Brief History of Idora Park
Idora Park began its life as Terminal Park at the end of the Park and Falls Street Railway Company line. The company acquired a lease on a seven-acre plot of land next to Mill Creek Park and Terminal Park officially opened on Decoration Day, May 30, 1899. In the first year of operation, the park built the Casino Theater (it later became Heidelburg Gardens and the Crazy Horse Saloon, until a fire in 1986), theater, bandstand, swings, drinking fountains, picnic tables, and restroom facilities. An electric merry-go-round also graced the property. This first merry-go-round featured a menagerie of stationary animals carved by Gustav Dentzel of Philadelphia, Pa. To this day, confusion surrounds the name "Idora Park". A contest was held for the most popular teacher in the Youngstown area in June of 1899 and the Youngstown Vindicator reported on Nov. 25, 1899 that second place winner, Jessie Coulter, chose the name. The paper also reported the name Idora to be Indian and was the original name of Lanterman's Falls (in Mill Creek Park). An early press release by the Street Railway Company said it was called Idora "after an extinct tribe of Indians which once dwelt within its borders." A widely reported rumor states that Idora Park is a contraction of "I adore a park". Still others claim it is a woman's name. Whatever the true origin of the name, we may never know. Idora Park continued to thrive and in 1910, built the dance pavilion/ballroom, skating rink, Traver circle swings (later becoming the Rockets and sold at the auction in 1984), photo gallery and a new coaster, the Dip-the-Dips by T.M. Harton (this coaster was remodeled in 1924 and renamed the Jack Rabbit). A Parking lot was added for automobiles and the streetcar line was extended. Idora faced continual competition not only from larger parks like Cedar Point, but also smaller parks like Meyers Lake and Conneaut Lake Park. As the trolley lines dwindled and the automobile became more available and affordable, people took longer trips. They no longer wanted to stay in their own back yards, but wanted to go exploring. And while parks like Cedar Point, Kenywood and Geauga Lake continued to expand, Idora Park was land locked on its 27 acres. Idora continued to add rides such as the Wildcat coaster, the Rapids (later becoming the Lost River) and Kiddieland, but to no avail. The park outlasted a number of trolley parks, but was finally put up for sale in 1982. The owners were getting older and didn't want the long hours and the uncertain economy was cited as reasons. On April 26, 1984 the park, still on the market with no takers, was busy getting ready for opening day in May. The weather had finally given the crews a break with temperatures in the 70's and sunshine. This day they were working on the Lost River, a combination mill ride and shoot the chutes ride. Shortly before noon, as the crew was going to lunch, a welding torch was laid to rest inside the ride. Unfortunately, it was still hot. When Pat Duffy, Jr. noticed smoke from his office window, the fire was still manageable, so they tried to put it out themselves with extinguishers. They soon realized this was not going to work and called the Youngstown Fire Department. When the first of the firefighters arrived, they found a horrible situation: low water pressure in the park's only operating fire hydrant. A second hydrant was so old that it had been shut off. As the flames roared out of control from the Lost River, to the park office, to the Wildcat, a hose relay was set up to hydrants located outside the park on Rogers Road and Parkview Avenue, and an aerial truck began spraying down the park's carousel house. Employees scrambled to save park records, but only some current files were pulled to safety. Older files and historical records were lost to the flames. In less than an hour, the park office, eleven concessions, the Lost River and about a third of the Wildcat were gone. Nearly fifty firefighters, including a dozen who were off-duty and working without pay, finally controlled the blaze and kept it from spreading to other parts of the park, including the 1922, #61 PTC carousel. Idora opened on schedule that season, but it would be their last. Everything was put up for auction on October 20-21 and was conducted by Norton Auctioneers of Coldwater, Michigan. In October 1985 Mount Calvary Pentecostal Church of Youngstown purchased Idora Park, and Rev. Norman L. Wagner announced plans for the construction of a $50 million religious community. This "City of God" would include a new church building, a seven-story prayer tower, a small shopping center, nursing home, private residences and educational buildings. The construction was scheduled to begin in the spring of 1987. On May 3, 1986 Idora was hit with another fire. This time it destroyed the buildings in the northwest corner of the park, including the Kooky Castle, Laffin' Lena's Loonyland, the Helter Skelter bumper car ride and the Crazy Horse Saloon (Casino Theater, the oldest building in the park). Everything of value had been removed after the auction, but it was still a great historic loss. Mount Calvary was unable to obtain the funds needed to pursue their "City of God" and in October of 1988 a foreclosure judgement was signed. The church owed half a million dollars to its creditors. In 1992 the Idora Park Historical Society was formed. This group succeeded in getting the park put on the National Register of Historic Places and was attempting to purchase the property. Unfortunately, in January 1994, Mount Calvary was able to obtain the funds to re-purchase the property. The church announced its intentions to continue with their original plans for a "City of God", but there has been no action taken toward this end. March 6, 2001 - This morning at approximately 10:00 am, the Idora Park Ballroom was destroyed by fire. There was debate about whether this building was salvageable, but no one ever made a monetary commitment. Another piece of Idora Park has been lost forever. July 26, 2001 - 8:08pm. "The bulldozers are there!" This was the only thing my friend on the other end of the line had to say. I knew this night and the days following would be the true end. The Jack Rabbit and Wildcat coasters are gone, but not forgotten. Mount Calvary Pentecostal Church will finally have their "City of God".
Taken in part from the book "Idora Park, The
Last Ride of Summer"
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