Review
Along the way, there are marvelous detours that prevent the book from being merely a recitation of dates and events.
The book also examines the cultural aspects of Lincoln Park, a place where regionalism flowered - was never forced - between residents of the Whaling City and the Spindle City. After all, it was the sacred grounds where they rode the Ferris wheel in childhood, roller skated in adolescence, courted in their teens, took in Golden Gloves bouts during young adulthood, danced at the annual Bishop's Ball and swayed to the sounds of the big bands as seniors in later years.
"[The book] makes you ride the roller coaster again," says editor Tracy Furtado. -- The Herald News, 9/1999
When the Spinner Publications staff set out earlier this year to create their latest book, Lincoln Park Remembered, they knew they would be able to find local people with memories of their experiences at the amusement park.
What they didn't expect, however, was the degree of sentiment remembering the park would evoke.
"We thought it would be a much smaller book, but people called in with hundreds of stories and sent us about 2,000 photographs. Our phone was ringing off the hook," said Tracey A. Furtado, who co-edited the book with Joseph D. Thomas and Marsha L. McCabe. "The book really became a great community project."
Lincoln Park began providing people with memories on July 4, 1894, and continued to do so until it closed in September 1987. The book captures the history and nostalgia of that time span, giving readers a feeling of the experiences of each generation of park visitors. About 450 photographs and movie stills were used in the book, many from private collection.
"Lincoln Park's memory is being well-served. People have really put their hearts into this," said Ms. Furtado. -- The Standard-Times, 9/23/99
