Nantasket Boats to Paragon Park
What memories this thread brought back...hope it re-awakens and others contribute once again.
In the summers of 1944 thru 1946 I worked on the boats that ran from Rhowes Wharf to the beach as a deck hand and later ran the concession stand. We made two and a half trips a day with some stops at Hull Gut and Pemberton. We would tie up one evening at the beach and the other in Boston. My grandmother was a cook on the boat so, even with wartime shortages, I ate real good. When at the beach we always went to Paragon or walked the beach. I remember well the frozen custard that tasted so good!
It was quite a life for a kid in his early teens, I was 13 in '44. Because we had to pass thru the submarine nets protecting the harbor during each trip all the crew had to be registered with the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine authorities and carry special ID. All of us who were so young acted like the "**** of the walk". We were hired so young as all the older guys were off fighting the war.
I remember well the evening that Japan surrendered. We were just pulling into the dock in Nantasket and heard all the horns and bells ringing. We were given the night off and there were parties everywhere. Lots of girls even for a youngster like me.
Another vivid memory was Ted Williams bringing small groups of kids down to Paragon when the Red Sox were not playing. He paid for everything but when the Boston press found out about it Ted stopped as he did not like publicity and the newspaper reporters always
bothered him.
I last visited the beach area in 2006 during a trip back to the Boston area. It was nothing like I remembered from 60 years earlier. Sad to see what time erases.
memories of paragon park,,,,
:thumbsup: sure had a lot of memories of paragon park back in the 70s , sure was a nice place to go for the day and was sad to see it close down and see it was replaced with condos , the park is still in our minds and hearts and will remain there , not many parks around any more , like that one and revere beach as well and up in salsbury beach. i have moved from the boston area out to arizona , but just wanted to look up some things i did when i was a kid and was so glad to found this on here. thanks so much. Joe,,
Nice memories of Nantasket Beach
We still have some old photos of Paragon Park and post cards. Not a lot, but enough, that it helps remind us of the fun we used to have there. I wish more intercotee's would find this thread so they can comment on it. If you look Hull/Nantasket up on line, there are tons of photos. It's great. We are truly blessed to living in such a wonderful community. Keep it going.:cloud9:
Nantasket Boats --the Wilson Line
Thanks, you have jogged this old brain...The Boston Belle ran to Provincetown, the others, I think, made up the local fleet although I believe only two were constantly in use as fuel was in short supply. I worked on the Nantasket or the Miles Standish. I think the others were held in reserve, tied up at the boat landing at the beach. I recall we always docked on the left side as you came into the beach and there was one tied up on the other side of the long dock and there was another on the left side of Rowes Wharf. We always docked or tied up at the harbor end ot the wharf. I did find a couple of postcard repro shots of the Nantasket but none of the Miles Standish. There was one of a Belle but it was a later, more modern, vessel than the one I was on. Great memories this site has brought from the depths of my mind....