Title
Euclid Beach Park & the Humphrey Glass Negative Collection
Description
A Cleveland icon for more than 70 years, Euclid Beach Park can trace its origins to the golden age of amusement parks. Multitudes of similar venues appeared near the nation’s cities and along rail lines around the turn of the twentieth century. Seeking to relieve the expanding middle-class of their newly-gained free time and disposable incomes, the Humphrey Family began operating the park in 1901 with great success.
The family, headed by brothers Dudley, Harlow, and David, took over ownership of Euclid Beach Park in what is now North Collinwood, Ohio. Euclid Beach Park would continue to operate until its demise in 1969. Offering free entry, a safe atmosphere, and a morally safe haven, Euclid Beach thrived throughout the first half of the twentieth century while many others collapsed under the financial strains brought on by the Great Depression and white flight. Much of this continued success can be attributed to the aforementioned reasons as well as to convenient transportation to and from the park, to its scenic shores, and to keeping an eye on the competition.
That is not to say that Euclid Beach was without its problems; accidents occurred and a race riot unfolded during the 1946 season. In spite of their continued success, Euclid Beach would eventually lose its appeal to larger, more grandiose parks such as Cedar Point and Kennywood. After five years of financial losses, the amusement park, once the destination for all seeking an escape, surrendered to the changing times and closed its gates permanently on September 28, 1969.
Time would soon erase the remnants of Euclid Beach from its location along the lakeshore. Many of the smaller rides and fixtures were sold off and moved elsewhere; much of what remained fell victim to vandals, fire, and the ravages of the weather. Today, apartments and trailers stand in the place of rollercoasters and popcorn stands. Only the entry arch stands as a reminder of what once was Euclid Beach Amusement Park.
Date Created
2009
Publisher
Cleveland Memory Project
What is Cleveland Memory?
The Cleveland Memory Project is a freely searchable online collection of digital photos, texts, oral histories, videos and other local history resources, built by the Michael Schwartz Library at the Cleveland State University in collaboration with a host of community partners around Northeast Ohio.
