FREEDOMLAND
Just one year after Wakefield's Pleasure Island opened, a brand new and bigger "Disneyland of the East" opened in the Bronx named Freedomland U.S.A. Built on a 205 acre site, Freedomland opened on June 19th, 1960 to 63,000 park guests. To celebrate Freedomland's 50th anniversary, a new book with over 200 photos was released by Arcadia Publishing on May 31, 2010.
Author Bio:
Robert McLaughlin has an avid interest in theme park history. Freedomland is his second book to be published in just one year about the "Disneylands of the East." McLaughlin's extensive research of Freedomland, along with archives from the Pleasure Island Hawkes' Collection, made this book possible.
In addition, he had numerous interviews with former performers, made serveral trips throughout New England and New York for contemporary photographs, and selected the images from the Adamo Collection that were taken (in house) during the construction and early seasons of Freedomland.
Freedomland is available at:
- Arcadia Publishing (888-313-2665) or www.arcadiapublishing.com
- Online Book sites
- At book sellers throughout the New York City area. (Locations to be posted on this site at a later date)
PLEASURE ISLAND BOOK
Pleasure Island was officially released by Arcadia Publishing on June 8, 2009. It is currently (May 2010) on its 3rd printing.
Book Description:
Billed as Boston’s answer to Disneyland, Pleasure Island opened on June 22, 1959. William Hawkes, President of Childlife Magazine, and executives at Cabot, Cabot and Forbes collaborated with Marco Engineering of Los Angeles to build what was called the "Disneyland of the East." Pleasure Island rose from the wetlands off of Route 128 and into an 80-acre theme park. Through photographs, Pleasure Island recalls memories of boat rides to Pirate Cove, searching for the great white whale, driving a Jenney car, getting dizzy in the Slanty Shanty, and taking a ride on Old Smoky. At Pleasure Island, children and children at heart entered into a world that traditional amusement parks could not provide, where character actors continually put on a show and the entire park was the stage.
Author Bio:
Robert McLaughlin is a Wakefield resident with an interest in local history. He has been researching Pleasure Island since 2000 and is cofounder of the Friends of Pleasure Island, which was established to collect images, film, oral history, and artifacts relating to the park. He has selected images from private collections and the Friends of Pleasure Island’s archives to tell the story of Wakefield’s own "Disneyland of the East".
Pleasure Island is now available at the following locations:
- Hart's Ace Hardware - Wakefield, MA
- Smith Drug - Wakefield, MA
- The Hot Spot - Reading, MA
- Walgreens - Stoneham, MA
- The Paper Stores
- Borders
- Barnes and Noble
- Online book sites
- Arcardia publishing (888-313-2665) or www.arcadiapublishing.com
Upcoming Events
- Trivia - On Friday and Saturday evenings August 28th and 29th, 1960 - the Newport Jazz Festival performed at Pleasure Island’s Showbowl. Check out the program for this historic event on this website. Click on Performers, scroll to 1960 Jazz Festival and click onto Program.
- Pleasure Island Tour
Pleasure Island opened for its second season on June 18, 1960 with a brand new Show Bowl featuring The Three Stooges. To celebrate Pleasure Island’s second season Bob McLaughlin will be conducting walking tours of the former Pleasure Island Park.
Date and Time:
Sunday, September 5th, 10 am - noon.
Location:
Edgewater Office Park, located off of Audobon Road in Wakefield (Rt128 exit 42). We will meet in the first parking lot on the left side of Edgewater Drive.
Tours are free.
Water levels in ponds are very low - this will be a Great Tour!!!
Any questions, please contact Bob McLaughlin (See contact page)
- Pleasure Island Program
On September 1st, 2010 Bob McLaughlin will be presenting a free program on the History of Pleasure Island. This event is sponsored by the Reading College Club.
Please bring your show and tell items.
Date and Time:
Wednesday, September 1st, 7:30 - 8:30pm
Location:
Reading Senior Center
49 Pleasant St.
Reading, MA 01876
781-972-6794
- The Friends of Pleasure Island plans on updating this web site later this year. This site was created by Wakefield’s Kory Helmer. Helmer was co-founder with Bob McLaughlin of the Friends of Pleasure Island which was established in 2001.
The Friends of Pleasure Island would like to thank the following individuals and organizations for their outstanding help in celebrating Pleasure Island’s 50th anniversary last year- 2009.
- Beebe Memorial Library for display space during the summer months for Pleasure Island memorabilia.
- The Wakefield Daily Item for the great coverage of events and posting historic photos throughout the year.
- Mark Sardella- Item Coverage
- Jason Allocco- Website Updates
- Jamie Allocco- Website Updates
- Carolyn Livingston- Power Point Program
- The Sweetser Lecture Committee for hosting our History of Pleasure Island lecture.
- A special thanks to Boston’s Rex Trailer, along with the Pleasure Island characters Herb Suave, Bob Harmon, Sid Hudson, and Priscilla DiDonato Hendriks, who made the 50th anniversary party on June 18, 2009 at the Wakefield Galvin Middle School such a hit.
- State Senator Richard Tisei for an official citation from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts State Senate to the Friends of Pleasure Island in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the opening of Pleasure Island on June 22, 1959.
- The friends are indebted to Jean Hawkes and Jean’s late husband Bill, for their generous donation of archives and photographs which started the Friends collection.
Thanks to the following media outlets for all their support
- Jordan Rich- WBZ
- The Loren and Wally Show- WROR
- Karen Blake- WODS
- Charlie Sherman- WGIR Manchester, New Hampshire
- The Boston Globe North Weekly feature story by Robert G. Pushkar for Pleasure Island’s 50th anniversary
- Ron Cox- Malden Cable TV (MATV)
- Bob MacPhail- Thank you for your donation of replica Pleasure Island signage. Bob is now the official Pleasure Island sign painter.
- Todd Pierce, whose research on Disneyland and Marco’s three parks, Magic Mountain, Pleasure Island, and Freedomland has gained the president of the Friends of Pleasure Island Bob McLaughlin not only a lot of valuable information but a great friend. Good luck on your upcoming book.
- To everybody who attended our walking tours throughout 2009, it was fun. John (Toz) Toczydlowski and Steve O’Keefe were a big help. Thank you.
Thanks to Mary Galvin and Ray DiPirro, Friends of Pleasure Island Board Members, also to Larry Cultrera for all your support over the past 10 years. Thanks to all the hosts for "Pleasure Island" book signings.
Thank you to everyone who has donated photos or pieces of Pleasure Island, especially to Mr. and Mrs. Robert Hurford for their recent donation of Diamond Lil’s (Charmaine Harma) dress from 1959.
Lastly Bob McLaughlin would like to thank his wife, Terry , his children and granddaughter, Danielle Resha, for helping to make this the best 50th birthday party ever.
Thank you,
Bob McLaughlin
President
Friends of Pleasure Island
Do you remember Pleasure Island? If so, contact us with any memorabilia/photos/slides/stories you are willing to share with us.
Please Contact:
Bob McLaughlin
376 Water Street
Wakefield, MA 01880
bob@friendsofpleasureisland.org
Home (781) 246-0653
Cell (781) 258-8227
Fax (781) 246-9170
A 501 ©(3) nonprofit organizations
Other Web sites that may be of interest include
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