Taking a Stroll Down Memory Lane

Recently, while driving around the area looking for bits of history I may not yet have known about, I was disappointed to find that the old Weber house (which dated back to at least 1906) had been torn down.

All that was left were some were some old gateposts, a sidewalk, and a brick barbeque. This started me thinking about some the things from my youth that I considered landmarks and are no longer with us. I wanted to share some of those landmarks with you.

Maybe it will get you thinking, too.

Long before there was a Disney World or Six Flags available for the young and young at heart to go to for our "thrills," we in the Baltimore area had two unique places to visit for our entertainment. As kids, we could not wait for our visits to these parks.

The Enchanted Forest, which opened  in 1955 in Ellicott City would appear to be extremely tame compared to the rides at some of today’s theme parks, but hey, we were kids—what did we know? The thrill of viewing the nursery rhymes we grew up with come to life was all the excitement we needed at that age.

Seeing a life-sized Humpty Dumpty sitting on the wall, making a wish at the Wishing Well, or sliding down the slide inside the Old Lady in the Shoe was just plain fun. Sadly, very little remains from the park.

As we got a little older, nursery rhymes were just not enough to satisfy us. As pre-teens and teenagers we were just “too old” for The Enchanted Forest. We had our own place to go for exhilaration. Gwynn Oak Amusement Park was the “Kings Dominion” of its day.

I can vividly recall getting in line time after time to ride the “Wild Mouse," a mini roller coaster. The chance to pilot your own small gas-powered boat on the Gywnns Falls was unbelievable. The smell of the hot dogs, hamburgers and pizza cooking was indescribable. In my humble opinion, it was one of the best amusement parks I have ever attended.

All that is left now are the memories we have of the park. The park closed in 1972 after Hurricane Agnes dumped more than 10 inches of rain in the area, which led to the Gwynn Falls overflowing, flooding the park.

Long before enclosed malls were the popular places to shop, most residents of eastern Baltimore County traveled to Highlandtown to buy their clothing, appliances and other items.

One of the most unforgettable images I have from these ventures is the trip back home and waiting to catch a glimpse of a familiar site, which told me that we were getting close to home: a very tall, round tower, gray at the bottom with a well-known red and white checkerboard pattern at the top. The BGE gas storage tank stood next to the Eastpoint Mall for many years. Now all that remains of the tower are the pictures we can share with our children.

Change is sometimes a great thing; however, nostalgia is what drives my heart. I grew up in the fast food era and it is a big part of my life. McDonald's is the largest fast food chain in the world and I must admit that the “Dollar Menu Board” is one of my favorites.

I can still remember when the very first McDonald's appeared in Essex. The architecture of those early McDonald's was quite different from today’s stores. We did not walk into the door, stroll up to the counter to place our order, and then sit down at a table to eat.

The early McDonald's were small and simple white buildings with two gigantic golden arches on either side that began at the ground in the front of the building and stretched to the rear of the building. We got our burgers and fries, then sat at one of the stools outside of the building, or ate in our cars. I really miss those simpler times.

Lastly, I have a question for everyone. What ever happened to the “Essex Cube” near Middlesex? I will have to admit that when the first cube made its debut near the Back River Bridge, I thought it was one of the gaudiest things that I had ever seen.

Then when I heard how much the cube cost, I thought it was absolutely ridiculous. However, as time went by and a second cube was added near Middlesex much to my chagrin, they grew on me. They became just as much a part of me as they were to the local scenery. Where is it now? Alas, another landmark lost.

Next week, more fun with history! Keep reading Patch.