Whisper the word "carousel" to any Southern New Englander, and you will undoubtedly evoke a smile, a sentimental sigh, and fond memories of Carousel #54. Built by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company in 1920 during the "Golden Age" of wooden carousels, Carousel #54 was shipped from the City of Brotherly Love to North Dartmouth, Massachusetts, where it served as the crown jewel of Lincoln Amusement Park for seventy years.

The Fun House. The Comet. The Carousel. For decades these rides made Lincoln Park a fixture on the South Coast. A place where families congregated for wholesome entertainment, Lincoln Park attracted a laundry list of celebrity guests, including everyone from Eleanor Roosevelt to John F. Kennedy.

But in 1991 the park foundered, and as its owner flailed for capital to keep it afloat, a group of Fall River business leaders lobbied to bring the carousel to Battleship Cove. Much as they did for the battleship Massachusetts nearly thirty years before, the community rallied around the carousel and refurbished it at a cost of $250,000. A majestic Victorian pavilion was constructed to house the attraction; nearly as lavish as the carousel itself, the splendid structure now perches over Heritage State Park, offering panoramic views of the Battleship Cove fleet.

LINCOLN PARK REMEMBERED: The story of Lincoln Park--its creation, development, heyday and demise--is a unique example of Americana that helps us to understand the importance of community-based recreational facilities, family-oriented entertainment, and the cultural importance of a meeting place serving people from diverse backgrounds. Its existence, and its loss, is typical of a greater nationwide trend that saw the dissolution of small amusement parks.

Spinner Publications' Lincoln Park Remembered is a journey back to those unforgettable days and an important reminder of its value, containing hundreds of black & white and color photographs and scores of personal memories spanning nearly 100 years. The authors have presented the park's history in a documentary style combined with the drama and romance that marked its legendary life.

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