PART 1: BUILDING ARNOLDS PARK
tales
from the
iowa great
lakes
Hello, hello! What a beautiful day to remember Arnolds Park's RICH history!
We worked hard on scavenging photos from each era of Arnolds Park history - and it's astonishing how much the space has changed.
First off, we have The Man, The Myth, and The Legend (pun intended): Wesley B. Arnold. (Side note: He is buried in The Okoboji Cemetery if you want to visit him.)
The following two photos reflect Arnolds Park's early years as a campsite. Can you imagine sitting with the cosmopolitan guests and their families on that shore? It reminds me of Georges Seurat's painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. What would we call this? A Sunday Afternoon on the Shores of Pillsbury Point?
Then, we get into the juicy history - the point when Arnolds Park transforms into an amusement park. The Chute-the-Chute is featured in the colored postcard, then we start to see the area take shape. It looks like a marina or a downtown area nestled right on the shore.
When you see The Roof Garden and The Majestic Pavilion on the landscape, you know we're in the "Battle of Fun" territory. It's also unbelievable how the early roller coasters looked - and one is still on the landscape.
One of the most interesting points in our research was the State Pier. It's a pivotal point in our park's development. Our government wanted to preserve public lake access along that area and created an area for people to gather, swim, and enjoy Arnolds Park. It also shows how Arnolds Park developed into a municipality - a place for all of us to share.
These postcards are courtesy of Charlene Thomsen, and several photos were sent to us by wonderful listeners. Wendell Davis sent us his album-cover-worthy photo at the end, and Don Brockman sent us these pictures from The Lakeside Luncheon with this message:
Some of these, no doubt, you have seen in the past. The Lakeside Lunch was run by my dad's sister and husband from Germantown, Iowa. In fact, we all were originally from there. Their names were Ernie and Marie Hoermann, shown sitting in the restaurant. Their meager trailor they stayed in plus their wedding picture from 1925. Also some random shots of the waterfront rides... We made many, many trips to the lakes in the 50s-60s. They are Never-forgotten experiences!
We get messages like these all the time, and we want more! Send us your Arnolds Park stories, so email us at hello@okobojiproject.com!
episode info
Hello, hello! What a beautiful day to remember Arnolds Park's RICH history!
We worked hard on scavenging photos from each era of Arnolds Park history - and it's astonishing how much the space has changed.
First off, we have The Man, The Myth, and The Legend (pun intended): Wesley B. Arnold. (Side note: He is buried in The Okoboji Cemetery if you want to visit him.)
The following two photos reflect Arnolds Park's early years as a campsite. Can you imagine sitting with the cosmopolitan guests and their families on that shore? It reminds me of Georges Seurat's painting, A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. What would we call this? A Sunday Afternoon on the Shores of Pillsbury Point?
Then, we get into the juicy history - the point when Arnolds Park transforms into an amusement park. The Chute-the-Chute is featured in the colored postcard, then we start to see the area take shape. It looks like a marina or a downtown area nestled right on the shore.
When you see The Roof Garden and The Majestic Pavilion on the landscape, you know we're in the "Battle of Fun" territory. It's also unbelievable how the early roller coasters looked - and one is still on the landscape.
One of the most interesting points in our research was the State Pier. It's a pivotal point in our park's development. Our government wanted to preserve public lake access along that area and created an area for people to gather, swim, and enjoy Arnolds Park. It also shows how Arnolds Park developed into a municipality - a place for all of us to share.
These postcards are courtesy of Charlene Thomsen, and several photos were sent to us by wonderful listeners. Wendell Davis sent us his album-cover-worthy photo at the end, and Don Brockman sent us these pictures from The Lakeside Luncheon with this message:
Some of these, no doubt, you have seen in the past. The Lakeside Lunch was run by my dad's sister and husband from Germantown, Iowa. In fact, we all were originally from there. Their names were Ernie and Marie Hoermann, shown sitting in the restaurant. Their meager trailor they stayed in plus their wedding picture from 1925. Also some random shots of the waterfront rides... We made many, many trips to the lakes in the 50s-60s. They are Never-forgotten experiences!
We get messages like these all the time, and we want more! Send us your Arnolds Park stories, so email us at hello@okobojiproject.com! hello@okobojiproject.com!
episode info
episode info
- Timeline - Arnolds Park Website
- Celebrating 125 Years - Arnolds Park Amusement Park by Mary Kennedy, Jonathan Reed, and Greg Drees
- A History of Dickinson County by R.A. Smith
- RCBC Database on Arnolds Park
- Explore the history of Arnolds Park on their website
- Visit Arnolds Park Amusement Park's website for tickets
- Explore research from amusement park historians about Arnolds Park
- Watch a Point Of View video of The Legend Roller Coaster on YouTube
