centralia sentinel newspaper centralia il

Centralia sentinel newspaper centralia il driver#

Centralia sentinel newspaper centralia il driver#

Firecrackers were hidden throughout the park area and the surge of youths trying to locate the firecrackers was much like today's Bister Egg hunt.Ĭentralians also watched a mock stage coach robbery at White City when hard-riding 'robbers,' complete with masks and guns, stopped a stage coach and relieved the driver of his money box. Hundreds of Centralia boys raced for firecrackers the Sunday before the Fourth of July. A modem grandstand was built and top teams were drawn to Centralia to meet the powerful White Sox. As baseball became a major Sunday entertainment, White City took over. One woman teeth chattering, managed eight minutes and the management magnanimously gave her the pass anyway. A promise of a season's swimming pass was offered anyone who could sit on a 300-pound of ice dropped in the water. A greased pole with a ham hanging from the top was another attraction that kept swimmers busy on the hot days. A water polo team was formed and matches were well attended. In 28 days, 10,000 patrons paid to swim in the pool and White City owners, in a burst of showmanship which would make any promoter envious, had special days for the swimmers. Centralians flocked to White City to beat the summer heat and in a week 's time more than 50 women learned to swim. it of ca-r-etc, Dei floor and wa.is, and t)30 gallons of water were needed to fill the pool. One of the most popular attractions was the i pool. Ed List and Harry Warner, early managers of the amusement park, brought to Centralia facilities almost unheard of for a com- jimunity of this size. Thousands of Centralians made the excursion to White City daily to take advantage of its recreation facilities. White City was originally Columbia Park and the date for the change of names is lost in history.

Langenfeld's transit line furnished transportation for Centralians to White City in the pre-aufo era around the turn of the century. The late John Langenfeld remembered the park as an attractive place with white fence and bright signs. The park contained such attractions as vaudeville, swimming pool, baseball park, concerts, skating rink, dance ball and bandstand. White City Park Was Major Entertainment 50 Years Ago White City Park, located near the Crooked Creek in Central City, was the focal point for Centralian? a half-century ago.