LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park was an amusement park located in Monroe, Ohio. Founded by Edgar Streifthau, the park originally opened in 1922 as a family picnic destination with swimming amenities. Throughout the 1940s, LeSourdsville Lake transformed into an amusement park with the addition of rides, attractions, and an arcade. The park was sold in 1961, and following heavy competition from nearby Kings Island, it was rebranded Americana Amusement Park in 1978. An electrical fire in 1990 caused over $5 million in damages and led to bankruptcy. The park continued to operate under several different owners before eventually closing in 1999.
Americana briefly reopened in 2002 under the original name LeSourdsville Lake, but the effort by new owner Jerry Couch was short-lived as the park failed to turn a profit. Remaining rides and attractions were either sold or later demolished. In 2017, the city of Monroe received a portion of the land to build a city park and regional bicycle trail, and another portion was sold to a local vocational school seeking to build a new campus location.
History Edgar Streifthau of Middletown, Ohio, opened LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park on May 8, 1922. Streifthau purchased a plot of land that formerly housed an ice manufacturing facility in the tiny village of LeSourdsville, and construction began in 1921. Streifthau and his business partner, Bill Rothfuss, built a bathhouse, a restaurant, dance hall and a bridge crossing the abandoned Miami-Erie Canal that passed through the property. They also constructed a concrete bottom in the man-made lake for swimming. Streifthau constructed the first of several "vacation" cabins surrounding the lake and platforms for camping tents. Streifthau's brother, Ernest, joined as a partner as Bill Rothfuss focused on his career at nearby ARMCO Steel (later known as AK Steel).
1930s Despite the onset of The Great Depression, Streifthau continued to expand the park's offerings. He expanded the bathhouse, installed a new parking lot, built the park's first office building, and imported over 1,000 tons of white sand for the beach. Admission prices, food prices and employee wages were cut. Just before the park was to open for the 1934 season, an accidental fire destroyed the bathhouse. Streifthau was desperate to rebuild a new bathhouse before the park opened in May. He went to the Middletown Lumber Company and solicited the assistance of a personable and talented draftsman, Don Dazey. On May 30, the park opened with a new bathhouse.
Dazey convinced Streifthau that dances could be successful without the fighting and melee that plagued the park in earlier years. Dazey constructed Stardust Gardens next door to the bathhouse. Bands such as Ray McKinley, Glenn Miller, the Dorsey Brothers and Stan Kenton graced the rich, maple wood floor to the delight of thousands of customers.
Dazey also solicited area companies to hold their picnics at the park and began an important tradition that continued until the park closed. Streifthau also added two toboggan water slides, a waterwheel, seven diving boards, and a high platform for diving. In 1939, Streifthau purchased a 1927 John Miller wooden coaster from Moxahalia Amusement Park in Zanesville, Ohio for $35,000. The coaster was rebuilt and named "The Cyclone."
1940s The 1940s represented an important decade for LeSourdsville Lake. The park became the "Miami Valley's Chosen Playground" and became the hottest entertainment spot during the summer months.
In 1941, the park added The Whip and a Ferris wheel to its thrill ride line-up. Bands appearing in the Stardust Gardens Ballroom included Eddie Kadle, Earl Holderman, Gene Roberts, Mary Marshall, Little Joe Hart, Eugene Jelesnick, Billy Snyder, Tommy Flynn, Billy Yates, Jimmy Scriber and Emerson Gill. The following summer, Carl Taylor, Lloyd Labrie and Michael Mehas joined the Stardust Gardens headliners. Streifthau also built a new front entrance and added a section of new midway near the entrance to The Cyclone.
After World War II, LeSourdsville Lake continued to grow and prosper. In 1947, two stream-lined trains were added to The Cyclone and a kiddie racing car ride was installed. On July 4, the park celebrated its largest one-day turnout in its history when 30,168 came through the front gate. Big bands popular in 1947 included, Barney Rapp, Jimmy Miller, Ches Walker, Les Shepard, Harold Greenanyer, Del Mason, Whitey Howard, Karl Taylor and Johnny Doom.
Major improvements were visible as LeSourdsville Lake opened its 1949 season. New rides for 1949 included a Rock-O-Plane. A state-of-the-art masonry building was constructed next to The Cyclone entrance. New rides and attractions included the Fun Parade, and a penny arcade. Big bands making appearances included Sammy Leeds, Whitey Howard, Tommy Robbins, Al Cassidy, Karl Taylor, Leo Pieper, Skitch Henderson, Jimmy James and Earl Holderman.
1950s The 1950s ushered in some changes for LeSourdsville Lake as the park's image began to decline from its peak the previous decade. Big bands that once graced the Stardust Gardens Ballroom throughout the week were now featured on weekends only. Streifthau renovated the bathhouse to accommodate the large number of swimmers the park serviced each year. The brick addition to the bathhouse also "provided a fire resistive baring at an amusement park.
New rides for 1951 included a Tilt-A-Whirl. By 1954, Streifthau was manufacturing his own line of turnpike cars in a partnership with Oxford, Ohio resident Frank Dodd. Kiddieland saw five new rides added, including a new steel coaster called the Jack Rabbit. In 1956, the Turnpike ride was built next to the Screechin' Eagle (formerly The Cyclone) roller coaster.
Streifthau and Dazey realized that more had to be done to modernize LeSourdsville Lake. Disneyland opened in 1955 to such rave reviews from the public that they expected other parks to become just as modern and clean. At Cedar Point, a multimillion-dollar renovation was under way by 1957 in an attempt to become the "Disneyland of the Midwest." Streifthau decided to take out a loan and initiate a multi-year improvement plan.
In 1957, a stone tower and fountain were constructed at the main entrance. Streifthau was ready to enter 1959 with a new vision. However, Dazey died in June 1959 of cancer. A local bank required Streifthau to immediately pay off the outstanding loan and he was forced to sell. He still owned 20 acres of land adjoining the park and he created a new, smaller theme park called Fantasy Farm.
1960s The 1960s ushered in a prosperity for the 40-year-old park. Former Cedar Point concessionaires Howard Berni and Frank Murru were successful in their purchase of the park for $550,000. They took over in 1961 and quickly continued the renovation effort that stopped prematurely when Dazey died. The WING radio Lesourdsville Lake WING FLING featured on air personalities, Lou Swanson, Rod Williams, Jim Smith and a famous sign off by Gene By Golly Barry.Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine:
A Wild Mouse roller coaster was the newest ride to greet visitors for the 1961 season. In addition, an 18-hole miniature golf course and a new Arcade building were built at the end of the midway next to the Screechin' Eagle roller coaster. The park also featured a native Hawaiian ornamental garden with hand carved Tiki and live palm trees. Unfortunately, the year was plagued by abnormal amount of rain which affected attendance. At the end of the season, the area's first "pay one price plan" was established. For $1.65 for adults and 75 cents for children customers could ride all day.
In 1964, Middletown resident William "Bill" Barr became a partner in the park and contributed his creative ideas and endless energy to help make LeSourdsville Lake the favorite park for hundreds of thousands of patrons. Between 1962 and 1969, a number of attractions were added to the LeSourdsville Lake line-up, including a NAD train (called the Iron Horse), a remodeled Haunted House, a Trabant and a new theme area called Tombstone Territory. The big band names of Jack Huntlemen, Sammy Kaye, Buddy Rogers and Bobby Grayson were slowly replaced by regular appearances by WLW's Bob Braun, The Cool Ghoul from WXIX, WKRC's Glenn "Skipper" Ryle and a host of television stars, movie celebrities and music acts.
1970s By the mid-1970s, LeSourdsville Lake was drawing about 600,000 patrons annually. The opening of Kings Island amusement park just a few miles away in nearby Mason, Ohio in 1972 didn't dampen the spirits of Howard Berni. "We wish them luck," said Howard in an interview in the Cincinnati Enquirer. "The first year we may feel a pinch because the local people will be curious, but we don't anticipate it will be to the point where it will bother our business. On the other hand, if Kings Island brings in the tourist, we will benefit from the overflow. We aren't going to fade away. They have the worries, not us."
In 1972 a new Calypso ride was installed, and named simply The Calypso. In 1975, Bill Barr retired to Italy, and park veteran William "Bill" Robinson took over some of duties left by Barr. Bill's knack for producing interesting promotions enabled the park to enjoy large crowds. Some of the more novel promotions developed by Bill included the 1976 designation as the country's only "Official" Bicentennial Amusement Park, the Coca-Cola/WSAI Radio Rock, Roll n' Remember concerts, and the Jell-O Jump, where contestants jumped into a huge barrel of gelatin to find the winning key to a new car.
During the late 1970s, the park presented brief (15 minute) musical shows every day on the midway stage that advertised various park attractions. The shows featured the "Krazy Kritters" (people in whimsical animal costumes) and consisted of a pre-recorded narration that a “master of ceremonies” critter pretended to speak into a microphone. At particular points in the presentation, the tape machine was programmed to pause after the M.C. critter suggested that the band play a song. The band (also in costumes), whose characters were called Do, Rey, Me, and Fa would play a song. During the summers of 1977 and 1978, the band was a local Rock band called Septer. And in 1979 a local band named Renegade (Tom Brewer, Jim Schrader, Jim Walsh and Brian Bauer)
In 1978, the name of the park was changed to Americana Amusement Park - the Great American Amusement Park. Along with a name change came a $3.5 million, three-year renovation plan to help keep the park a viable alternative to Kings Island. New attractions included a 1200-seat tent featuring performances of the Hanneford Family Circus, a seven character animated band called the Bear Country Jubilee, and the Coca-Cola Great American Thrill Show theater.
1980s The recession in the early 1980s began affecting attendance at the park. As a result, gate admission was reduced from $6.95 to $5.50 in 1982. New attractions that year included a transformation of the Hanneford Circus tent into a platform for Bumper Buggys, a soft-core version of bumper cars.
The highlight of the decade was the addition of the Raging Thunder Log Flume in 1984. The attraction represented the largest investment in the park's 77-year history and helped boost the annual attendance over 500,000. The flume, designed by Ron Berni and built by Barr Engineering of Minnesota, was located in a former bird sanctuary in the old Tombstone Territory section of the park. The area was renamed Logger's Run after the flume was added.
In 1985, the park auctioned off the horses from its 1924 PTC #71 carousel. Although some fans were disappointed about the sale, the carousel burned to the ground in an accidental fire in 1988. Over $500,000 in damages were reported, including the loss of the park's 1925 Dodgem ride.
In 1987, the Galleon swinging ship was installed in Logger's Run.