Welcome!

You Must Be This Tall: The Story of Rocky Point Park

This is the official blog for the documentary on Rocky Point Park.

Here's an update:
We began the editing process by reading (and re-reading) the transcriptions of the interviews about baseball at Rocky Point Park. A paper edit was made and by the end of the week, we should have a rough cut. Dozens of photographs of early Rhode Island baseball, from the collection of local baseball historian Rick Harris, were scanned and shot. The National Baseball Hall of Fame also sent us a screener DVD of footage, some of the footage is really awesome.

Thank you to all who made to the fundraiser dinner at Patrick's Pub. It was a big success and better yet, a lot of fun, as I got to go around the room and talk Rocky Point with some of the Park's biggest fans. And the chowder and cakes were pretty tasty. Special thanks to Wheeler & Holland, who played sweet tunes all night.

The Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center sent me a great image of the former President eating oysters at Rocky Point in the 1890s.

We've got some more interviews lined up this week and next. I'll keep you informed.

Here's a Rocky Point Park wish list...if you have anything along these lines, please email us...

Video INSIDE the House of Horrors
Photos of Rhode Island from the hurricanes of '38 and '54
Any photos (or the sign itself) of the Clown sign that said: "You Must Be This Tall to Ride"

I guess that's it, for now....

David
Favorite ride: Corkscrew

Comments

[Jeremy Paul Weinstein]

Hey everybody I spent tons of time @ rockypoint mostly checking out concerts during the mid to late eighties & early nineties. There has to be tons of concert videos from tons of shows.[Physical Graffitti, Accept,Extreme,The Machine'Red hot chili peppers,Ministry,White Zombie, House of Pain, Cypress Hill,Rave parties when they kept the park open all night long "Midnight floom ruled" while crazy light & sound extravaganzas mesmerized people all through the night That was a vital part of the Rocky Point experience for me & many many people along with "rockyjoint clamcakes" I saw a lot of people with cameras I would love to try & catch a glimpse of myself 20 + years ago that is a huge part of the legacy of rocky point & a guarenteed treasure of classic footage just waiting to be harvested it would be a great help if you post an add in the Journal & also contact the bands good luck I will be checkin in on the Movie.

[alie]

i spent my summers at rocky point beach we were so close to rpp that you could hear the music from the beach houses. and the screams from the corkscrew

[Alex]

An excellent article on the history of baseball at Rocky Point by baseball historian Charlie Bevis appeared NINE: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture, Vol.14, Number 1, Fall 2005, entitled "Rocky Point: A Lone Outpost of Sunday Baseball in Sabbatarian New England."

"...In the 1890s the unavailability of Sunday baseball within a 150-mile radius made Rocky Point, Rhode Island, a popular destination for many New England citizens seeking to watch regular games of the Providence Minor League club, as well as exhibition matches with Major League teams. For a quarter century until World War I, Rocky Point was a tiny island of illicit professional baseball on Sunday within the vast New England ocean of strict Puritan observance of a Sunday day of rest."

All made possible by the politics of Sen. Aldrich and political boss Charles Brayton. As we like to say today- Only in Rhode Island!

[Steve Mazer]

I worked at Rocky Point Park in the 70's. I ran the Balloon Water Race Game. I have so many fond memories of the place and those I knew and worked with there. I got to know so many people there and I am still in touch with some of them such as Neil Cerel, Billy and Tom Nutini, my girlfriend Dawn Goodrich, and Ron Courcy. I knew Mark Thompson who later married Diane Gould who worked in the Redemption Center. I called Diane a few weeks ago and she wasn't very receptive to me; said that's all in the past and she's not interested in reliving her past. But her father Jack Gould, built the funhouse ride and several others. I've had fond reminiscenses with a number of folks via e-mail and over the phone and I'd be glad to talk with any and all of my old friends from Rocky Point Park. You can e-mail me at smazer4258@hotmail.com or call me at 480-703-4341. I'd be grateful to hear from you. I'm currently battling prostate cancer and don't know how much longer I have.

[Steve Mazer]

I have fond memories of so many folks I worked with at Rocky Point Park, back in the 70's. Just to name a few: Mark Thompson, Neil Cerel, Kevin Nixon, Kevin Burke, Ron Courcy, John Dacunas, John Carmody, Melvin Los, Jack Fox, Dixie Warner, Sharon Mozokka(Karate Kate), Ann Traut, Kathy Weber, Kathy Campbell, Kathy Goodrow, Dawn Goodrich, Diane Gould, Diane Patenaude, Dennis Williams, Lee Manning, Cindy Cherry (Cricket), Donna Lanfredi, Gina Mazza, the three Nutini brothers: Billy, Mike and Tom, Mary Jane Kusiak, Barry DeMars, Jimmy Little, Peggy Malcolm and although it's been nearly 38 years, I'd be glad to hear from any of you folks who see this posting. My phone # is 480-703-4341 and my e-mail is smazer4258@hotmail.com