This is a video that I shot like it was actually going into a time capsule. My father had ridden the roller coaster in his teens before it was moved from Zanesville to, then, Lesourdesville Lake in 1939. The management office allowed me to shoot from the closed slide tower. Thanks for your comment.
Love the vid .. my first visit there was in 1982. My dad played music in that lil spot they had for concerts and shows. Kinda to the left side of the electric rainbow . I didn't get brave enough to ride the screeching eagle till the next summer or two. I went at least once every summer till about 91 or so. What a time . Thanks for the vid
Thanks for the comment. Traditional amusement parks were like "Memory Islands" to me. I'm glad that I was able to record a few that have long since vanished.
Very nice! Thank you for sharing and this was the last year I worked at Americana. I started working at 12 years old doing the Crazy Critters since I was so tall for my age. I worked from 1980 to 1988 and did games, entertainment, Crazy Critters, and last did the rides. I was a lead ride operator knowing everything about every ride in the park. I had learned how to operate all the rides however I was assigned to the back part except Tombstone Territory aka Loggers Run. My ride area as a lead was over the Water Scooters, Speedway, Haunted House#2 aka Kookie Kastle, Antique Autos, The Giant Slide, Calypso, The Showboat, Space Combat, Bumper Buggies, Tilt a whirl, Trabant and both Trains. Sometimes I also had the very back Scrambler, Raging Thunder, best damn log ride ever built and the Galleon swinging pirate ship. Now even though I knew how to operate all rides, the front rides besides Kids World I sometimes had to work up front and while I worked there those years the front rides included The Sombreros, Indy 500 race cars, Electric Rainbow, Paratrooper, Dodgems, Flying Scooters, The Whip, Merry go Round, Haunted House #1, Skyride, Rock o Plane, Flying Coaster aka The Kangaroo and The Screechin Eagle rollercoaster. Such a shame that it is nothing more than a memory! We sure had fun, didn't we??
We certainly did! It's always great to hear from an employee of one of the amusement parks in my collection. As I mentioned in another reply, my late Father remembered riding the coaster as a teenager in Zanesville before it was moved to Lasourdesville Lake in 1939. I also remember the steel mill bottle train going by the front gate(before I could get to my camera). Thanks for your informative comment.
Fascinating! I didn’t realize there were two Haunted Houses. I remember one very fondly; I think it was a Bill Tracy classic with 2-person electric cars on a track in the dark with gags at most corners. Man, I wish there was a video or even photos of that.
@@mikepmarkey If my memory serves me, there was the Haunted House with buggies, but when I was very young, the Kookie Kastle was a walkthrough. I recall my brother falling down on the bridge that was over the spinning tunnel. There was a slanted room, and it had hand rails throughout it for people to keep balance. My neighbor ran the basket ball concession. In the storage area he had an easy chair and a small TV. He later went on to run a ice cream stand.
Thanks for sharing. This was one of our yearly school trips from Dayton. I used to love Americana from 1978 until 1984. Then we started going to Kings Island.
great video! loved going to Americana back in the day, had a lot of fun especially going over the lake. there were some monster carp living in the water. thanks for sharing , God bless you
The Americana looks like a fun place to go! Its amazes me that this park had drawn crowds up to 10,000 plus people in it's far heyday for it to go so few during the time which is sad 😥
worked here as a teen for a few summers 1985 I think games then following summer kiddie rides ALOT of great memories...met all kinds of terrific people.
Went there at about age 12 from WV ,I remember a old west town. Ride the train or cross the lake to get there and back to amusements, even had a working saloon with sarsaparilla, and a stage show with dancing girls. Still have a mug that says lesourdsviille lake with a cowboy pictured, don't know how long that lasted but never see it in any old film about the lake.
Thanks for sharing this! Man, do I miss this place. It was just so much easier to get in and out of than Kings Island. Not to mention, it was located in my hometown Middletown, OH. I loved when they would let you go twice if there was no one else waiting in line 😊
I went to Americana every year as a kid. I was there the day Elvis died. I remember they announced it over an intercom through the park. There were a lot of people crying.
WOW! So many fond memories of this iconic family park. I remember riding the Whip, The Green Monster and the screeching eagle. My favorite attraction there was California Bingo Fascination. Thanks for posting this and keeping great memories alive. :)
I loved lesourdsville ! That's what I'll always know it as , even though I went back while visiting ! And it was called Americana ! To me it will always be Le sourdsville ! I was born in 61 at Fort Hamilton Hospital ; I've been out in Tucson Arizona for 42 years now , and even Hamilton itself is like a ghost town to me now ! Lots of good memories ; Lots of crazy old memories ! but most people I know are gone some family in the Millville graveyard , and others who have moved away also ! There's almost no one left now that I knew ! I am in touch with a few who have also moved away from Hamilton ! Like an old ghost town , lots of things have been torn down or lots of things have changed ! Life Goes On ! Things always change ! May God forgive me for my sins- through Jesus ! So I can be eternally happy , just like when I was a kid at Le sourdsville!
@@vidwilzvids9587 Welcome , My heart is always in Hamilton ! The guys I played basketball with at Ross Jr. High , ended up winning the state championship for Ross High School in 1980 . Randy Smith is in the Ross Hall of Fame , as MVP and high scorer ! I like to think , I would have played pivotal role on that team ! God bless Hamilton all the way from Fairfeild (where my uncle lived) and Fisher Body (where my dad worked) , to Washington Blvd and Taft High School (where my cousins lived and relatives went to school) to Wolftang Ironworks (where my Grandpa worked) to Ross Middle school ( were me and my little brother went to school) from B Street to Champion Papers to Camp Campleguard from criminals like Glen Rogers and Rupert to celebrity's like Ray Combs and Joe Nuxall? God Bless that little- big town !
WOW talk about a trip back in time in it's "Hay Day" this park was packed every weekend. The thing that Killed it was Kings Island. The train that ran from the main mid way to the back of the park was a life saver it gave your feet a chance to rest while you rode it to other parts that was in the back like the Log Ride and a few places to get something to eat and drink and a few games. The single line rail road track that you crossed when you 1st came into the park was used for moving stuff from BOTH AK or Armco Steel in Middletown and the one In Hamilton. It was also used by the back then B&O Rail road and still used now under CSX.
Thanks for the info about the rail line that skirted the park. I remember wondering if those waiting in line to get in felt the heat of the bottle cars. A very friendly park manager on that day allowed me to get shots of the coaster from the top of the slide tower. Thanks again for the comment.
My notes didn't include a day date but I think I shot this on a Thursday or Friday in the morning on a very hot day. The crowds probably waited until evening. Thanks for the comment.
From what I remembered and I use to sneak in quite often it was pretty packed. Moreso mid 80s. After what, two fires and being sued by the Latins they hired for bad living accommodations, things never were the same. And then Kings Island released The Vortex...
When I worked there in '96 at the Larosas in the building in front of the park, I was always leaving early due to park attendance. Literally the only thing that kept this park going was school/church trips
Did anyone ever ride the Electric Rainbow that much? It looks like 1 whole person is on that thing. I remember going to Americana as a kid and it never seemed like there was a long line to ride it. From what I understand it stayed until the park closed in 2002...which makes me ask the question of why?
Those were popular with traveling carnival ride operators. I had a personal experience ON THE GROUND with one of those things that was so gross that I can't even describe it without losing my lunch. This was a ride for youngsters that liked to dare each other, many times with dire consequences. Thanks for the comment.
It is at Stricker's Grove now. We went there last year for my husband's company picnic. I rode it a lot as a kid, I feel like it was one ride even my mother would ride. Last year when we went to Stricker's, I rode it probably ten times. But I can't do it more than once in a row the way I used to. My kids LOVED it and I'm so glad they got to ride it.
My family and I made many trips to this park while I was growing up. I spent many weekends roaming around there. My mom loved The Great American Thrill Show. Would be fun to see footage of that. Does anyone else remember The Country Bear show that was near the train? It was an animatronic bear band similar to the one at Disney. I remember seeing it a few times as a kid, but later it seemed to be down quite a bit. I loved it and can't seem to find any info on it.
I saw the Disney one in Anaheim that was a copy of the one in Orlando. I didn't even know Americana Park had one. If the CB Jamboree shows (all 3, Anaheim, Orlando, and Tokyo) were built by Disney Animatronics, then, I'm assuming, the one at Americana had to be one of those. I often wonder if Knoebles got any rides from Americana. Thanks for the comment.
Interesting. It could have been that someone found a tape (or LP) copy of the whole show and built their own servo and solenoid "animatronics". I guess I just assumed that they came from Disney studios. A man by the name of Charles Jacquez wrote several books about traditional amusement parks and used to have loads of that kind of info. He was also a member of ACE back in the day.
@@ericgollahon6138 unfortunately that's not the case. We live near there and go often. In fact, I was just there this past week. The country bears are not on display. Now it is possible that they were purchased by Jungle Jim's, but I've never seen them on display.
Just another family-oriented traditional park that couldn't compete with the corporate theme parks. Sometimes the not-so-portable rides are bought and restored by modern parks; I don't know about this particular Tumble Bug.
@@vidwilzvids9587 yeah, Bear jamboree, and yeah it was the last building before the train stn. It was still running in 85 and 86, after that, not sure.
My mind is so at ease watching this. Love you dad thanks for taking us.
This brings back a lot of great memories. Like opening a time capsule. Thanks for posting!
This is a video that I shot like it was actually going into a time capsule. My father had ridden the roller coaster in his teens before it was moved from Zanesville to, then, Lesourdesville Lake in 1939. The management office allowed me to shoot from the closed slide tower. Thanks for your comment.
Brilliant footage of the Screeching Eagle ... RCCGB !! Best I’ve ever seen
Love the vid .. my first visit there was in 1982. My dad played music in that lil spot they had for concerts and shows. Kinda to the left side of the electric rainbow . I didn't get brave enough to ride the screeching eagle till the next summer or two. I went at least once every summer till about 91 or so. What a time . Thanks for the vid
miss this place so much! great video...brings back so many memories!
Thanks for the comment. Traditional amusement parks were like "Memory Islands" to me. I'm glad that I was able to record a few that have long since vanished.
Very nice! Thank you for sharing and this was the last year I worked at Americana. I started working at 12 years old doing the Crazy Critters since I was so tall for my age. I worked from 1980 to 1988 and did games, entertainment, Crazy Critters, and last did the rides. I was a lead ride operator knowing everything about every ride in the park. I had learned how to operate all the rides however I was assigned to the back part except Tombstone Territory aka Loggers Run. My ride area as a lead was over the Water Scooters, Speedway, Haunted House#2 aka Kookie Kastle, Antique Autos, The Giant Slide, Calypso, The Showboat, Space Combat, Bumper Buggies, Tilt a whirl, Trabant and both Trains. Sometimes I also had the very back Scrambler, Raging Thunder, best damn log ride ever built and the Galleon swinging pirate ship. Now even though I knew how to operate all rides, the front rides besides Kids World I sometimes had to work up front and while I worked there those years the front rides included The Sombreros, Indy 500 race cars, Electric Rainbow, Paratrooper, Dodgems, Flying Scooters, The Whip, Merry go Round, Haunted House #1, Skyride, Rock o Plane, Flying Coaster aka The Kangaroo and The Screechin Eagle rollercoaster.
Such a shame that it is nothing more than a memory! We sure had fun, didn't we??
We certainly did! It's always great to hear from an employee of one of the amusement parks in my collection. As I mentioned in another reply, my late Father remembered riding the coaster as a teenager in Zanesville before it was moved to Lasourdesville Lake in 1939. I also remember the steel mill bottle train going by the front gate(before I could get to my camera). Thanks for your informative comment.
Fascinating! I didn’t realize there were two Haunted Houses. I remember one very fondly; I think it was a Bill Tracy classic with 2-person electric cars on a track in the dark with gags at most corners. Man, I wish there was a video or even photos of that.
@@mikepmarkey If my memory serves me, there was the Haunted House with buggies, but when I was very young, the Kookie Kastle was a walkthrough. I recall my brother falling down on the bridge that was over the spinning tunnel. There was a slanted room, and it had hand rails throughout it for people to keep balance.
My neighbor ran the basket ball concession. In the storage area he had an easy chair and a small TV.
He later went on to run a ice cream stand.
I went to both parks when I was younger. It had a animal park beside it called Fantasy Farm. My school trips went to both.
I think that place was excellent for school trips. Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for sharing. This was one of our yearly school trips from Dayton. I used to love Americana from 1978 until 1984. Then we started going to Kings Island.
It seemed like an ideal atmosphere for school kids.Thanks for the comment.
great video! loved going to Americana back in the day, had a lot of fun especially going over the lake. there were some monster carp living in the water. thanks for sharing , God bless you
Thanks for your kind comment.
The Americana looks like a fun place to go! Its amazes me that this park had drawn crowds up to 10,000 plus people in it's far heyday for it to go so few during the time which is sad 😥
Such a shame it's not there anymore, but the memories remain, thank you,for sharing your video
You are very welcome. My late Father rode this coaster as a teenager before it was moved here from Zanesville Ohio in 1939.
Omg I miss this place so much. That was the last year I went too. Brings back so many memories
That was my one and only visit to the park and I still remember the hot day and the nice people that worked there.
vidwilzvids It was such a wonderful place. I miss parks like that. They're just not the same anymore.
I miss this park so much😭 Thank you for posting this video. So many memories
Thank you for posting this. spent many summers here. LOVED this place.
Thank you!! This brought back the BEST memories of going to this place as a child with my parents...loved this!!
Thank you for the comment; I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Shame that there isn't any footage of Americana at night. The Calypso and Electric Rainbow was such a sight to see.
I agree; Thanks for the comment.
Great video. We were season pass holders back in those days. Fun times!
So many memories of this place❤
Thanks for uploading
worked here as a teen for a few summers 1985 I think games then following summer kiddie rides ALOT of great memories...met all kinds of terrific people.
Went there at about age 12 from WV ,I remember a old west town. Ride the train or cross the lake to get there and back to amusements, even had a working saloon with sarsaparilla, and a stage show with dancing girls.
Still have a mug that says lesourdsviille lake with a cowboy pictured, don't know how long that lasted but never see it in any old film about the lake.
Thanks for sharing this! Man, do I miss this place. It was just so much easier to get in and out of than Kings Island. Not to mention, it was located in my hometown Middletown, OH. I loved when they would let you go twice if there was no one else waiting in line 😊
Was here once during a tornado. My brothers got stuck on the rollercoaster and watched the tornado circle the park.
Thanks for the comment.
I'm impressed by the POV camera work. Nice job !
Thank you very much. I designed an outrigger handle for it so that I could hold it with both hands.
This was a great park when it was Lesourdsville Lake
I went to Americana every year as a kid. I was there the day Elvis died. I remember they announced it over an intercom through the park. There were a lot of people crying.
WOW! So many fond memories of this iconic family park. I remember riding the Whip, The Green Monster and the screeching eagle. My favorite attraction there was California Bingo Fascination. Thanks for posting this and keeping great memories alive. :)
Alot of good memories ty for sharing
I'm glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for the comment.
Grew up in this park. Great memories. I still remember the chicken that played tic tac toe. 😂
I loved lesourdsville ! That's what I'll always know it as , even though I went back while visiting ! And it was called Americana ! To me it will always be Le sourdsville ! I was born in 61 at Fort Hamilton Hospital ; I've been out in Tucson Arizona for 42 years now , and even Hamilton itself is like a ghost town to me now ! Lots of good memories ; Lots of crazy old memories ! but most people I know are gone some family in the Millville graveyard , and others who have moved away also ! There's almost no one left now that I knew ! I am in touch with a few who have also moved away from Hamilton ! Like an old ghost town , lots of things have been torn down or lots of things have changed ! Life Goes On ! Things always change ! May God forgive me for my sins- through Jesus ! So I can be eternally happy , just like when I was a kid at Le sourdsville!
Thanks for the comment.
@@vidwilzvids9587 Welcome , My heart is always in Hamilton ! The guys I played basketball with at Ross Jr. High , ended up winning the state championship for Ross High School in 1980 . Randy Smith is in the Ross Hall of Fame , as MVP and high scorer ! I like to think , I would have played pivotal role on that team ! God bless Hamilton all the way from Fairfeild (where my uncle lived) and Fisher Body (where my dad worked) , to Washington Blvd and Taft High School (where my cousins lived and relatives went to school) to Wolftang Ironworks (where my Grandpa worked) to Ross Middle school ( were me and my little brother went to school) from B Street to Champion Papers to Camp Campleguard from criminals like Glen Rogers and Rupert to celebrity's like Ray Combs and Joe Nuxall? God Bless that little- big town !
WOW talk about a trip back in time in it's "Hay Day" this park was packed every weekend. The thing that Killed it was Kings Island. The train that ran from the main mid way to the back of the park was a life saver it gave your feet a chance to rest while you rode it to other parts that was in the back like the Log Ride and a few places to get something to eat and drink and a few games. The single line rail road track that you crossed when you 1st came into the park was used for moving stuff from BOTH AK or Armco Steel in Middletown and the one In Hamilton. It was also used by the back then B&O Rail road and still used now under CSX.
Thanks for the info about the rail line that skirted the park. I remember wondering if those waiting in line to get in felt the heat of the bottle cars. A very friendly park manager on that day allowed me to get shots of the coaster from the top of the slide tower. Thanks again for the comment.
your very welcome
Wow thanks for the flashbacks ;)
Great job on the filming....
Man, thirty years ago and the place was already a ghost town? I can't believe it stayed open another fifteen years.
My notes didn't include a day date but I think I shot this on a Thursday or Friday in the morning on a very hot day. The crowds probably waited until evening. Thanks for the comment.
From what I remembered and I use to sneak in quite often it was pretty packed. Moreso mid 80s. After what, two fires and being sued by the Latins they hired for bad living accommodations, things never were the same. And then Kings Island released The Vortex...
When I worked there in '96 at the Larosas in the building in front of the park, I was always leaving early due to park attendance. Literally the only thing that kept this park going was school/church trips
@@dirtleg27 I remember my school did a trip there. I can't remember what year it was would have been late 80's early 90's
This is the coaster that was originally at Moxahala Park near Zanesville OH where I used to go as a child.
Went there a lot as a kid
I can see the bear country jubilee theater footage where the train is
Great video and damn bout what time does.
Thanks for the comment.
Sadly, all that remains of the rides is the Flying Scooter's frame.
This park has gone the way of many traditional parks in North America. Thanks for the comment.
The good old days when everyone was slightly innocent and not dressed like skanks.. I miss the innocence.
If you're yearning for the good old days, just turn off the air conditioning. ~Griff Niblack
Remener coming here with my now deceased Aunt and Grandma in 1990. It was boring but still one of many great memories.
Did anyone ever ride the Electric Rainbow that much? It looks like 1 whole person is on that thing. I remember going to Americana as a kid and it never seemed like there was a long line to ride it. From what I understand it stayed until the park closed in 2002...which makes me ask the question of why?
Those were popular with traveling carnival ride operators. I had a personal experience ON THE GROUND with one of those things that was so gross that I can't even describe it without losing my lunch. This was a ride for youngsters that liked to dare each other, many times with dire consequences. Thanks for the comment.
I loved the Rainbow. Was a fun ride. We used to try to lift it leg or arms up when it was spinning. Was hard to do. Good times back then.
It is at Stricker's Grove now. We went there last year for my husband's company picnic. I rode it a lot as a kid, I feel like it was one ride even my mother would ride.
Last year when we went to Stricker's, I rode it probably ten times. But I can't do it more than once in a row the way I used to. My kids LOVED it and I'm so glad they got to ride it.
My family and I made many trips to this park while I was growing up. I spent many weekends roaming around there. My mom loved The Great American Thrill Show. Would be fun to see footage of that. Does anyone else remember The Country Bear show that was near the train? It was an animatronic bear band similar to the one at Disney. I remember seeing it a few times as a kid, but later it seemed to be down quite a bit. I loved it and can't seem to find any info on it.
I saw the Disney one in Anaheim that was a copy of the one in Orlando. I didn't even know Americana Park had one. If the CB Jamboree shows (all 3, Anaheim, Orlando, and Tokyo) were built by Disney Animatronics, then, I'm assuming, the one at Americana had to be one of those. I often wonder if Knoebles got any rides from Americana. Thanks for the comment.
@@vidwilzvids9587 It wasn't a Disney version, it was a generic version. That's why it's so hard to find info on it.
Interesting. It could have been that someone found a tape (or LP) copy of the whole show and built their own servo and solenoid "animatronics". I guess I just assumed that they came from Disney studios. A man by the name of Charles Jacquez wrote several books about traditional amusement parks and used to have loads of that kind of info. He was also a member of ACE back in the day.
I read where the Country bears were purchased by and on display Jungle Jim's in Fairfield ohio
@@ericgollahon6138 unfortunately that's not the case. We live near there and go often. In fact, I was just there this past week. The country bears are not on display. Now it is possible that they were purchased by Jungle Jim's, but I've never seen them on display.
May I use this footage in a video that I am making on if the park didn't close after the 2002 season? I'll be sure to give you full credit
I'm not really in a position to approve or disapprove; CZcams calls the shots about downloading.
SAD THIS PLACE DISSAPPEARD WHERE DID THE TUMMBLE BUG GO
Just another family-oriented traditional park that couldn't compete with the corporate theme parks. Sometimes the not-so-portable rides are bought and restored by modern parks; I don't know about this particular Tumble Bug.
any chance you have photos or video of the Bear show they had? I believe it was beside the Train Station
I think that had been shut down by this date. I remember reading that it came from another amusement park. Bear Jamboree? Was that the name of it?
@@vidwilzvids9587 yeah, Bear jamboree, and yeah it was the last building before the train stn. It was still running in 85 and 86, after that, not sure.
Life after people made me pull this up
Does that mean you liked it?
vidwilzvids yes
Wish they would have never closed