Freedomland: 1960-1964

By Robert McLaughlin

Freedomland opened on June 19, 1960, in the Baychester section of the Bronx, New York. Historically themed attractions and costumed cast members were located throughout the seven sections.

Designed by Marco Engineering of Los Angeles for International Recreation Corporation, it was the third and largest innovative theme park built across America to mimic Disneyland. Constructed in the shape of the United States and presenting 200 years of American history, Freedomland was intended to be both exciting and educational. In addition, Freedomland offered national and local stars, big bands, and daily entertainment events. Professional character actors also worked throughout the park. Through photographs, Freedomland: 1960-1964 takes a tour of all seven sections of Freedomland and more. Although it was open for just five seasons, the park's guests and cast members were fortunate to have their very own "Disneyland of the East."

• Language: English
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing
• Release date: Mar 2, 2015
• ISBN: 9781439650080

Robert McLaughlin

Robert McLaughlin has an avid interest in theme park history. He is also the author of Pleasure Island, Boston's own former Disneyland of the East. Frank R. Adamo started at Freedomland as a heavy equipment operator and moved on to management positions for the life of the park. Adamo was also in charge of dismantling Freedomland. It is Adamo's extensive photograph collection and his collective involvement with Freedomland that made this book possible.

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collection.

INTRODUCTION

Throughout this book, there will be a number of dates mentioned. The date March 24, 2000, is the one that connected the author to Freedomland. At a local antique show in Wakefield, Massachusetts, on that evening, the author purchased nine Pleasure Island postcards. After asking a friend to enlarge them, they were posted on the local town information stations along a walking path around Lake Quannapowitt. That was the unofficial start of the Friends of Pleasure Island. Early research connected Pleasure Island to Denver’s Magic Mountain and New York’s Freedomland. Images of America books Pleasure Island and Freedomland were released for the 50th anniversary of each park, with Pleasure Island in 2009 and Freedomland in 2010. Arcadia Publishing rolled out a new series called Images of Modern America with color photographs in January 2014. Pleasure Island 1959–1969, released on June 30, 2014, was the first book in the series to be released in New England. Due to a wealth of additional information and images, it is my pleasure to introduce Freedomland 1960–1964 as part of the Images of Modern America series.

The reason for dedicating this book to C.V. Wood, sometimes referred to as C.V. Wood Jr. or Woody, is simple. Without him and his company, Marco Engineering of Los Angeles, there would not have been a Freedomland. Wood was born in Wood County, Oklahoma, in 1921 and raised in Amarillo, Texas. By 1950, he was director of the Los Angeles Division of Stanford Research Institute. In 1953, Walt Disney Productions commissioned the institute to create a comprehensive feasibility study titled An Analysis of Location Factors for Disneyland. The project manager was 32-year-old C.V. Wood. Site locations for the Disneyland park were narrowed down to four locations: the Ball Road Subdivision, Willowick Country Club, La Mirada, and the Leo Harvey site. After reviewing several factors, the Ball Road Subdivision, which consisted of 17 individual parcels, was the location chosen for the construction of Disneyland. Harrison Buss Price was the study’s project leader. Readers interested in economic research for the leisure industry should check out Price’s book Walt’s Revolution! By the Numbers (Ripley Entertainment, 2004). Price continued, through his company, to consult for the Disney organization for projects such as the 1964–1965 New York World’s Fair and in helping choose sites for the Orlando and Tokyo parks.

Wood’s relationship with Walt Disney was another matter. Wood was hired by Walt and Roy Disney as Disneyland’s executive vice president. Wood worked in that capacity, getting Disneyland from the drawing board to opening day on June 17, 1955. Within months of Disneyland’s opening, Wood, for reasons unknown to this author, was permanently separated from the Disney organization. Involved in the infancy of the theme park business, namely Disneyland, Wood took his knowledge and his Rolodex contacts and started Marco Engineering to provide market research, design, engineering, and construction knowledge to the leisure industry. Wood hired away several Disney employees, including set designers, special effects personnel, artists, and other talents for his new company. Wood had the playbook and talent and, using the Disneyland model, created theme parks for willing investors. Reportedly, Wood was planning 20 such parks throughout North America. Wood’s company’s first project was Magic Mountain, just west of Denver, Colorado, and the second project was Pleasure Island, just north of Boston, Massachusetts. These parks will be discussed in chapter 1.

On April 27, 1959, Disneyland, Inc., and Walt Disney Productions filed a petition in superior court seeking a court order to secure testimony from C.V. Wood and the Marco Engineering Company, Inc. The petition sought to stop Wood from representing himself as Disneyland’s master planner and to stop Wood and Marco Engineering from using Disneyland’s trademarks or name in promoting Marco-designed theme parks. There were other issues in the petition as well. This may explain why C.V. Wood’s name does not appear on any of the Disney Parks’ Main Street windows. Despite the legal issues, both Marco-designed parks, Pleasure Island and Freedomland, opened as scheduled. In 1957, Milton T. Raynor, Peter De Met, Herbert Lee, and Robert Linnell (who was representing Boston’s Cabot, Cabot & Forbes) met with C.V. Wood in Miami, Florida, to discuss the concept for Freedomland and what would become International Recreation Corporation (IRC).

Fast-forward to May 25, 1959. Wood and others held a press conference at the Empire State building to announce the Disneyland of the East, Freedomland—the World’s Largest Entertainment Center. Pleasure Island in Boston, opened within less than a month of the