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PLEASURE ISLAND BOOK - June 8th
Billed as Boston’s answer to Disneyland, Pleasure Island opened on June 22, 1959. William Hawkes, president of Childlife Magazine, and executives at Cabot, Cabot and Forbes collaborated with Marco Engineering of Los Angeles to build what was called the “Disneyland of the East.” Pleasure Island rose from the wetlands off of Route 128 into an 80-acre theme park. Through photographs, Pleasure Island recalls memories of boat rides to Pirate Cove, searching for the great white whale, driving a Jenney car, getting dizzy in the Slanty Shanty, and taking a ride on Old Smoky. At Pleasure Island, children and children at heart entered into a world that traditional amusement parks could not provide, where character actors continually put on a show and the entire park was the stage.

Author Bio: Robert McLaughlin is a Wakefield resident with an interest in local history. He has been researching Pleasure Island since 2000 and is cofounder of the Friends of Pleasure Island, which was established to collect images, film, oral history, and artifacts relating to the park. He has selected images from private collections and the Friends of Pleasure Island’s archives to tell the story of Wakefield’s own Disneyland of the East.

Pleasure Island was officially released by Arcadia Publishing on June 8, 2009.

Pleasure Island is now available at the following locations:
  • Hart's Ace Hardware - Wakefield, MA
  • Smith Drug - Wakefield, MA
  • The Hot Spot - Reading, MA
  • Walgreens - Stoneham, MA
  • The Paper Stores
  • Borders
  • Barnes and Noble
  • Online book sites
  • Arcardia publishing (888-313-2665) or www.arcadiapublishing.com
  • Bob McLaughlin also has a limited supply. Will autograph and ship - call or email for details.

The Friends of Pleasure Island is pleased to announce that a small sample of park memorabilia is on exhibit at the Lucius Beebe Memorial library, 245 Main St, Wakefield, MA 01880.


50TH ANNIVERSARY OF PLEASURE ISLAND
  • Pleasure Island opened to the public Monday morning on June 22, 1959 at 10am. The Friends of Pleasure Island would like to thank the Beebe Memorial Library, the Wakefield Daily Item, Mark Sardella, Carolyn Livingston and the Sweetser Lecture Committee. We would also like to thank Rex Trailer and the Pleasure Island characters Herb Sauve, Bob Harmon, Sid Hodson and Priscilla Didonato Hendricks who made the 50th anniversary party on June 18th at the Wakefield Galvin Middle School such a hit!
  • To all the people who attended the walking tours at the former park site on June 20 and 21st – thank you for attending and everybody please continue to keep in touch by emailing or calling the Friends of Pleasure Island.

Thank you,
Bob McLaughlin

President
Friends of Pleasure Island
Check out Pleasure Island Road/City of Roses on YouTube.com

Do you remember Pleasure Island?  If so, contact us with any memorabilia/photos/slides/stories you are willing to share with us.
Please Contact:
Bob McLaughlin
376 Water St.
Wakefield, MA 01880
bob@friendsofpleasureisland.org

Home (781) 246-0653
Cell (781) 258-8227
Fax (781) 246-9170

a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization