Wildwood Amusement Park
The music pavilion at the Wildwood Amusement Park was a building where Park-goers could hear local and national musicians during the Park’s run.
Wildwood was located on the southeast shore of White Bear Lake in what is now the City of Mahtomedi, Minnesota. Articles in the St. Paul Globe indicate that Wildwood was the name of a picnic ground as early as 1889, but it was not considered an amusement park (or “resort” as it was known then) until June 1892, when it was built up in conjunction with the St. Paul and White Bear Electric Railroad by Lane K. Stone and Walter S. Morton.
The Park was built to attract riders to the streetcar system. It was open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, 11 am to 11 pm. Riders would travel up to 60 miles per hour from St. Paul, arriving at the terminal and walking under the tracks in a tunnel to the Park. Admission was free. It provided rides, treats, and beach activities similar to those of Excelsior Amusement Park, although the latter lasted much longer and lingers in our memory today.
There was a pavilion where people could dance, and/or a casino – this was not a gambling casino but more of a promenade where entertainment was presented. One classified ad in 1892 requested a “good pianist and novelties” for the casino. The music pavilion included a restaurant and dance floor.
1892
Dances were first held in July 1892, with music by Seibert’s Band/Orchestra. George Seibert Jr. led the house band until the end of the decade, it appears, with some exceptions.
Here is a delightful article from the St. Paul Globe (July 17, 1892) that really should have a byline. The multiple headlines are:
WHITE BEAR FLASHES
The Season at its Height at the Popular Lake Resort.
Select Hops All the Rage During the Past Week.
Even Sleepy Mahtomedi Woke Up to the Merry Doings.
The high tide of social life at the lake has been reached, and for the next four weeks White Bear will be at its very best, provided the weather does not relapse into its former dampening condition. The spirit of dancing seems to have taken possession of everyone young and old, and nearly every evening finds some merry throng gathering together to worship at the shrine of Terpsichore. On Tuesday [July 12] and Saturday [July 16] of last week the dances at the pavilion were largely attended, and the floor was thronged with joyous youths and maidens, forgetting for the nonce the past and the future, and thinking only of the fleeting pleasures of the present.
Wednesday evening [July 13] the new hall of the Wildwood Casino was used for the first time, and pronounced “perfectly lovely” by those who glided over its polished floor. There was a goodly gathering, and all danced several numbers to the sweet strains of Kleinst’s band. To be sure, the electric lights did not work, necessitating dancing in the dark, but many thought that an added enjoyment.
THE ELECTRIC LINE
The official inauguration of Wildwood Park and the Electric Line was held on July 21, 1892, with a reception at the Park, accompanied by Seibert’s Orchestra. Speeches from the event were duly printed in the St. Paul Globe, as was an extremely informal letter of regret from President “Ben Harrison.” (July 22, 1892)
On July 24, 1892, Wildwood was referred to as a “new resort.” There was a heat wave going on and thousands were expected to arrive on the trains that were running every 15 minutes from St. Paul. Seibert’s Orchestra of 27 pieces was there to entertain the masses.
St. Paul Globe, July 31, 1892
By September 1892, a full band was on hand daily.
1893
P.L. Kleist’s Second Regiment Band entertained; there were hops on Tuesday and Friday evenings.
1894
Dances were held every afternoon and evening; Seibert’s First Regiment Band gave concerts three times a week.
1895
Knauff’s Orchestra entertained on the Fourth of July, 1895. The rest of the bill looks like a vaudeville act!
St. Paul Globe, July 3, 1895
1896
There was music every evening in the pavilion.
1898
In 1898 the Park was acquired, along with the rail line, by the Twin City Rapid Transit Corp. (TCRT) (Minnesota Historical Society)
1900
Longtime entertainers, both as a duo and leading an orchestra, were Wolff and Barrett. A.N. Wolff was a violin player. Other popular musicians in 1900 were the Mandolin Orchestra and Miss Bessie Meier and her 11-year-old brother, Master Tommie.
On May 27, 1900, the St. Paul Globe reported that, “The stage has been removed in the dancing pavilion and 40 feet more added to the dancing space, which makes the pavilion now almost ideal in this respect.”
Wildwood Pavilion, @ 1900. Image courtesy White Bear Lake Area Historical Society
Wildwood Pavilion, @ 1900. Image courtesy White Bear Lake Area Historical Society
1905
Pavilion, 1905. Image courtesy Minnesota Historical Society
1908
The dancing pavilion burned down and was rebuilt in red brick.
1910
Note that the Figure 8 Coaster was the original name for the Roller Coaster.
Minneapolis Tribune, July 9, 1910
1911
A 50 x 55 ft. addition was built on to the pavilion to increase the size of the cafe and kitchen. (White Bear Life, May 11, 1911)
1912
Pavilion, 1912. Image courtesy Minnesota Historical Society
1914
In about 1914, people started to build summer cottages along the shore of White Bear Lake. Folks from the City could ride up for the weekend, rent a cottage, and not have to worry about making the last streetcar home.
1916
The ad below was essentially the same as the one in 1915 and 1917
The Irish Standard, July 15, 1916
1920
Entertainment for dancing in 1920 and 1921 was provided by the Minnesota State Orchestra.
The new Dancing Pavilion, 1920. Image courtesy Minnesota Historical Society
1920s
The Minnesota Historical Society dated this card to the 1920s. A newspaper search only found Don Gonzales with his own radio show in 1933.
Wildwood Bus Card, 1920s. Image courtesy Minnesota Historical Society
The Pavilion is said to have hosted such national musicians as Guy Lombardo and Red Nichols, but I found no ads for those.
1928
Wildwood Orchestra, 1928. Image courtesy Minnesota Historical Society
DECLINE
A couple of major factors led to the decline of Wildwood. First, as more people owned their own cars, they had the freedom to travel to more places than those on the streetcar lines. By the late 1920s, families were vacationing further afield and Wildwood’s attendance dropped.
Then came the Great Depression in 1929, and there was little money for recreation throughout the 1930s for most people.
RADIO
1929
From May 26 to August 29, 1929, radio listings appear sporadically at 10:15 pm on KSTP Radio for a dance program emanating from Wildwood. The first one says “Dance to the alluring tunes of King Cole and his orchestra direct from Wildwood – KSTP (Minneapolis Journal) The rest just say Dance Program (or Feature) from Wildwood.
1930
The KSTP Radio shows start up again on May 25, 1930, again at 10:15 pm. They are listed as “Wildwood Orchestra” or “Wildwood Dance Orchestra,” and the last one of the season is listed on August 24, 1930.
1931
The KSTP Radio shows began on May 29, 1931, again at 10:15 pm. They are listed as “Wildwood Orchestra” or “Wildwood Dance Orchestra,” and the last one of the season is listed on August 28, 1931.
1932
Only one listing for a KSTP Radio show is found for 1932, and that is on June 7. It is listed as “Wildwood Dance Orchestra,” from 10:15 to 11:15 pm.
1936
The Bathhouse burned down in February 1936. Huge snow drifts, lack of long hoses, and frozen water pipes made fighting the fire impossible. Damage was estimated at $25,000.
1937
Contrary to dates published of 1932 and 1936, the Park was open in 1937, starting in May. Radio listings for the Wildwood/Billy Kugler’s Orchestra on WTCN can be found from Sunday, June 6 to Thursday, August 26, 1937.
Minneapolis Tribune, June 6, 1937
Fats Waller made a one-night stand at Wildwood on July 28, 1937, according to the “Under Your Hat” column in the July 22, 1937, issue of the Minneapolis Journal.
Minneapolis Tribune, July 28, 1937
1938
On April 10, 1938, the TCRT announced that it would abandon Wildwood and tear down the dance pavilion and other buildings in the spring. (Minneapolis Tribune) A wrecking company’s ad indicated that it was being dismantled that August.
The land was sold and subdivided for development. The streetcar stopped running to the area in 1951. The only sign that it ever existed is a plaque at a small park in Willernie near the place that visitors entered Wildwood Amusement Park.
Image from Forgotten Minnesota
Sources:
Forgotten Minnesota – “The End of the Line: Wildwood Amusement Park.” June 30, 2011
White Bear Lake Area Historical Society Facebook Page