Memories of Canobie Lake Park
In the early 1900’s, The Hudson, Pelham & Salem Railways (HP&S) opened Canobie Lake Park as a pleasure resort to increase the excitement of the expanding trolley lines into Salem and the surrounding Greater Lowell, Lawrence, Haverhill and Nashua communities.
The expanding automobile ownership of the 1920’s drastically reduced trolley use along with revenues. The Town of Salem no longer supported the prospect of continued line operation and the last trolley rolled out of town in 1929, at which time, Canobie Lake Park went out of business.
A few years later a private party purchased the park, erected the Yankee Cannonball rollercoaster and Canobie became known as an entertainment destination hosting names such as Guy Lombardo (my mother frequented the Ballroom during his visits), Duke Ellington, Harry James, Jimmy Dorsey, Frank Sinatra and later, Sonny & Cher and Aerosmith. (Yup, saw Steven and the boys there, early 70’s??) A few owners and many improvements later, Canobie Lake Park continues to delight young and old alike.
When I look back at these pictures, I only wish I had more. These pictures were taken by a friend when I was around 21 or 22 but I had been going to Canobie Lake Park since I was around 4. For the first 12 years of my life I was fortunate enough to have a gorgeous view of the lake, not the amusement park, from my back yard. My earliest memories include walking to the shore of the lake with my Dad to watch the speedboat races on Sunday afternoons and attending my first Fourth of July fireworks display at the amusement park. I clearly remember scurrying up my Mother’s shoulder to hide in her neck after the first loud explosion, with my “blankie” tightly clutched in my small hands. I’m sure we left before the conclusion of the show.
Additional lake memories include attempting to fish, (I never caught a thing), walking out onto the frozen, snow covered lake with friends only to rush back to the shore when you heard the cracking sound of the expanding ice, and of course ice skating. The lake is where I learned how to ice skate. First on those double runners that strapped to your boots and later on a pair of real figure skates I received for Christmas one year, after my infatuation with Peggy Fleming took hold. Unfortunately, you were not allowed to swim in the lake as it is the water supply for the Town of Salem. I’m sure many people have swum in the lake over the years but my mother threatened me with jail time if I did.
After the fireworks fiasco, my parents figured I would appreciate the lighter activities offered, such as the amusement rides. The Carousel (still running since 1902), Crazy Cups, Dodgems and the Caterpillar with the cover that came over your head half way through the ride, were a few of my favorites growing up. As the years went by, the larger, faster rides became more tempting, but nothing came close to the one thing I went to Canobie for day after day during summer vacation from school. Rollerskating.
At the back of the park along the shore was the skating rink. It was a round rink with wooden floors. The back side of the building facing the lake had benches lined up against large screen windows. You could sit on the benches to lace up your skates (as opposed to Roller Blades), or just hang out there sipping on a soda, gazing out over the lake or laughing with your friends. I remember one whole summer where my entire neighborhood was hooked on skating at Canobie. Each parent would take turns driving or picking us up and it seemed like we would have 10 kids in the car at one time. (No seatbelts were used back then). It was the best time ever. It was soooo hot some days. We would skate from the time the park opened until around 3 or 4 in the afternoon. Canobie had an in-ground swimming pool back then so we would bring our bathing suits and wash the sweat away with a refreshing swim. By the time we were done swimming, our parents would pick us up on their way home from work. The whole ride home we were making plans for tomorrow when we would repeat the activities of the day all over again.
Sadly, both have since closed. The skating rink is used for storage (such a waste!), and the pool has been removed to make room for a newer and larger main entrance.
Time spent at the Lake and Amusement Park continued throughout my life until around the late 90’s. The company I worked for during the 80’s and 90’s held their summer company outing there each year. I started attending these outings with my friends and work buddies (see pictures). Once my nephew was around 3 years old I started taking him to Canobie during these outings. We would hang out in the Kiddie Area all day. He loved it and I loved taking him. At 24, he still has fond memories of our time there together.
Once I had children of my own, Canobie became a summertime ritual for my family. I took my children on the same rides my parents had once taken me. The park is much larger now and many rides have been retired and replaced by larger ones that promise more fun and thrills. Then one day, and it seemed to happen overnight, I did not attend Canobie with my children anymore. They asked me to drop them off at the entrance gate with their friends. I remember driving away from the entrance one day with a lump in my throat, not because I was dropping my babies off alone some place where they might get hurt or come across someone creepy, but because they would never experience the musty smell of the wood floor and the refreshing dip in the pool after a long, hot day of real, old-fashioned fun.
My first job as a kid was at Canobie Lake Park. I wasn’t old enough for a real job. I was 10 or 12 years old. My uncle got us the job decorating the roller skating ring. We had to climb up these big straight ladders and hung decorations on some wires that were up there in the stratosphere. We were scared to death. All I can remember is hanging onto that ladder for dear life.(Where is the spell check on this thing?)
As a small child it was such a treat to go to Canobie Lake and go on all the rides .Later on we enjoyed the roller skating rink and later on we saw big bands there like Stan Kenten and Louie Armstrong.As a father i took my sons to canobie lake.
My first trip to canobie lake park was when i was 17,i went there with my boyfriend ricky filz. we went into a thing called the house of the 7 gables. it was like a spook house and they had like colored barrels in one of the rooms so me and rick wrote our names on the barrel in the drawing of a heart. when rick went into the navy we parted . and i recently read in the papers he passed away. if he was still here i wonder if he would remember the day we wrote our names on those barrels. i sure do
I wish I could find more photos at night of this Cosmo Jet ride at Night. I remember like the Rockin Rollercoaster it lit up very pretty at night.
I went there in the 1980’s and maybe once in the early 1990’s.
I remember the glow and lighting at night was very different than it is now.
The thrill rides there now are new ones, 2008-2009 and are all too common.
If you know of any helpful Nightlife photo links of the Cosmo Jets, I would appreciate that on your webpage here.
Nice dedication if it wasn’t for fans like this no one would ever remember completley what it looked like or have a faint memory but not a photo.