The End of an Era

Black and white photographs on this page were taken by an unknown photographer after the park closed and show how the once vibrant park had deteriorated after sitting empty for a few years.

After Mr. Quatman’s death in 1964, the amusement park was sold to The Venice Amusement Company, with Tony Guilliano appointed manager. The park was renamed Indian Lake Playland Park, and was geared more towards families, with reduced prices for the rides to accommodate family-type budgets. Big bands continued playing the park. Despite continuing to attract families, the Indian Lake Playland Park gradually went into decline and closed in the mid-1970s.

For a decade, the amusement park was plagued by annual riots on the Fourth of July weekend. On July 5, 1961, the first riots started shortly after midnight when a group of young people began fighting and throwing tables around in a beer garden. The crowd, which was estimated at between 400 and 1000, blocked off Main Street in Russells Point. The demonstrations finally ended around 2:30 a.m. with the arrival of twenty Ohio patrolmen and a drenching by fire hoses. According to the mayor, Gene Gooding, there did not seem to be any particular ringleaders, and this seemed “just a case of a lot of young fellows with nothing better to do.” It was not until 1972 that Russells Point experienced a peaceful Independence Day celebration. By then, however, gradual decline of the amusement park had already started and the park was permanently closed in the mid-seventies. It sat abandoned for several years until the grounds were purchased by William Reed. Reed organized a Destruction Party on August 14, 1981, where people were allowed to take whatever few pieces were left.

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The demolition of the amusement park was documented by Steve Altick in a series of photographs taken from August 1981 to December 1981. Following Steve Altick’s death I purchased these photographs in 2022 as part of his quite extensive postcard collection. These photographs have obvious historical value and are reproduced here.

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Summer 1981 – Before the Demolition

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August 2, 1981

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August 9, 1981

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September 20, 1981

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September 27, 1981

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October 11, 1981

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October 18, 1981

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October 25, 1981

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November 1, 1981

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November 15, 1981

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November 23, 1981

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December 27, 1981

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