Toledo Beach Amusement Park Roller Rink Toledo Beach Amusement Park 11840 Toledo Beach Rd, LaSalle, MI Source: Water Winter Wonderland website. Copyrighted Digitally Remastered by Dead-Rinks (clean up).
Toledo Beach Amusement Park Roller Rink Toledo Beach Amusement Park 11840 Toledo Beach Rd, LaSalle, MI You are seeing top view in 1957 where the park was. Sorry that it was a grainy photo. The long skinny finger like is matchable to the pond seen in the top photo in front of the rounded building where the roller rink was. But that was burned down and this photo was taken in 1957 clearly showed the OUTDOOR roller rink in same spot. The dark building you can see nearby where the "finger" pointed clearly showed it might be the same building or rebuilt of the building seen in the top photo. Easy to match. Source: USGS.
Toledo Beach Amusement Park Roller Rink Toledo Beach Amusement Park 11840 Toledo Beach Rd, LaSalle, MI. They had 12 sides rotunda building made of wood. It was like a gazebo in supersize. Yes, you are seeing the sidewalk in odd perspective. It does look a bit of option illusion. They are all wood planks instead of concrete. Bad idea. Source: Pinterest. Copyrighted Digitally Remastered by Dead-Rinks (redefined photo to see better, tone balance).
Toledo Beach Amusement Park Roller Rink Toledo Beach Amusement Park 11840 Toledo Beach Rd, LaSalle, MI. This is a good color version. It was a postcard with water color paint photo over B/W. It appeared to be a later version of the area because they added flower garden as seen on the bottom, Larger sidewalk platforms, and new globe lights (look familiar skaters? Looked very 1970s in 1910s! The stars remained on the building but they removed the harps as you can see in the Black and White photo. Maybe to reduce the crowded roof ornaments. This time it did look better. Also the circle star above the main doors was missing. Only the star itself this time around. The circle with star reminded me of Texas Rangers badges. Source: Water Winter Wonderland website.
Toledo Beach Amusement Park Roller Rink Toledo Beach Amusement Park 11840 Toledo Beach RdLaSalle, MI Source: Another postcard featuring Gray roof instead of Red. Circle around the big Star is also missing. This must be one of rebuilt or renovated roof or just the artist choose that color. Source:
Toledo Beach Amusement Park Roller Rink Toledo Beach Amusement Park 11840 Toledo Beach Road, LaSalle, MI
Toledo Beach Amusement Park Roller Rink Toledo Beach Amusement Park 11840 Toledo Beach Road, LaSalle, Michigan was operational since before 1907 where the 400 acre waterfront Ottawa Beach Resort was. Then in 1907, The Toledo Rail Light and Power Company nicknamed as "The Big Con" bought the Ottawa Beach Resort and created the Toledo Beach Amusement Park. The company brought An electric trolley service to the visitors from Ohio to the park. There is a reason why the address says Michigan, NOT Ohio!
Here is why: Many patrons had no idea they crossed over the state line into Michigan! Calling it Toledo Beach added to the confusion because Toledo everyone knew was and still is a city in Ohio. I have driven through that and rode on train but made a transfer onto Thruway Bus by Amtrak to Detroit to attend a conference there. You will find many post cards of that era that say “Toledo Beach, Toledo Ohio” on them. All of them were wrong. The trolley also made stops at Lakeside, Lakewood, Allen’s Cove and the Luna Pier along the way. However, this profile will be in both Ohio list and Michigan because everyone expected this was in Ohio but technically it is Michigan. The park is in LaSalle, Michigan Sorry about that, Ohioans!
"The Big Con" The Toledo Rail Light and Power Company also owned casino according to Midstory website. That casino was Lake Erie Resort and Casino nearby the Toledo Beach Amusement Park but many patrons went to Toledo Beach Amusement Park because it was further away, more direct to the park, and cleaner and more adventurous than the casino and Toledo Beach Amusement Park evidently shut down Lake Erie Resort and Casino.
Often the park was shut down during their hard economic times then reopened. It was popular until the trolleys stopped in 1927 then they had a steady decline since.
In the 1900s the trolleys of the Toledo, Ottawa Beach and Northern Railway made runs every 15 minutes to the Monroe County, Michigan, lakeside amusement park which was necessary due to the large crowd. Often riders would step off the trolley cars and walked a bit till they arrived at the park due to the crowded cars.
The magnificent Toledo Beach Dance Hall was built in 1905. It also served as a roller skating rink. Other attractions followed like the giant water slide which was built in the lake. The slide was heavily damaged by a storm in 1917. The original dance hall was electrified by its own power plant and provided quite a nighttime view. There were floods, storms and fires that damaged or destroyed facilities over the years. This included dance halls and restaurants. The park never ceased even with all the rashes of destructions they had almost annually. They must have had excellent quick turn around on rebuilds but perhaps without safety which caused much fires.
Nationally famous early aviator Harry Atwood landed his sea plane at the Toledo Beach Amusement Park in LaSalle, Michigan, on 26 June 1913. Harry Atwood attended the Wright Brothers Flying School in 1911 in Dayton. In fact, his plane was built by the Wright Brothers. Harry Atwood made national news when he actually landed a plane on the White House lawn in 1911 (today, if you attempt this, you are done).
The park did enjoy a resurge in 1950 by addition of new rides and facilities, including the new enlarged outdoor roller skating rink, the train ride, midway of games and more. It was referred to as the “New Toledo Beach.”
They had a new amusement park operator in 1950 which was the LaSalle Resort Corp., an organization led by brothers Virgil and Nelson Gladieux of Toledo. Virgil Gladieux purchased the amusement park in 1961 and planned to construct a large marina on the lakefront property. The former amusement park was dredged and the Toledo Beach Marina built and opened in 1962. The Gladieux family owned the facility for nearly 60 years. The family sold the marina in 2007. It was one of the largest marinas on Lake Erie.
This amusement park had a checkered past that had often closed and reopened. They opened first by Toledo Rail Light and Power Company in 1905-07 then closed in 1922, reopened in 1932 by C.O. Miniger, President of Electric Auto-Lite Corp, but failed to reopen for the season in 1943.
In 1950, the amusement park again came back to life when Toledo brothers Virgil and Nelson Gladieux leased and then bought the 254 acre tract and invested some $200,000 in what they referred to as the New Toledo Beach.
In 1962, Virgil Gladieux had purchased a boat, but due to low water, had no place to keep it. In turn, he created the marina after dredging out the channel to provide deep water entry.
One section was leased and later sold to North Cape Yacht Club which maintains headquarters and docks for 150 boats and shares the channel with the Gladieux operation, which has over 600 docks and 350 dry racks in addition to shops, repair space, deli, and other facilities.
In 1970, due to erosion problems arising in Lake Erie, the amusement park was eventually closed. Toledo Beach Marina is owned by Virgil Gladieux’s son, Timothy Gladieux and has been managed for thirty years plus by Paul Reed.
Years later, they had a massive fire destroying one of the building called dry racks where the boats were stored for winter season in December 2020 destroying a Million Dollar yacht plus 150 other boats.
Was this area a curse? Always a fire destroying something in that spot.
The Interior.
Toledo Beach Roller Rink (Original/1905): In my humble opinion, likely Maple wood floor, perhaps Rotunda according to postcards of the exterior.
Second reincarnation (1932 to 1943): Likely Maple wood floor.
Toledo Beach Roller Rink (Outdoors/1950 to 1970): Poured Concrete floor, painted.
The Exterior.
Toledo Beach Roller Rink (Original/1905): The building was a Rotunda according to the postcard.
Second reincarnation (1932 to 1943): N/A.
Toledo Beach Roller Rink (Outdoors/1950 to 1970): No building since the rink was outdoors however, the shelter for the skates, restrooms, and coatrooms as well as concession stand may have been built for but in small scale. Maybe 2,000 Square Feet.
The Stats:
Toledo Beach Roller Rink (Original/1905):
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Non-painted, Hardwood Maple.. Floor Layout: Likely Rotunda.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1905 Renovations: N/A. Demolished: Fire (specific date unknown).
Type of Building: Free-Span Wood Trusses Stick-built venue - like Rotunda Building.
Roof: Gazebo roof style.
Acres: At first, 400 Acres,
Other rebuilts:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Non-painted, Hardwood Maple.. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: Several rebuilds Renovations: N/A. Demolished: Many fires, flood, etc.
Type of Building: Free-Span Wood Trusses Stick-built venue - like Building (Each may have vary slightly differently).
Roof: N/A.
Acres: N/A.
Toledo Beach Roller Rink (Outdoors/1950 to 1970):
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Pour Concrete Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1905 (and many rebuilts). Renovations: N/A. Demolished: Many fires, flood, etc. Final was 1950).
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel - Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: At first, 265 Acres,
Operated: (Overall)-- N/A.
Ottawa Beach Resort: Pre-1907 to 1907
Toledo Beach Roller Rink: 1905 to 1950 (indoors) (often burned and rebuilts)
Toledo Beach Roller Rink: 1950 to 1961 (outdoors)
Toledo Beach Amusement Park: 1907 to 1970 (overall)
First run: 1907 to 1922. (Operated by The Toledo Rail Light and Power Company)
Second run: 1932 to 1943. (Operated by C.O. Miniger, President of Electric Auto-Lite Corp.)
Third run: 1950 to 1961. (by Virgil and Nelson Gladieux)
Final run: 1963 to 1970. (Virgil and Nelson Gladieux)
Toledo Beach Marina: 1962 to 2007 (Virgil Galdieux's son, Timothy Gladieux.)
Reason for Closure:
Ottawa Beach Resort: Decided to sell.
Toledo Beach Roller Rink: (indoors) Due to often times fires and other damages, frustrated with "bad lucks") turned to outdoors.
Toledo Beach Roller Rink: (outdoors) Decline attendance, money loss, sold to new owners who wanted to convert to Marina
Toledo Beach Amusement Park: Low water, dredging, (amusement park was built on sand).
Toledo Beach Marina: Family decided to sell.
Cullin Park: Still open and operated by local government.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos/articles. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you. You can also use this form.
Sources:
The Monroe News - History about the amusement park. PDF.
Mid Story - About competive resort that the same owner owned nearby.
Ohio Memory - Old faded B/W photo of the Dance Hall where the rink was.
Water Winter Wonderland - Many postcards and photos are displayed.
WTOL 11 - Brief news segment. mentioned largest rink. (not sure if that is right place though).
Toledo News Press - More on history.
Free Pages - Clear history.
Old West Trend - Postcard of the Dance Hall.
Monroe News - Massive fire destroyed a million dollar yacht and 150 other boats in building stored for winter. Fire in December 2000.
Date of issue: 03 December 2021.
For office use only: 5.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.
Here is why: Many patrons had no idea they crossed over the state line into Michigan! Calling it Toledo Beach added to the confusion because Toledo everyone knew was and still is a city in Ohio. I have driven through that and rode on train but made a transfer onto Thruway Bus by Amtrak to Detroit to attend a conference there. You will find many post cards of that era that say “Toledo Beach, Toledo Ohio” on them. All of them were wrong. The trolley also made stops at Lakeside, Lakewood, Allen’s Cove and the Luna Pier along the way. However, this profile will be in both Ohio list and Michigan because everyone expected this was in Ohio but technically it is Michigan. The park is in LaSalle, Michigan Sorry about that, Ohioans!
"The Big Con" The Toledo Rail Light and Power Company also owned casino according to Midstory website. That casino was Lake Erie Resort and Casino nearby the Toledo Beach Amusement Park but many patrons went to Toledo Beach Amusement Park because it was further away, more direct to the park, and cleaner and more adventurous than the casino and Toledo Beach Amusement Park evidently shut down Lake Erie Resort and Casino.
Often the park was shut down during their hard economic times then reopened. It was popular until the trolleys stopped in 1927 then they had a steady decline since.
In the 1900s the trolleys of the Toledo, Ottawa Beach and Northern Railway made runs every 15 minutes to the Monroe County, Michigan, lakeside amusement park which was necessary due to the large crowd. Often riders would step off the trolley cars and walked a bit till they arrived at the park due to the crowded cars.
The magnificent Toledo Beach Dance Hall was built in 1905. It also served as a roller skating rink. Other attractions followed like the giant water slide which was built in the lake. The slide was heavily damaged by a storm in 1917. The original dance hall was electrified by its own power plant and provided quite a nighttime view. There were floods, storms and fires that damaged or destroyed facilities over the years. This included dance halls and restaurants. The park never ceased even with all the rashes of destructions they had almost annually. They must have had excellent quick turn around on rebuilds but perhaps without safety which caused much fires.
Nationally famous early aviator Harry Atwood landed his sea plane at the Toledo Beach Amusement Park in LaSalle, Michigan, on 26 June 1913. Harry Atwood attended the Wright Brothers Flying School in 1911 in Dayton. In fact, his plane was built by the Wright Brothers. Harry Atwood made national news when he actually landed a plane on the White House lawn in 1911 (today, if you attempt this, you are done).
The park did enjoy a resurge in 1950 by addition of new rides and facilities, including the new enlarged outdoor roller skating rink, the train ride, midway of games and more. It was referred to as the “New Toledo Beach.”
They had a new amusement park operator in 1950 which was the LaSalle Resort Corp., an organization led by brothers Virgil and Nelson Gladieux of Toledo. Virgil Gladieux purchased the amusement park in 1961 and planned to construct a large marina on the lakefront property. The former amusement park was dredged and the Toledo Beach Marina built and opened in 1962. The Gladieux family owned the facility for nearly 60 years. The family sold the marina in 2007. It was one of the largest marinas on Lake Erie.
This amusement park had a checkered past that had often closed and reopened. They opened first by Toledo Rail Light and Power Company in 1905-07 then closed in 1922, reopened in 1932 by C.O. Miniger, President of Electric Auto-Lite Corp, but failed to reopen for the season in 1943.
In 1950, the amusement park again came back to life when Toledo brothers Virgil and Nelson Gladieux leased and then bought the 254 acre tract and invested some $200,000 in what they referred to as the New Toledo Beach.
In 1962, Virgil Gladieux had purchased a boat, but due to low water, had no place to keep it. In turn, he created the marina after dredging out the channel to provide deep water entry.
One section was leased and later sold to North Cape Yacht Club which maintains headquarters and docks for 150 boats and shares the channel with the Gladieux operation, which has over 600 docks and 350 dry racks in addition to shops, repair space, deli, and other facilities.
In 1970, due to erosion problems arising in Lake Erie, the amusement park was eventually closed. Toledo Beach Marina is owned by Virgil Gladieux’s son, Timothy Gladieux and has been managed for thirty years plus by Paul Reed.
Years later, they had a massive fire destroying one of the building called dry racks where the boats were stored for winter season in December 2020 destroying a Million Dollar yacht plus 150 other boats.
Was this area a curse? Always a fire destroying something in that spot.
The Interior.
Toledo Beach Roller Rink (Original/1905): In my humble opinion, likely Maple wood floor, perhaps Rotunda according to postcards of the exterior.
Second reincarnation (1932 to 1943): Likely Maple wood floor.
Toledo Beach Roller Rink (Outdoors/1950 to 1970): Poured Concrete floor, painted.
The Exterior.
Toledo Beach Roller Rink (Original/1905): The building was a Rotunda according to the postcard.
Second reincarnation (1932 to 1943): N/A.
Toledo Beach Roller Rink (Outdoors/1950 to 1970): No building since the rink was outdoors however, the shelter for the skates, restrooms, and coatrooms as well as concession stand may have been built for but in small scale. Maybe 2,000 Square Feet.
The Stats:
Toledo Beach Roller Rink (Original/1905):
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Non-painted, Hardwood Maple.. Floor Layout: Likely Rotunda.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1905 Renovations: N/A. Demolished: Fire (specific date unknown).
Type of Building: Free-Span Wood Trusses Stick-built venue - like Rotunda Building.
Roof: Gazebo roof style.
Acres: At first, 400 Acres,
Other rebuilts:
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Non-painted, Hardwood Maple.. Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: Several rebuilds Renovations: N/A. Demolished: Many fires, flood, etc.
Type of Building: Free-Span Wood Trusses Stick-built venue - like Building (Each may have vary slightly differently).
Roof: N/A.
Acres: N/A.
Toledo Beach Roller Rink (Outdoors/1950 to 1970):
Rink Size: N/A. Floor: Pour Concrete Floor Layout: N/A.
Building Size: N/A. Built: 1905 (and many rebuilts). Renovations: N/A. Demolished: Many fires, flood, etc. Final was 1950).
Type of Building: Free-Span Steel Trusses Steel - Walled Warehouse - like Building.
Roof: Gable.
Acres: At first, 265 Acres,
Operated: (Overall)-- N/A.
Ottawa Beach Resort: Pre-1907 to 1907
Toledo Beach Roller Rink: 1905 to 1950 (indoors) (often burned and rebuilts)
Toledo Beach Roller Rink: 1950 to 1961 (outdoors)
Toledo Beach Amusement Park: 1907 to 1970 (overall)
First run: 1907 to 1922. (Operated by The Toledo Rail Light and Power Company)
Second run: 1932 to 1943. (Operated by C.O. Miniger, President of Electric Auto-Lite Corp.)
Third run: 1950 to 1961. (by Virgil and Nelson Gladieux)
Final run: 1963 to 1970. (Virgil and Nelson Gladieux)
Toledo Beach Marina: 1962 to 2007 (Virgil Galdieux's son, Timothy Gladieux.)
Reason for Closure:
Ottawa Beach Resort: Decided to sell.
Toledo Beach Roller Rink: (indoors) Due to often times fires and other damages, frustrated with "bad lucks") turned to outdoors.
Toledo Beach Roller Rink: (outdoors) Decline attendance, money loss, sold to new owners who wanted to convert to Marina
Toledo Beach Amusement Park: Low water, dredging, (amusement park was built on sand).
Toledo Beach Marina: Family decided to sell.
Cullin Park: Still open and operated by local government.
Wanted: Information regarding exact dates of open/closed, why closed, size of rink, rink materials. Also photos/articles. Anyone knows or have photos, please let me know by emailing at [email protected]. Thank you. You can also use this form.
Sources:
The Monroe News - History about the amusement park. PDF.
Mid Story - About competive resort that the same owner owned nearby.
Ohio Memory - Old faded B/W photo of the Dance Hall where the rink was.
Water Winter Wonderland - Many postcards and photos are displayed.
WTOL 11 - Brief news segment. mentioned largest rink. (not sure if that is right place though).
Toledo News Press - More on history.
Free Pages - Clear history.
Old West Trend - Postcard of the Dance Hall.
Monroe News - Massive fire destroyed a million dollar yacht and 150 other boats in building stored for winter. Fire in December 2000.
Date of issue: 03 December 2021.
For office use only: 5.
© Copyrighted by Dead-Rinks. All Rights Reserved. Jn 3:3 and 16.