17 replies to this topic

[801hme]

I have an old aerial photograph of Casino Beach from the '30's (if I get my scanner working I'll post it). It's a copy of a pretty common aerial I've seen in several books. I located the site on Historical Aerials, and the Ballroom is there thru the 1970 shot (it is my understanding it was razed in '73). My question is when was the original bridge (with Casino Beach to the right as you're traveling trowards Azle) replaced by the current bridge? Also, I'm going WAY back here, but is there anyone out there who actually rode the Thriller Rollercoaster? From the photo it looks like the same basic layout of many of John Miller's coasters, and the Judge Roy Scream at SFOT seems to be an almost exact smaller scale layout, although opposite hand. I know Bill Cobb who designed the Judge was from Texas; wonder if the Thriller was any kind of inspiration to him...it's probably just the Miller design he was after, but who knows. The Thriller as far as I've been able to research was torn down around '51. Any info from Coaster fans or others welcomed...

[cbellomy]

I believe the second Nine Mile Bridge -- the original bridge in the current path of 199 -- opened in 1929 or thereabouts. The first Nine Mile Bridge was torn down very shortly after. Also of note is that the first Nine Mile Bridge apparently predated the lake, crossing the Trinity and its flood plain at the time. Or at least that's what I've read.

[Brian Luenser]

In case there are Forum Members that do not know what you all are talking about, I scanned two of my billion post cards. (would you believe a million?)

I have found the lake area pretty crazy. Did not seem like the Texas I have read about back when. Seemed out of character to the local climate to me. I would have been wrong. I believe it was a huge success. Now it was back in the days people took responsibility for themselves and their kids so they didn't get sued every time somebody drowned or developed a gambling addiction. (You should have warned us there was water in the lake!)



And a shot of the Beach, though I don't know that it was connected to the Casino operations.

[SDiver]

Not drowning or gambling, but, in the 20s, the city was asked to pay for a couple of cars stolen from the Bathing Beach -- something like 'the officer told me to park there and now my car is gone, so the city owes me...' If I remember right, one of the claims was for a car on a test-drive from a dealer.

Several claims for damage from poor street conditions, too, throughout the city. If water wasn't standing in the road three days after the rain, the car wouldn't have slid off when I turned the corner...

[courtnie]

Ill ask my grandmother about the coaster. She was born in 1929 and frequented the beach quite a bit. I'll post more later when I talk to her.

[GenE]

Casino Beach has been facinating to me for years.

When I used to live in Ft. worth (1970's), I would drive around the lake, looking at where the beach used to be. Or where I thought it used to be based on the signage.

I didn't know that the bridge used to be below the beach instead of above. Is there some semi-abandoned road which would indicate the old bridge or where it crossed and went up the bluff?

Ya'll are there
I am in Austin. Can someone tell me about any road on the bluff that would have connected with the old bridge?

Thanks,

GenE

[cbellomy]

GenE, the original Nine Mile Bridge connected what is now Foster Drive on the east side of the lake approximately with the current location of Sommerville Place on the west, at the very southern edge of Casino Beach.

[djold1]

On the south side of the lake the approach to the old Nine Mile bridge is about where Rench road is today. I can see no remains of the abutments on that side.

On the north side there are still remnants of the bridge abutments and concrete piers on the bank just to the west of large old power line tower.

[danny]

On the south side of the lake the approach to the old Nine Mile bridge is about where Rench road is today. I can see no remains of the abutments on that side.

On the north side there are still remnants of the bridge abutments and concrete piers on the bank just to the west of large old power line tower.

the castle was down the road on heron
we use to drive around out toward lake worth and eagle mountain
i can remeber the old ballroom standing on its last leg it appeared to be left next to the old bridge

[m lambert]

On the south side of the lake the approach to the old Nine Mile bridge is about where Rench road is today. I can see no remains of the abutments on that side.

On the north side there are still remnants of the bridge abutments and concrete piers on the bank just to the west of large old power line tower.

Castle on Lake Worth
The Castle has not been torn down. At this time a new owner is fixing it up.

[rollerdude]

I have an old aerial photograph of Casino Beach from the '30's (if I get my scanner working I'll post it). It's a copy of a pretty common aerial I've seen in several books. I located the site on Historical Aerials, and the Ballroom is there thru the 1970 shot (it is my understanding it was razed in '73). My question is when was the original bridge (with Casino Beach to the right as you're traveling trowards Azle) replaced by the current bridge? Also, I'm going WAY back here, but is there anyone out there who actually rode the Thriller Rollercoaster? From the photo it looks like the same basic layout of many of John Miller's coasters, and the Judge Roy Scream at SFOT seems to be an almost exact smaller scale layout, although opposite hand. I know Bill Cobb who designed the Judge was from Texas; wonder if the Thriller was any kind of inspiration to him...it's probably just the Miller design he was after, but who knows. The Thriller as far as I've been able to research was torn down around '51. Any info from Coaster fans or others welcomed...

Sorry to reply to be replying to this more than 2 years later, but I just recently joined the forum and I just read this post. Perhaps you've already found the info you were seeking, but I can tell you that the Roller Coaster Database lists John Miller as the designer of the roller coaster at Casino Beach which they list under the name of the Rocket. Roller coasters that have survived for many years often undergo several name changes throughout their existences (i.e. the Coney Island "Bobs" became the "Tornado" at some point). As far as the JRS being inspired by the coaster at Casino Beach-- it's possible, but there have been a plethora of out-and-back roller coasters built since the boom of 1920, so he may have been inspired in a more general sense; however, the position of the JRS alongside the elongated pond at SFOT causes me to suspect that there may be some truth to that about which you wonder...

[Austin55]

Bumping a 12 year old thread here

 

I was looking for more info on the Thriller and the park. It seems to me, digging through the ST Archives, that the park and the ride opened on May 29, 1927. The ride burned in June 1929. In June 1935 a fatality occurred on the ride. 

[Austin55]

Speaking of Roller Coasters, I was reading Hometown by Handlebar and noticed an story on "White City" in Rosen Heights. The park included a side-friction ride. I emailed RCDB and they added the park and the ride to the database. 

There are at least 4 permanent roller coasters to have operated in Fort Worth in 4 different parks, which are Monster Mouse at Forest Park, Figure 8 at Lake Como Park and Thriller at Casino Beach. 

Anyone know of more?

[Mtuggle76]

Back in the 80s I had a good friend who’s mom rented the guest house on the right side of the castle from the then owner Richard. I think he was from France and flew for a major airline.  I used to stay the night there a lot on the weekends.   I remember us running thru the castle and there was some sort of parlor or living room where the tile formed a four point star in the center of the room. Richard used to get my mom going saying how haunted it was there.  He was a nice guy, and would take us out on the lake skiing in his boat. I remember when he bought an ultralight and had it parked out back behind the castle.  Ahh the memories. It’s so sad that the damn kids destroyed it trying to burn it down.  It’s just a damn shame, aside from my memories, that place is full of history, jimmy stewart supposedly stayed there while filming strategic air command.  

[801hme]

Bumping a 12 year old thread here

 

I was looking for more info on the Thriller and the park. It seems to me, digging through the ST Archives, that the park and the ride opened on May 29, 1927. The ride burned in June 1929. In June 1935 a fatality occurred on the ride. 

I've read about the fire and the rebuild too. The worst part was the story of the poor gorilla (Big Boy) trapped in his cage on the boardwalk during the fire. I think I read he was euthanized (shot) before he burned to death. 

 

I've also read the fatality on the Thriller was a drunk patron who stood up in his seat on the turnaround section of the coaster and was thrown off. 

[Stadtplan]

 

Bumping a 12 year old thread here

 

I was looking for more info on the Thriller and the park. It seems to me, digging through the ST Archives, that the park and the ride opened on May 29, 1927. The ride burned in June 1929. In June 1935 a fatality occurred on the ride. 

I've read about the fire and the rebuild too. The worst part was the story of the poor gorilla (Big Boy) trapped in his cage on the boardwalk during the fire. I think I read he was euthanized (shot) before he burned to death. 

 

I've also read the fatality on the Thriller was a drunk patron who stood up in his seat on the turnaround section of the coaster and was thrown off. 

 

 

And he had been at the park for only three days.

[801hme]

Bumping a 12 year old thread here
 
I was looking for more info on the Thriller and the park. It seems to me, digging through the ST Archives, that the park and the ride opened on May 29, 1927. The ride burned in June 1929. In June 1935 a fatality occurred on the ride.

I've read about the fire and the rebuild too. The worst part was the story of the poor gorilla (Big Boy) trapped in his cage on the boardwalk during the fire. I think I read he was euthanized (shot) before he burned to death. 
 
I've also read the fatality on the Thriller was a drunk patron who stood up in his seat on the turnaround section of the coaster and was thrown off.

 
And he had been at the park for only three days.

I did not know that.,

[Stadtplan]

 

Bumping a 12 year old thread here

 

I was looking for more info on the Thriller and the park. It seems to me, digging through the ST Archives, that the park and the ride opened on May 29, 1927. The ride burned in June 1929. In June 1935 a fatality occurred on the ride. 

I've read about the fire and the rebuild too. The worst part was the story of the poor gorilla (Big Boy) trapped in his cage on the boardwalk during the fire. I think I read he was euthanized (shot) before he burned to death. 

 

I've also read the fatality on the Thriller was a drunk patron who stood up in his seat on the turnaround section of the coaster and was thrown off. 

 

 

 

I checked last night and saw that one guy was knocked off of Thriller, fell 85-feet and was "permanently crippled" and sued the operator for $25,000 (1929).  There was indeed a at least one fatality (1935) I found, but did not provide any details other than the name of the deceased and his hometown of Keller. 

 

It did mention that Big Boy burned alive trying to free himself from the cage, but I like your account better, at least relieving him of some agony or perhaps the police had to put him down quickly post-burn.

 

Something else caught my attention and I'm sure I'll get someone who thinks my idea is dumb, but the park burned on a Monday I believe June 17th or 18th but that Sunday the day before, the miniature railroad skipped the tracks tipping over a car and injuring six people.  My skeptical mind wondered if someone that was injured or an angry relative, as an act of revenge or rage, could have snuck back in that Monday morning and set arson to the park.  It's sort of a stretch but the thought crossed my mind.  It listed the people involved in that accident and it seemed to largely affect one family and a few others.  Sort of the equivalent of a road rage retaliation, of course the operator escaped without injury.  Maybe he took a turn too fast.  I don't know, some people have really short fuses and maybe this was their way of getting back at nearly killing their family / kids.