Tamsin Park Revisited – Part 1

Vintage Postcard

It’s been about twenty years since Tamsin Park closed, but it lives on in the pleasant memories of the people who camped there. The privately-owned campground was located in Peninsula, Ohio on the old alignment of Ohio State Route 8, near the Ohio Turnpike interchange.

“Memories of Tamsin Park,” a five-part series here on the blog from 2015, continues to elicit comments that are conversational in nature. People reminisce not only about the park, but also their fellow campers, mutual friends, and even the park owners and staff.

I’ve assembled some additional Tamsin Park newspaper articles and postcards since my original blog posts, and present them here for the enjoyment of anyone who ever picnicked or camped there.

Here’s an early article from the Plain Dealer about Tamsin’s transition from being just a picnic grounds to also including family camping. It ran on June 10, 1961.

The Akron Beacon Journal used to run a column entitled ‘Good Afternoon,” written by Francis B. Murphey. It was a collection of small news items about the surrounding communities. Tamsin Park was featured many times.

This snippet from the July 25, 1963 column mentions some of the park’s new color postcards.

Here’s the Deer Lick Meadow postcard mentioned in the clipping.

An article in the Plain Dealer on June 10, 1965 praises Tamsin Park as "one of the best" campgrounds in the Cleveland area.

Another article in the Plain Dealer praises Bob Kruty’s management of the camping operation at Tamsin. It ran in the paper on June 18, 1970.

This October 21, 1971 piece from the “Good Afternoon” column in the Akron Beacon Journal highlights the Conestoga-style wagon rides there were available at Tamsin Park that upcoming weekend.

And here's the same oxen on a Tamsin postcard (below). The back of the card reads, “THE INDIAN MILL at TAMSIN PARK. Each Fall the Urbank Family takes children for rides through Tamsin Park in their hand built covered wagon. Oxen and Pioneer dress create a scene from yesterday."

Here’s another “Good Afternoon” column piece, this one from the July 23, 1972 Akron Beacon Journal. It mentions the return of a 7-foot wooden Indian that had been stolen from the porch of the Indian Mill at Tamsin Park’s entrance.

Here’s the unnamed Indian at his post in front of the Indian Mill. 

The back of the postcard reads, "THE INDIAN MILL. This rustic 140 year old building is an Ohio Landmark. Inside is the Largest Collection of American Indian Art in the Mid-West."

The postcard also notes that “Children love to play with Indian Joe while their parents stroll through the store.”

Here’s Joe on another vintage postcard.

Be sure to stop back here tomorrow, Campers, as I fold up the tent on this return visit to Tamsin Park.