ccording to Tom Burhyte, who sent this to us, this picture was snapped in 1968, by a photographer on a Sunday morning around 8:00am. Tom says that he got the photo recently from a friend and former co-worker of his, Jim Rice, who worked at Eldridge in the late Fifties for Bob Long, as did Tom. Jim told Tom that he got the photo from Bob Long and that after all these years, he wanted Tom to have it.

Clearly visible in the photo are the many attractions that awaited a kid at Eldridge Park. Eldridge Lake, the home of Jasper, the Dragon Boat is on the right; the Speedway roller coaster tracks at the top of the photo. In the center is a blacktopped area called Kiddie Land, the Merry-Go-Round, the Whip, the Bumper Cars, the Spookshouse buildings are all grouped together in the top right of the photo. The concession buildings (three of them) are in the center as part of the Midway where the ring toss, penny arade and shooting gallery amusements (among others) were located. In the left of the photo are the wonderful trees and picnic areas that families used for countless reunion get togethers over the many years that Eldridge was in operation. It was more than just an amusment park.

Our thanks to Jim Rice and to Tom Burhyte for sharing this with us as our Photo of the Month for August 2004.

Photos of the Month © 2004 SHS58.ORG - All Rights Reserved