Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Jul 23 - Visiting Playland Amusement Park**

Sunday, July 23, 1972 - Page 205
LOCATION: Chicago

Playland Park opened in the 1950s in the unincorporated area of Willow Springs which is now called Justice, Illinois. After a history of serious customer injuries, it closed in 1979 to be replaced by a mobile home park.
Old Black and White photo of Playland Park in Justice, Illinois
Playland Park in Justice, Illinois
From CHICAGO TRIBUNE NEWS
Playland beloved by kids, but injuries led to its closing
June 12, 2009

Rick Symonds, who was a firefighter in Justice during Playland's tenure, remembers his department being called to the park regularly to deal with accidents and injuries. One ride in particular, the Mad Mouse, seemed to be problematic because it didn't have the safety precautions you'd see in amusement park rides today, said Justice Village Trustee Michael Murray, who has lived in the community for 42 years.

"It wasn't very big news when there was an injury," Murray said. "Somebody would get hurt and the fire department would get called."

But lawsuits from those accidents made it hard for Playland to stay afloat. When a developer offered to buy the property to expand the neighboring mobile home park, the owner agreed, Murray said.

(9:40 PM 7/29/1972)
Me, Ken, Sue, Mark, Mary Ann, Bob, Kathy & Larry went to Playland in two cars -- Me, Lar, Ken, & Kath in one -- the rest in the other. Our two gangs stayed separated in Playland, and elsewhere that night. We drove around for a while, along Lake Shore Dr. and elsewhere. Got back about 11:00 -- During the day Ken B. was over for dinner, then he & Peg went out. They got arguing, and Ken got mean. She's been trying to break up with him sporadically for years -- it's a very strange relationship. Typical.

Mark, in the morning, was infuriated at "The Kid from California." He was planning various ways to do away with me -- but Sue talked with him and calmed him down. As I learned from Sue in an "enlightening conversation" Wednesday, other enemies I'd created were Larry (who was on Mark's side), Kathy (who doesn't like anybody), and Ron (who's a nice guy but doesn't like my relationship with Sue). Most of this has changed as of now -- the 29th. I'm not exactly certain of my position here -- I'll be leaving the first week of Aug, I guess.
Copy of a letter asking for money from Home
The following songs was heard often during 1972. They always made people happy and provided an appropriate soundtrack for the summer.

Saturday in the Park (1972) plus
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is? (1969)
Chicago logo
TOMORROW: Ripley's Believe it or Not

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