The post-title is part of a politically incorrect ad jingle from the 1950s/60s for a place that once made the hearts of little Chattanoogans beat faster, Lake Winnepesaukah. The billboard pictured is a little deceiving in that it gives the impression that Lake Winnie was just an ordinary swimming-boating-picnicking sort of lake.No, Siree. The thing about the place that put the ants in our pants was that it was a fabulous amusement park - an old fashioned, pre-Six Flags-Magic-Mountain-DisneyWorld kind of place with a Ferris Wheel and Merry-Go-Round and Bumper Cars. My personal favorites were the Scrambler and the Tilt-a-Whirl, with the Ferris Wheel and Swings close behind.
Lake Winnie was, and still is, most famous for the Boat Chute. It was the first ride constructed in the park and the first of its kind in the amusement park world. Now, growing up, we thought of the Boat Chute as just a place where teenagers went to make out - is that term still used? - because the boats traveled through a long, dark tunnel before climbing the "hill" and dropping into the water. Now that I think about it, it was probably a good thing that the couples got a little wash after the tunnel-gropings. Anyway. Talk about the Boat Chute was always accompanied by knowing winks. Well, as knowing as an 8-year-old can be about such things. Oh, and another thing about the Boat Chute - the tunnel was said to be crawling with snakes. Make-out, snakes, water splash. Didn't this break some sort of Southern morality code?
Never mind. A trip to Lake Winnie was the apex of ten or twelve of my summers. Schools got in on the act, too - our 6th and 9th grade picnics were held there. And as my dear 6th grade teacher can attest (I know you're reading this, Miss Rushlow), we were kept in line all year with the threat of denying us our end-of-elementary-school celebration at the park.
Wish I could find some good pictures of the old Lake Winnie, but I haven't found any online. Summer amusement park memories, anyone? Favorite ride? Favorite amusement park food (cotton candy, for me)?
Lake Winnepesaukah,
Lake Winnepesaukah,
Lake Winnepesaukah,
By gum.
You take-em your honey.
Don't need-em much money.
Lake Winnepesaukah for fun.
5 comments:
Try these: http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Lake+Winnepesaukah
Never say I don't provide a valuable service!
Oh... You said "OLD" pictures...
D'oh!
Mary--The boat chute was always my favorite one also...The "snake" story always worked especially with out of town girls. I did quite a few pictures for the Rhodes family who bought it back from some other owners before I got sick. They were the original owners , and wanted to bring back the family atmosphere to the park . I had the privilage of taking my grandson there when he was little. I can still hear the Wilburn Brothers singing that famous jingle.
The Wilburn Brothers! That's who sang the jingle - I'd forgotten.
And I think my 8th grade English teacher at Brainerd Jr. was somehow related to the family who owned Lake Winnie. We were always asking for free passes and he was always sneering at us. (He was a frustrated actor who'd had a bit part in Disney's "A Light in the Forest.") Hm. What was his name?
If I ever get grandchildren (no rush, Kate!), I think a jaunt to Lake Winnie will be in order.
Yes! I knew it started with an "S" but the only guy I could come up with was Mr. Sylar (music teacher), and I knew that wasn't right. Yikes! Mr. Sumner. Yes.
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