THE ARCH

TENT-DWELLERS THRIVE AT EUCLID BEACH PARK

Reprint of an article that appeared in The Arch, Euclid Beach Park Now’s quarterly newsletter, Volume 12, Issue 2 & 3, Winter & Spring 2001. Author, Winsor French from the early 1950's. (Submitted from the collection of Rudy Nagode).

The late Rudy Nagode was a member of Euclid Beach Park Now and an amateur historian who resided in Euclid, Ohio. During his lifetime he collected photographs and newspaper articles of Euclid and Cleveland's Collinwood Neighborhood.

Winsor French wrote a society column for the Cleveland Press, a Cleveland newspaper which ended its circulation in 1982.

Almost as soon as the Humphrey family assumed control of Euclid Beach Park, they operated a summer camping ground. Rentals were a mere pittance and entire families spent their vacations on the shores of Lake Erie, housed in tents shaded by towering elms, maples, and pines. Many of these tents were enormous, containing several bedrooms, a living room, and of course, cooking utilities.

A four-room tent, for example, may be had for $4 a day, $25 a week or $220 the season and comes equipped with two double beds, camp rest chairs, chiffonier, clothes tree, dining table and chairs, gas stove for cooking, free gas and electricity, icebox, wash stand and dish cupboard. Try and top that, Cape Cod.

As to the cement cottages, they may be rented for six-month periods for $300 or $325, depending on size.

Scroll down to view a postcard image of the cement cottages

From the Euclid Beach Park Now Archives

Extra equipment, incidentally, can be rented at nominal rates – such things as cots, bedding dishes and cooking utensils. I should also hasten to add that the same rigid rules and regulations apply to the camps as to the park itself, No dogs are allowed, and anyone caught reeling home through the darkness would most certainly be dispatched from the grounds without delay. Rules or not, however, as many as 1500 persons are apparently willing to abide by them.

The trailer camp was something the Humphreys never expected nor particularly wanted to develop. Matter of fact it was more or less thrust upon them by the Government as means of finding added housing for defense workers during World War II. Once established, it remained a fixture and with space renting at $7.50 a week it became a money-making venture.

The following is taken from the book “Euclid Beach Park is closed for the season.” Copyright 1977 Amusement Park Books, Inc. which is: Lee O. Bush, Edward C. Chukayne, Russell Allon Hehr, Richard F. Hershey. Published by Dillon/Liederbach Inc.

The Thirties marked the appearance of a phenomenon now familiar to the American scene; the house trailer or mobile home appeared. At the Euclid Beach CAMP GROUNDS a TRAILER “PARK” was established (which still stands) with many such vehicles forming a veritable community. Seventy families called the trailer park “home” in the year 1948. Previously to World War II, the trailer camp facilities were open only during the summer season, but as the war progressed and housing was needed in industrial communities, the Humphrey Company announced that the trailer park would remain open year round providing additional living space for war workers. In 1948, there were one hundred sixty tent dwellings which together with the permanent citizens, increased the summertime population to fifteen hundred people.

This last statement from: John Cleary, “Strictly Business”, newspaper article (no name of source), May 1948.

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2022, 2nd Quarter Article, April, May, & June

TENT-DWELLERS THRIVE AT EUCLID BEACH PARK

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