The Capital Beach
Lincoln's early version of a Worlds of Fun was the Capital Beach. Nothing near as elaborate but a great amusement park. It's gone now. There is nothing left on the former site to testify that it ever existed.
Historical Background - Capital Beach
The information is from a book by James L. McKee, Remember When . . . Memories of Lincoln.
The present site of Lincoln was once an inland sea and salt marsh which supplied salt for wagon trains and local settlers. In the 1880's salt manufacturing was abandoned.
About 1890 a dam was constructed on Oak Creek re-flooding the marsh as a salt lake of over 1000 acres with a depth of 6 to 7 feet. The park was named Burlington Beach. The lake boasted a 50 passenger excursion steamboat called the Belle of the Blue. A dance hall and meeting pavilion was constructed southwest of the lake.
In 1906 the park was sold and renamed Capital Beach. The midway was added. Bob and I remember rumors that someone was killed on that Roller Coaster. It was also rumored that there was quick sand in the lake. In 1917 the park was sold to W. H. Ferguson who added the salt water swimming pool in 1926, a movie theater in 1934, and Kings Ballroom in 1937
The Capital Beach I Remember
The midway consisted of the Merry Go Round, The Bug (a small roller coaster), Ferris Wheel, Octopus, Dodgem, a Spook House, and in later years the Miniature Train, and Kiddy Land. There was the salt water swimming pool, a skating rink, Fun House, Penny Arcade with some of the types of games you would find today at a Chucky Cheese's minus the video games, a park and picnic area, Beer Garden, Kings Ballroom and Speedway Motors Stock Car Race Track.
Yes, it's all gone now. But I get to at least share my memories of the great times at the Capital Beach which span 20 years of my life. How I wish the Beach could have lasted a couple of decades more so I could have shared those rides with my own kids and my grandkids.
In the 1940's
To supplement his teacher's salary, Daddy worked for many summers at the Capital Beach. He started out being the "Merry Go Round Man." As little girl, I loved to ride the Merry Go Round. Mom wrote about one trip to the Beach in my baby book. I was riding on the Merry Go Round with the music playing as I went up and down and round and round. Suddenly the music stopped and, since I was never shy, I hollered, "Turn on the radio!"
When the Miniature Train was built, Daddy took the job as the engineer. The Train started at the Midway and ran clear down to where the old lake used to be and back around by the swimming pool.
One of the best memories is when I got to go with Daddy when he went to work at the Beach. I would climb on the back of his put put and away we would go. The swimming pool was open earlier than the rides, so I would go swimming. Salt water pool, sandy beach, it was my Heaven. I would swim until the rides opened. All I had to do was pick out a ride, tell the ticket seller, "My daddy works here." and I had a free ticket to ride. The down side was Mom and Dad considered me too young to go into the skating rink or on the Dodgem Cars.
In the 1950's
Mary Jo and I spent some great times at the Beach. We loved riding the train for awhile, jumping off, exploring, and getting back on when the train made its next circle. Mary Jo loved to get stopped at the top of the Ferris Wheel but I yelled at her when she wanted to rock the seat. Finally I could go on the Dodgem cars and skate at the Skating Rink.
Outside of our time in the swimming pool, the Fun House was the best. As you entered the Fun House, you were welcomed by air machines designed to blow up the skirts of unsuspecting females. Guys loved to bring their dates to the Fun House. (This was the 1940's and 50's, girls still wore skirts on dates.)
A slide made of wood and about two stories high and 30 feet wide offered danger and thrills. You had to sit on a gunny sack to avoid floor burn. Down you went with a dip in the middle that could send you flying and into a spin before you landed in the sand pit at the bottom. Had it been my choice, I don't think I would have ever tried that slide. But if Mary Jo could do it so could I. And down we went screaming and laughing.
For more thrills, we would scramble onto the saucer, a large wooden circular ride. We would try to get as close to the middle as possible. As the saucer spun around faster and faster, eventually we would go flying off into the sand pit around the outside. Other attractions were the Barrel of Fun, Ocean Waves, and Crooked House. They were kind of tame compared to the slide and the saucer.
It was in the 1950's that I have memories of Speedway Motors, the stock car race track at the Beach. Those memories will be for another time.
In the 1960's
The Capital Beach officially closed and was sold to Commonwealth Savings Company in 1961. The midway and buildings were all removed and replaced by a housing development. The pool did remain open for a few years. Bob actually agreed to go swimming with me on one of our dates in 1960. The pool did stay open long enough for me to take Cindy and Robbie along with some of the neighbor kids to swim in the salt water and play in the sand. Yes, it's gone but the memories live on.
