Lakeside Park
Here is the true history of Lakeside
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In the summer of 1890, Daytonian James Kirk opened Lakeside Amusement Park on 7 ½ acres at Gettysburg and Lakeview Avenues on the west side of Dayton. Other sources cite E.J. Laterbach as an early owner of the park. Laterbach then hired immigrant Aural Vaszin to redesign some the park’s rides. The park featured a carousel, a small stream with boats for six people and five other “amusement devices.” The park took advantage of the crowds already visiting the renowned Soldiers Home (now known as the VA Medical Center) and the Victorian landscaping, lakes and manicured grounds. By 1898, the estimated attendance at Lakeside was estimated around 100,000 patrons annually. In 1913, the park was sold to the Lakeside Park Company, Inc. In
1916, a new 48-foot diameter carousel (referred to as PTC #31) was built
and installed by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. In 1929, the Flying Turns made its international debut at Lakeside. Designed by J. Norman Bartlett, the ride gave an illusion of flying through a half-tube in a four-passenger car. In 1930, the land the park occupied was annexed to the City of Dayton. The park added the Wildcat Roller Coaster, built by PTC/John Miller. The coaster sat along Home Avenue and provided an easy landmark for park patrons coming to the park from the east. In 1946, Hilarity Hall, the park’s funhouse, was closed and torn down to make room for more rides and attractions. Despite the end of the war and plans for expansion, a number of incidents lead to the downfall of Lakeside. In 1946, Hilarity Hall, the park’s funhouse, was closed and torn down to make room for more rides and attractions. Despite the end of the war and plans for expansion, a number of incidents lead to the downfall of Lakeside. In 1951, the IRS filed a tax lien of $267,885 against park president and general manager Gerald T. Niemann. He pled guilty to tax evasion, fined $20,000 and spent six months in jail. In 1956, a 13-year old boy was awarded $22,500 in damages after he was injured on one of the rides in 1953. In 1960, eight Fairview High School students were injured during a prom night accident on the Merry Mix-Up. In 1962, a 19-year old Dayton man was killed after falling from a moving roller coaster car. Finally, in 1964, court officials closed the park after the park failed to pay creditors. On July 6, 1967, an auction was held by Dayton Municipal Court bailiff William Hoffman to sell the assets and pay off creditors. All of the parks’ assets were sold except for eight rides. The auction was attended by 25 people. Some of items that sold included 1500 tables for $625 and the PTC carousel for $5000 to the owners of Russell’s Point Amusement Park. In 1968, Dayton businessman George D. Tuck purchased the park and announced that the the roller coaster would be torn down and the Crystal Ballroom would be saved and remodeled. He renamed the ballroom Lakeview Palladium and used the structure to host music shows, dances and meetings. Stars such as Flip Wilson, Ike & Tina Turner and Aretha Franklin graced the ballroom in the early 70s. In 1993, the Lakeview Palladium was closed and torn down to make way for the extension of U.S. 35 through the west end of Dayton.
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