Ancestry Saturday: Yes, Grandpa Lived Under a Roller Coaster

A photo from http://idorapark.tripod.com/

Last week in this column, I recited my hunt for my fourth great grandmother's house, which I found is still around.  This week, it's closer generations but no less a mystery in the hunt for an ancestral house.

My great grandfather, Royal Platt, was part owner and general manager of the amusement park Idora Park in Youngstown, Ohio.  There's a debate about his time of service, but he clearly spent some time there from 1906 to 1929.  He was likely park manager from 1911 to, at least, 1921.

He owned a roller coaster, a carousel, a big band hall, and concessions.  He made his biggest fortune on popcorn, of all things.  He was a 24/7 guy when the Park was open.

And, apparently, he and his small family lived right there at the Park some summers--right under the roller coaster!

I know this factoid because my grandfather was interviewed in 1984 as part of research for a book on Idora Park.  He said, "[My Dad] had this two-room shack there that was painted real nice." My grandpa Dick described living underneath the Firefly roller coaster.

The Firefly would, later, be replaced by the Wildcat.

Some photos from 1999 on the fan website for Idora Park show a house fitting his description, right under the Wildcat.

Could this have been the house in which my grandfather and his parents lived?  Probably.  After all, how many people want to live under a roller coaster?



A photo from http://idorapark.tripod.com/

A photo from http://idorapark.tripod.com/