WESTFIELD-For those old enough to have fond memories of Mountain Park in Holyoke, join Jay Ducharme later this month as he shares his first-hand experience during a “History Chat” at the Westfield Senior Center.
Each month, “History Chats” are conducted in partnership with the Westfield Athenaeum and the Westfield Senior Center, according to Kate Deviny, director, Westfield Athenaeum. The March 17 gathering begins at 2 p.m.
“At the beginning of the 20th century, Holyoke was the most prosperous community in Massachusetts and the first planned industrial city in the United States,” said Deviny. “It was fitting then, that Holyoke was also home to one of the most beautiful amusement facilities in the east – Mountain Park.”
A man on stilts was one of the attractions in the 1950’s at Mountain Park in Holyoke. A lecture on the park is slated March 17 at the Westfield Senior Center. (Holyoke Public Library Collection)
Deviny explained that the amusement facility was developed by William Loomis and the Holyoke Street Railway Company to boost ridership at the end of its line.
“The park began in 1894 as a picturesque retreat on the side of Mount Tom, landscaped with trees imported from Europe,” said Deviny.
Ducharme, who worked at the park from 1980 until 1993, said he initially asked to run the carousel.
“The park supervisor, Roger Fortin, asked me why I wanted to run it,” said Ducharme. “I told him I loved the music.”
Ducharme said Fortin replied – “You can have it. Nobody wants to run that ride.”
From that moment in time, Ducharme not only oversaw the carousel for several years, he was also the person to stand in for ride operators during breaks.
“I ran pretty much every ride in the park at some point,” said Ducharme. “The year before the park closed, Roger had me begin doing some of his work, assigning rides to the operators and checking people in.”
After the park closed, Ducharme said he was kept on as the park watchman and stayed until the carousel reopened in downtown Holyoke.
From his work experience at Mountain Park, he wrote a book for Arcadia Publishing in 2008 titled “Mountain Park.”
“It’s amazing to me that it’s still selling well,” said Ducharme.
In 2013, Ducharme wrote another book titled “The Happiness Machine,” about the “unprecedented and successful campaign” to save Mountain Park’s carousel and keep it in the city of Holyoke. Both books will be available for purchase following the lecture and all proceeds benefit the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round.
“Mountain Park has acquired an almost legendary status in the minds of locals,” said Ducharme. “Everyone I’ve talked with has had warm memories of the park, and part of my reason for writing the book was to explore why that was.”
Ducharme added that while there were “dozens” of amusement parks in Massachusetts over the years, Mountain Park was the one that people seem to miss the most.
“I think it all came down to the people who worked there,” said Ducharme. “The owner, Jay Collins, was always out on the midway greeting guests and talking to them. It felt like everyone who worked there was part of a family, and that warmth in turn was conveyed to the guests.”
Ducharme said that while there were few thrill rides, the park offered a host of activities that families could enjoy together.
“The free shady picnic groves were often occupied by the grandparents while the parents played mini-golf or danced in the pavilion while the kids ran off on the Tilt-a-Whirl or roller coaster,” said Ducharme. “The park had plenty to do, but it was small enough so no one got lost and everyone felt safe.”
Ducharme is hopeful that area residents will stop in for this history chat to share their own memories.
“This is a chance for people to relive fond memories, hear some new stories and uncover the nearly century long history of the park and the people who made it possible,” said Ducharme, noting he will be sharing many photographs and rare videos of the park.
For more information on the gathering, call the Athenaeum at (413) 568-7833 or visit www.westath.org.
