1921 and 1926: HAMILTON TOWNSHIP'S WOODLAWN PARK
Welcome to Hamilton History 101! Back during colonial times, the Anderson Farm occupied much of the land from South Logan Avenue on the Hamilton side, all the way out to the area of today's Greenwood Cemetery. 
In these graphics we are going to deal with a long forgotten "roaring 20's" amusement park that was all the rage for a decade and a half in Hamilton township. Woodlawn Park was began operations on Memorial Day, 1921. Each year, thousands of area residents attended the very popular amusement park. There was a huge amphitheater where music was provided by some of the most popular bands of the era, including the Ozzie Nelson orchestra with vocalist Harriet Hilliard. It is said but not verified that Red Skelton got his start at Woodlawn Park. The graphic below shows a few of the participants in the very popular "marathon" dances that were a regular feature of the park. Many of those dancers danced for hours on end in order to win the longevity prize.....indeed, it is said that quite a few danced and slept at the same time! Woodlawn Park, like Camp Olden here in Hamilton, has proven to be a very elusive subject insofar as actual memorabilia and ephemera. My source material is basically from our huge Trenton newspaper collection.
In these graphics we are going to deal with a long forgotten "roaring 20's" amusement park that was all the rage for a decade and a half in Hamilton township. Woodlawn Park was began operations on Memorial Day, 1921. Each year, thousands of area residents attended the very popular amusement park. There was a huge amphitheater where music was provided by some of the most popular bands of the era, including the Ozzie Nelson orchestra with vocalist Harriet Hilliard. It is said but not verified that Red Skelton got his start at Woodlawn Park. The graphic below shows a few of the participants in the very popular "marathon" dances that were a regular feature of the park. Many of those dancers danced for hours on end in order to win the longevity prize.....indeed, it is said that quite a few danced and slept at the same time! Woodlawn Park, like Camp Olden here in Hamilton, has proven to be a very elusive subject insofar as actual memorabilia and ephemera. My source material is basically from our huge Trenton newspaper collection.
1 comment:
HI TOM...I REMEMBER WOODLAWN PARK VERY WELL, ESPECIALLY THE RIDES AND THE 10 CENTS ADMISSION. SPEAKING OF BIG BANDS, I RECALL TED LEWIS THERE AND HIS "ME AND MY SHADOW NUMBER". MY SISTER ROSE, I BELIEVE, WON SOMETHING IN A "BLACK BOTTOM DANCE CONTEST ONE YEAR. OF COURSE THE POOL LATTER ON WAS ALSO VERY POPULAR AND REMAINED OPEN LONG AFTER MOST OF THE PARK CLOSED. BEST REGARDS.
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