Cedar Point Causeway Opens – June 1957

I found this article about Cedar Point, which appeared in the Lorain Journal on June 29, 1957 to be pretty fascinating – a glimpse of what the park was like that season. It was in a real transitional period; there weren't a lot of rides, the causeway (above) had just opened, Big Bands were still being booked for nightly dances, and hard as it may be to believe, the park's future was in real jeopardy.

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New Road Across Bay Now Open

SANDUSKY – Every year since the turn of the century Cedar Point summer resort has opened to the tub thumping of publicity men beating up a newer and better, and bigger season for the Lake Erie summer resort.

Such is the case this year, despite interpretations that the resort activities are at an end because of purchase of some of the land by Toledo building interests, and the state’s recent attempts at making a park buy.

The noisy merry-go-round, the rides typical of a summer resort, and the Hotel Breakers will be in operation, as will the beach.

The three Sandusky to Cedar Point ferries carry bathers from the hot city to the beach, and the long-established auto-toll road from Rts. 2 and 6 also is open.

Dan M. Schneider, leaseholder for the recreational area, has four years to go on his contract agreement and a Cedar Point as it has been known to millions of fun seekers will continue for that span, at least.

The resort opened on June 15, when the hotel started accepting guests.

The opening of the season also saw realization of a dream of the original founders hatched during the early automobile era. They wanted a short route from near Sandusky to the resort.

Two years of building has seen completion of a causeway across the eastern reaches of Sandusky Bay, only blocks from downtown, bringing the resort only 10 minutes from mid city. The two-and-a-half mile roadway opened June 15

The toll road was built by the Cedar Point Bridge Co. with an eye to the day when the peninsula may become a housing development, and for use as a ready access to the resort now.

The old road off Rts. 2 and 6 will be used my motorists entering from the east, the new approach can be used by traffic from the west.

The report on the season’s activities, in the words of Schneider, are: “June’s bookings are unusually heavy.”

The line-up of dance bands is:

June 29, Buddy Morrow; July 4, Glenn Miller orchestra under Ray McKinley; July 20, Hal McIntyre; July 27, Ernie Rudy; Aug. 3, Ralph Marterie; Aug. 10, Blue Barron; Aug. 17, Charlie Spivak; and Aug. 24, Pee WeeHunt.

Ohio bands booked include Bob Montgomery, July 6; Bus Widmer, July 13 and Vic Stuart, Aug. 31.

Lei Aloha and her Hawaiian trio will appear in the Tavern Terrace patio nightly throughout the season, which ends Labor Day.

Other diversions include moon-light cruises on Sandusky Bay and Lake Erie Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday nights; free round and square dancing five nights weekly in the Coliseum; and free movies every Monday.

Vaudeville and free circus acts have been scheduled and there are new attractions in the amusement section.

Tradition is not forgotten: there’ll be salt water taffy, jerky rides to the liking of amourous couples, weight guessers and games where a swain can win his best girl a Kewpie doll.