Idora Park: Out of sight but not out of mind for residents

By RICK SHALE

Mention Idora Park to anyone over the age of 30 who grew up in the Mahoning Valley and you’ll likely get a smile and a story. Idora was where people went for fun and where they experienced their first ride on a roller coaster or a carousel. For some it was where they had their first date or where their spouse proposed.

For 86 seasons from the summer of 1899 through 1984, Idora was Youngstown’s premier amusement park.

Last week marked the 25th anniversary of Idora’s closing. After a disastrous fire on April 26, 1984, that burned the Lost River ride, the midway, park office, and much of the Wildcat coaster, Idora Park opened on schedule for what would become its final season.

The park had been losing money for the past few seasons and had been up for sale, but no buyers emerged. After the fire destroyed two of the park’s major attractions, any hope of a sale vanished, and the end became inevitable. Idora’s last day for the public was Labor Day, Sept. 3. The rides operated a final time on Sept. 8, 1984, for a private picnic for St. Elizabeth Hospital employees.

Steelcar industry

Idora’s origins were linked to the growth of the streetcar industry. In the mid-1890s streetcar companies began building amusement parks at the end of their lines as a means of attracting weekend and evening passengers.

Historians estimate 1,500 to 2,000 trolley parks sprang up around the country in the late 19th century. In Youngstown, the Park and Falls Street Railway Company held the franchise for a trolley line in the then largely undeveloped area south of the Mahoning River.

The Market Street Bridge, which opened in late May 1899, enabled streetcars on the south side to run for the first time all the way to Central Square. It was no coincidence that Idora, called Terminal Park for that first season, opened a week after the bridge was completed.

The trolley company built Idora adjacent to Mill Creek Park so it could advertise two parks for the price of one. By offering family entertainment and presenting Youngstowners with an alternative to the high-brow entertainment of the Opera House or the lure of the saloon, Idora Park became an immediate hit.

Music was always one of Idora’s attractions. John Philip Sousa brought his band to Idora during World War I, and from the 1930s to the 1950s nearly every significant big band orchestra performed in the Idora ballroom. Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, Tommy Dorsey, Benny Goodman, Guy Lombardo, Stan Kenton, Maynard Ferguson, and Sammy Kaye are only a few examples.

Eventually recorded music began to replace the big band sound, and in 1953 Dan Ryan began to host record hops at Idora. Rock and roll gained popularity, and many national acts such as the Eagles, the Monkees, James Brown, Bobby Rydell, and Bobby Sherman performed at Idora.

The Wildcat

For many visitors the rides were Idora’s main draw. The Wildcat opened in 1930 and by the late 1970s was ranked among the top 10 wooden roller coasters in the country. The merry-go-round we all remember was installed in 1922, and several generations rode its horses until Idora closed. The carousel, recently restored, now resides in Brooklyn, New York.

The collapse of the steel industry in the late 1970s brought economic loss, but Idora’s closing produced a cultural loss for the community. Now, 25 years have passed, but the memories are still vivid. We remember Idora Park for the thrills we experienced there, but perhaps also because it reminds us of our youth and simpler times.

Idora lasted far longer than most trolley parks. Rather than mourn its loss, we should celebrate the park for the pleasure it provided for so many decades.

X Rick Shale, co-author of “Idora Park: The Last Ride of Summer,” will give a free public lecture on Idora’s history on Oct. 20 at Fellows Riverside Gardens’ Davis Center.