As I mentioned yesterday, the park had a rich, unique atmosphere tied in with American Indian culture that distinguished it from your average Mom-and Pop campground. The colorful, iconic totem pole, the Indian Mill with its collection of artifacts, and the Indian-themed park signage all contributed to a fun and memorable visit for kids.
Although we really weren’t that far from our home in Lorain, when we camped at Tamsin it felt like we were at a real National Park. The Ranger Station and the large, engraved sign at the park's entrance reinforced that feeling as well.
That sign is another one of those images that’s etched into my memory forever.
Anyway, here’s a June 1963 photograph (below) of Mom, my siblings and me in front of the totem pole seen on the postcards. We’re all wearing swimsuits, as well as hats for protection from the sun. You’ll note my brothers and I are wearing our Bar-X Ranch cowboy hats.
I'm the one wearing sunglasses.
Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at a vintage Tamsin brochure.
11 comments:
Cute trunks.
Do you remember the name of the Indian dancers that would come to the pow-wow at the end of the season? It was something like Olewanagi.
A bunch of their members lived in Brunswick and they used to practice at Estabrook recreation center in Cleveland during the late 60's. Wondering if they're still around.
I was a life guard from 65 until I went to VietNam, We lived outthere every summer starting in 62-63 Tamsin was a big part of my life growing up,I really miss it.Tom Jons was the oner at the time and my wife's family ran the concession stand late to early 70s. I have alot of pics be for they tore everything down. Joe Farris
Our family camped there also during the 70's. We were part of Top of Tamsin. I have alot of great memories from our time there. My grandparents and aunt and uncle along with other family memebers also camped there, some were season campers (we were) and some were not. I remember the oxen team coming in october, the indians every septemember and the dances that they had. When we first started camping Tom Jones owned the camp and lived in the house in front, then sold the park to Bob Kruty and turned the house into a museum of the indians and built the store in the front with the working water wheel.
My fatherinlaw made the sign Top O Tamsin sign they lived there in a 5th wheel. I helped build the gate, did you know the Way family? Cindy Stacy and Tammy and brother Dave.
thanks joe- I always thought dave landis made the TOT sign. great memories...
BTW- you left out little missy way....
Hi Tom - This is Cindy Way-Farris. You and Joe were both partially right! It was my Uncle,
Bill Landis who made the TOT sign and also did most of the other signs throughout the park. I grew up at Tamsin. I camped there from the early 60's until Joe and I got married in 1979. My parents stayed many years after that. I am touched that you remember our family's names! Please refresh my memory about who you are. Your name is not familiar to me, I'm sorry to say. Maybe I was too young to remember. I would have been 4 in 1963.
cindy: my real name is rob calabrese. we camped at site #20 from 65 to 71. i knew your brother dave and your cousin dave. i also knew joe and your bro-in-law john. saw an obit for joe's mom- so sorry! joe told me he would hire me as a lifeguard in 75, but i never heard back from him so i ended up being a lifeguard at the natatorium that year. after that i ran the bike shop at children's palace- remember that place? really fun place to work... i remember you and tammy, stacy, and missy, too. sorry about that- tom murphy is a networking pseudo. i'm also swimmerbob. my parents and i moved to orange county, california in 1980 and i've been here ever since. i am now a retired nissan dealer parts manager. my dad john passed away in 1997, my mom remarried and i just lost my stepdad, a great guy named dan heald. dan was a retired member of the original consolidated/general dynamics atlas rocket team- a real rocket scientist! how about that you and joe are together! he's an old man, now! just bustin your chops joe. my brother mark still lives in the falls on grant ave and has 3 great sons- still waiting for his first grandkids. my brother john has a great place overlooking laguna beach (main beach) and is enjoying his success- also awaiting some grandkids. he and bob kruty get together whenever they can and are still the best of friends. i am sworn to none except my 85-year-old mom, gretchen. we live together here in alpine, ca. (in the mountains east san diego county). we love it here, but miss your seasons, and of course we miss tamsin park and all the good friends we made there. ramblin gotta go- how's your dad dave? i've always admired him... rob
Look me up on facebook have pictures of the park after it closed. I'm only 68 two years in Viet Nam as a Marine engineer and cancer surviver. Joe Farris Thompson Ohio
so, joe, bob kruty sent my brother john some pictures from 2005 or so, and one of them shows the fountain of youth sitting there amongst open dirt and dozer tracks. that is one of the most depressing things i have ever seen. we were little kids running and playing around that thing. we made faces when we drank from it cuz it tasted so bad. my fam's trailer/camp was about 40 feet away from it. remember how tom jones always insisted on having a brilliant display of flowers around it? always beautiful, and weekenders were always stopping to snap a picture of it- one will eventually show up online somewhere. my dad used to think they were trying to get a picture of our camp. wow. rob
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