puritas springs park

the only known extensive footage from puritas springs park, at Puritas and Grayton roads in Cleveland. Shot in 2 different time periods, 2nd segment in color

[@MsJamilou]

So nice seeing this...have very fond memories of this park...especially of scaring the heck out of my younger brother by taking him up with me on the rocket ride and then having it stop upside down at the top for about a minute and him screaming his head off while we were facing downward...oh the joys of tormenting a little brother who loved tormenting me...now and then big sister gets her due...my parents took the four of us at least once a year here and to Euclid Beach once a year for a picnic, rides and fun so our childhood was glorious as far as we were concerned. Didn't take much to make our generation happy...amusement parks now and then, playing outdoors with our friends till dark, riding our bikes everywhere and a movie now and then. Much safer and happier times. Sometimes I'm so sad for this generation.

[@surferbri5346]

I can imagine, the sights and sounds of a hot July day combined with amusement park type food and the sounds of planes flying in and out of Hopkins airport made for a cool day. I wish there was more footage, but that's what makes this piece so special.

[@thedoeguy]

That's Bill "Smoochy" Gordon at @7:00 on the left among the guys with the animals.

[@hottoddy6757]

I am getting old? LOL Toledo Zoo back during this time period had the same rides. Several Lucas County parks had rides like this too. The big closer was times changed due to roads being better for travel. Interstate system made far away destinations closer. Miss the old not thrill rides.

[@caddyfam]

Dad took me on the Cyclone when I was 5 and never rode a coaster again till I was in my teens. Also took skate lessons in the rink. At that time it was owned by the Goodings of Gooding Amusement and they lived in the house on the NE side of the Park. The footage came from Dudley Humphrey's home movies, 16mm, and was transferred in the early 80's. I'm sure a number of patrons shot footage of the park, but all these years since '58 and this seems to be all that turned up.

[@oldschool6558]

So sad these amusement parks have disappeared. When Erie View Park at Geneva-on-the-Lake closed, I knew life as we had known it was just about gone. The day "Memphis Kiddie Park" closes, well, I'd say life life is over, period.

[@ChuckPetras]

Wow. I grew up there. My family moved into the main house after the park burned down. I was only 4 or 5 but I can remember playing all around there. My father did the salvage work - tearing down the existing structures to make way for the housing development in the back.

[@ophthodoc]

Chuck Petras what burned down exactly? Did the park close due to the fire or other factors?

[@TopazDupree]

In 1958, high insurance prices and increasing residential development in the area, combined with a decline in attendance, led to the sale of Puritas Springs Park to residential developers. On the night of May 9, 1959, a fire of undetermined origin swept through the main section of the empty park.

[@mattman237]

Is that a Bayern Kurve at 5:56?

[@johnnuss2963]

My dad was a physician years ago. A patient came to the office with back pain after riding the coaster at Purtis Springs. The insurance company said nobody gets hurt riding the coaster. The investigator after riding the coaster was in my dad's office seeking the same treatment. We used to watch July 4 fireworks from our house across the valley. I remember seeing the flames when the place burned.

[@TopazDupree]

The Cyclone’s sharp drop and sudden ascent out of the first hill apparently contributed to at least one person severely injuring their back. Subsequently, a number of people also filed lawsuits claiming identical injuries. As a result, in 1946 the track at the bottom of the first hill was altered to reduce the angle of drop and ascent.

[@A_A610]

If only the Cyclone was rebuilt. :(

[@margieday7185]

Thank you so much for posting this video of Euclid beach such amazing memories truly touched my heart my husband and I watched it and we rode the rides all over again thanks again God bless

[@bereabeard]

This wasn't a video of Euclid Beach. This was Puritas Springs on the West Side, a mile or two north of Hopkins Airport.

[@janezaharias1574]

didn;t Jungle Larry have something there?

[@Bluesbabesrv]

Yes he did, saw him many times. He also was at Chippewa Lake Park and Cedar Point.

[@WilliamRees]

I grew up right down the street from the defunct park and used to climb on the old cyclone tracks as a kid.

[@jpozenel]

I just drove past that area this morning. We used to live off of W.130th street, so the park was pretty much "in the neighborhood" for us. I do remember seeing Jungle Larry there. It didn't compare to Euclid Beach, but it was local. According to the West Park Historical Society, the park existed between 1898 and 1958. (At least Memphis Kiddie Park survived.)

[@ophthodoc]

PDTALLMAN dumb question: is this the same jungle Larry that was at cedar point?

[@TopazDupree]

Yes

[@jpozenel]

@@ophthodoc I'm just seeing your comment now 3 years later, but yes, it's the same Jungle Larry that was at Cedar Point and also a regular on the Captain Penny children's TV show. His wife was "Safari Jane".

[@sebastianmarconi2855]

I live right by where the park used to be-so sad to have lost this great piece of West park history

[@jeffpolaras9273]

My Dad was one of the Firefighters that put that fire out....

[@TopazDupree]

Increasing insurance costs, limited expansion space, and encroaching residential development all played a part in the Gooding Family’s decision to sell the park to a land development company in 1958. On the night of May 9, 1959, a fire of undetermined origin swept through the main section of the empty park. Thousands of nearby residents gathered to watch the flames shooting up into the night sky. The blaze left no doubt Puritas Springs was gone forever.

[@swampfoxer]

Excellent stuff there!!! Thanks for sharing this. I have had this fascination with Puritas Springs Park for many years and have collected quite a few photos from ebay. There are photos for sale on there now including nice aerial views.

[@lauracicero-miller3238]

Wow me to with the fascination . I was not born yet when my parents moved into the neighborhood. It's kinda strike, I can't understand I am so fascinated with old amusement parks especially Puritas Springs

[@susankitchen775]

My grandfather used to take me here but I was so small I couldn't remember much of the park. Thank you so much for posting this video.

[@brandyylee216]

can you find the park today? or is it completely torn down?

[@brandyylee216]

+Dave S we went down there and couldn't find tracks they have condos there now

[@danhoch1746]

This is very old replying but I went down yesterday and found some old rails and some wiring connected to it

[@waynechurnega1643]

that's a cool video. befor my time...but played on that old remains of the rollercoaster.

[@Kaliver91]

I was just down in the ravine earlier this week and I have to say, theres not much left to the section of track that was left over. I dont remember it looking this bad 12 years ago. Seems like the weather got the best of it. However, I did manage to get some photos. Let me know if you are interested.

[@marknagle5828]

Nice to see some footage of this historic park. My wife and I once lived in one of the condos on Grayton and Puritas.

[@caseyspack]

I lived on Thornridge Circle which is the land under the cyclone, based on aerial maps. Thanks for posting. . .

[@lauracicero-miller3238]

Very cool

[@danielbrubeck1566]

I am pretty sure I have some color 8 mm footage while riding on the Cyclone in the '50s that has been transferred to a DVD; also footage on the roller coaster at Chippewa Lake Park of the same era. Would be happy to share them here once I return to Ohio, where the DVDs are located. How do I do that?

[@ophthodoc]

Daniel Brubeck you would have to buy a DVD ripper and at that point you can just upload the file to KZbin. The dvd ripper is inexpensive.

[@jpta162]

My dad told me about this park all the time. I wasn't sure if it was real or not. Both him and his parents grew up in Lakewood and my grandparents would go there as children.

[@vinnivegas52]

fond childhood memories

[@dalegallis9780]

what happened to the springs at Puritas Springs?

[@oldschool6558]

Sadly, they were capped.

[@GBS1043]

The "god-ole days"! That will never happen again!

[@jgrogan02]

@jeffpolara R.I.P. Mr. Doehner and a man that died trying to protect the people of his community, so honorable and rare these days. Never knew the man but I call him a hero...

[@jamesf9211]

My mother had told me about this park a long time ago , we lived on longmead off w 130 th st , i think she told me it closed back in 1958 the year i was born, but my mom lived off puritas down were the swimming pool was or is still , i have always tried to am manage what it looked like , now i do thank you for the video , my mother told me to that there was a coster jumped the track or something like that and a few kids were killed , i wonder if that was true, i do remember euclid beach and the laughing lady, she scared the you know what out of me , and i seen her about 10 yrs ago at a marks , i wish i could have taken a picture of her , one more thing i have a euclid beach ticket framed and hanging up ..

[@caddyfam]

Thanks for the response. I actually rode the Cyclone and as a result would not go on another coaster until my teen years. There are a couple of books out now on the park, and if I am correct one of the Gooding granddaughters still lives in the area. If you like I can go through my slides of Euclid Beach for a pic of Sal and send it. Take care, Doug

[@jamesf9211]

Hi Doug , yes i would love a picture of Sal if you have one , i would like to make a copy of her And put it and the ticket i have from Euclid Beach in a frame . i will have to check and see if i could find them books , I remember my mother saying that that coster really scared her too . Thanks Jim

[@jamesf9211]

If you need my e-mail please let me know

[@alexescobar9879]

James F is your mom handicapped???

[@TopazDupree]

Rumors and unsupported claims abound that the Cyclone was exceedingly fast and dangerous, with a top speed as high as 80 miles per hour. There are tales of cars flying off the track, careening down into Rocky River Valley and carrying many riders to their death. These accounts are false. A thorough study undertaken for the book "One Minute To Puritas Springs Park: Sixty Years of Fun on Cleveland’s West Side", published in 2011, indicates the top speed descending the first hill was 50 to 55 miles per hour. For the rest of the ride, it traveled about 35 to 40 miles per hour. The authors also determined only one person died while riding the Cyclone. In 1953, a deeply inebriated 21 year-old man fell from the lead car to his death. He may have been trying to climb from one car to another when he fell.

[@lauracicero-miller3238]

The clown scary