The very attractive ballroom included a 125 foot by 160 foot dance floor and a 12 foot wide piazza surrounding the pavilion. The ornate bandstand was said to be large enough to seat up to 45 musicians.
An out and back roller coaster cost only 5 cents per ride and the circa 1910 Dentzel Carousel was a beauty,comprised of hand-carved menagerie of 42 animals including the traditional horses,elk,giraffes,rabbits,cats,lions,tigers and ostriches. To regular park customers,the merry-go-round became known as 'Dobby Horses'.
Acushnet occupied 15 acres fronting on 750 feet of beach,offering many bath houses plus a number of interesting attractions and rides. One of the parks most popular riding devices was the 'Tip Top',an early version of today's paratrooper ride. Thrill seekers rode in small gondolas suspended under a large ring framework that rotated at an angle. Other favorites were the 'Mountain Torrent',pleasure wheel,over the top,penny arcade,hoop-la,palmist parlor,shooting gallery,ice cream booth,several other concessions and shady picnic groves.
In 1920 the park was sold and improvement and additions were made. A concourse was formed through the center of the midway,making a complete circle around the carousel. Added were airplane swings and a boomerang. By 1928,Dodgem cars were operating.
The Depression affected Acushnet,as it did most parks,and a number of rides,including the miniature railroad were not operating by the early 1930's.
Fire,the nemesis of all amusement parks,destroyed the Pretzel ride and the idle miniature train in 1932. Many picnic tables,benches and chairs were also lost and the total damages amounted to over $20,000.00, a tremendous amount of money in the early 1930's.
The owner tried every depression-type promotion to keep the park afloat. Certain promotions however,were not popular with everyone,especially the 'Walk-a-Thon' in 1933. Under a law that prohibited promoting a sport or game on the 'Lord's Day' the owner was fined $50.00 when the endurance contest continued on Sunday. A local newspaper described the event as 'human dignity at ebb tide'. Another article told how the contestants had been on their feet for 292 consecutive hours and allowed to rest only 15 minutes of each hour. In this day and age,it is also interesting to wonder why 'walk-a-thons',dance-a-thons and other endurance contests could enjoy the popularity they did by attracting spectators who spent their limited funds to watch what became agony for the contestants.
The Hurricane of 1938 ravaged Acushnet Park,destroying part of the roller coaster.
The park reopened in 1939 and struggled along during and after World War II. A 1952 fire totally consumed the four-sided building housing the tunnel of love,candy game,shooting gallery and ball pitch. The Dodgem cars and other assorted amusement equipment stored in the building also went up in smoke.
The beautiful old merry-go-round was sold in 1953 to Genesse Park in Rochester,N.Y.,leaving only five rides on the midway. The 1954 hurricane brought additional destruction and in 1955,it became necessary for the City of New Bedford to take over the property. The park was razed......
A man and his wife had just left a local coffee shop when the man was stricken by a heart attack.
It was too far from the hospital. His wife had the presence of mind to quickly, but calmly, drive to the South End fire station.
The firemen immediately began administering CPR. The man's son-in-law Richard was on duty that day and was the first firefighter out the door.
The man was transported to St. Luke's.
All efforts to revive him failed.
His name was John Medeiros and, perhaps, an incident of this sort is not out of the ordinary in a city our size.
He wasn't particularly well-known. But while he might have been what most people would refer to as an ordinary man, in his own unassuming way, John Medeiros stands for all that was once good and decent and right about New Bedford.
And can be again.
John Medeiros was born on Valentine Street, near Hazelwood Park. At the age of 1, his family moved one street over to 55 Lucas Street. He lived here for 75 years and worked in the local textile mills -- as his father did before him and his son after him -- for Continental Screw Co., at the height of its production and at American Flexible Conduit.
He would also labor on the docks doing private carpentry work on fishing boats.
Yet, he was not a fisherman nor a carpenter.
He would vote religiously and could talk politics intelligently with anyone who challenged his beliefs.
Yet, he did not make his mark in politics.
He served in World War II as an ambulance medic in Europe. He earned a Purple Heart. He saved lives.
Yet, he was not recognized as a hero.
He enjoyed strolling through cozy Acushnet Park in the South End, an amusement park with its ferris wheel and its dodge 'em go-carts before it was destroyed by the 1944 hurricane.
He would swim in the ocean at Clarks Cove, long before anyone heard about pollution.
He would walk across the frozen cove in cold winters, seldom given a second glimpse by anyone.
He soaked up the city's sights by riding the trolley cars up and down the avenue's tracks, now buried beneath tons of asphalt.
He would frequently shop on Water Street at the five-and-dime and finish his sojourn by visiting his favorite soda fountain on the corner -- a distant memory at what is now a highway connector.
Married 53 years to a Polish woman named Albina, they lovingly raised four children, all of whom attended Bishop Stang High School. Each Christmas, he would take his family to Common Park to see the lights, long before vandalism and lack of funds put an end to it all.
The city grew and flourished with industries that provided decent work at a decent wage.
But all that changed.
And on a recent Thursday morning, New Bedford lost another part of itself.
John Medeiros represented the essence of so many New Bedford residents who spent hours of good family living with a sense of simple pride, honesty and integrity -- virtues lacking in too many communities today.
Now, the fishing and textile industries give way to airport expansions, a possible casino, a train station, steamship service to the islands and a national Historic Park as a means for economic development.
Change can once again revive the city and bring back to life the vigor we all know is waiting to resurface, if we are only given the chance.
We approach a new century with new hope in our hearts. But what kind of change will we see?
Will we dedicate ourselves to a way of life that will truly enrich our children?
Will they find a reason to enjoy living here and fondly remember those who improved the quality of their lives in all the right ways?
Look to the life of John Medeiros and see why that's truly important.