images on OS these would surely take it - but even in this 'State' they trigger memories of that adventure; so in that they are still doing their job...
Impressionists Views of Riverside Amusement Park (circa 1979)
I opened this GIF and extracted the individual images and tried to enhance them to some degree.
I then repackaged thumbnails of these into a fresh GIF that is marginally more effective than the original.
(shown at end of report)
I then repackaged thumbnails of these into a fresh GIF that is marginally more effective than the original.
(shown at end of report)
Ticket Booth
Shoot 25¢
From Inside Ring-Toss
Main Attraction
The Weed-lined Path
Wheee!
Domed (Doomed) Skating Rink
Three scared cats in a dog park! (that's me on the right rockin' the Frampton 'do)
Take Two
If I ever come across the original transparencies again I will have to get some proper enlargements made.
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