This is a photo of Bay Beach which appeared as a postcard circa 1950. You can see the the Royal Dance Hall/Bathouse was still in operation then. It later was subdivided into apartments and in 2006 after sitting vacant for several years a portion of it collapsed causing the building to be torn down though the concrete foundation remains today. To this day Bay Beach still draws this type of crowd on most warm sunny summer days.
This is a better photo of the Royal Dance Hall and Bathhouse. In the right side of the photo you can see the roof of the present day refreshment stand. You may also notice a thin inner tube being used by the young boy in the foreground of the photo which would seem to be from a 1930s vehicle.
This is an early photo of Crystal Beach taken in the 1910s. You will notice the two women walking on the beach in their bathing robes which was to cover their bare legs and arms. Modesty was very important in this time period.
The old Glasgow House on Derby Rd.
An early 1900s photo of a cottage some place in Crystal Beach
Winger's Meat Market was a family business located on Erie Rd. This photo appears to be from the beginning of the 20th Century. You will notice by the sign on the wagon that the Wingers not only sold from the store but also delivered their product in the local community.
A group of bathers circa 1920. Notice the cottages on the hill behind them.
This photo was taken at a studio in Crystal Beach sometime around the 1910-20 decade. You can notice the painted background of the Pier and the sand brought in and used in the studio to make the photo look like is was taken outdoors. This was a time when the average American or Canadian did not own a camera and so they had to rely on a studio for their photographs.
This photo was taken circa 1920 Notice the old bathhouse in the background.
A postcard of Crystal Beach in the 1910s.
This photo shows the beach as it was after WWII. The photo was taken from the bathhouse and shows a lifeguard tower, swing ride in the water that dated back to the 1930s, and a few tropical type structures to provide shade for those looking to get out of the summer sun. Off to the far left of the photo you can see Bay Beach and the Casino Bathhouse that was torn down in June of 2006.
This photo was taken at the beginning of the 20th Century on Derby Rd.
This is Derby Rd. two decades later.
The "Backety-Back" was the earliest of the roller coasters that was built in the park.
This photo was taken at the beginning of the 20th Century. Notice the pier in the background and the number of people that are on it. Also the slide directly behind them.
This photo also from the turn of the 20th Century shows the waterslide and what was to be called a toboggan run. The shot is taken from the rail of one of the ships bringing visitors to the beach.
A third view of the "water slide" and pier this time from the beach. By the dress of the people on the beach it would seem this was taken at the turn of the 20th Century. You can also see the Customs/Immigration booth on the Pier set up to check the passengers departing the in coming boats.
This is a photo of Crystal Beach looking toward the Pier. You will notice that there was a side walk running parallel to the lake and in front of the beachside cottages.
This is Crystal Beach circa 1910s. You can see in the background a large sign that reads "Notice To Bathers" and at the bottom there is a reference to Mentholatum which had facilities on both sides of the river.
This is another color postcard showing Crystal Beach sometime in the World War I era. You will notice most of the women depicted have long neck to ankle dresses showing the modesty of the time. Another interesting situation is that all four of the national flags shown seem to be American.
A group of Crystal Beach lifeguards in the 1960s.
These lovely ladies from 1910 are Kathryn Lawrence(top),Sophia Zink(bottom left)and Florence Dixon(bottom right).Kathryn lived on Alexandra here in Crystal Beach during the summers. Many may remember her as the woman who owned and ran the very popular Kathryn Lawrence Tea Room in downtown Buffalo.
Sophia Zink and her son Oliver J. on the beach in 1915. Notice the outfits of the people standing on the boardwalk in the background. Sophia was a long time resident of Maplewood Ave. where her relatives still live today.
This photo was taken on July 10, 1914 on Crystal Beach in front of the original pier. The outfits seem to indicate they may have worked in some capacity in the park or in one of the nearby hotels.
This advertisement appeared in one of the local papers promoting the opening of Crystal Beach in 1933.
Pat Zink and Jim Watt on the beach in 1943. They met at the beach, had their first date in the Crystal Beach ballroom and were married in 1945 when Jim returned from Japan after WWII.
Creating the Amusement Park
These photos were taken in 1922 of workers building the new amusement park in Crystal Beach. You can see that part of the sand hill had to be cut away to allow enough room for all the rides and buildings that were to be added. |
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