Storytown, USA in 1954

When it comes to Lake George's history and charming nostalgia, including the very early days of Storytown USA and The Great Escape, few are more knowledgeable than Bob Carroll.

Carrol lives in Los Angeles now, but he was born in Johnstown and lived in the Capital Region for many years.  His Lake George history runs deep because he worked for Charles Wood,  the wealthy proprietor who founded Storytown USA which eventually would become The Great Escape.

Carroll was employed by Mr. Wood for over 20 summer seasons as an announcer, a ventriloquist, a magician, an emcee, and just about any other job he was needed for during the early days of the classic Capital Region theme park.

The Best of Times

As Carroll puts it, "It was the best of times."

While some of the attractions from the very first days of Storytown USA still exist in the park today, many are long gone.  Most of us are too young to even remember what the Mother Goose-themed family park looked like in the '70s and '80s, let alone the 1950s.

But thanks to Mr. Carroll - and these photos taken by his parents when he was only 4 years old - we'll be able to see for the first time, or simply reminisce, about what Storytown USA looked like when it first opened back in 1954.

Storytown USA's First Season Through Rare Photos Taken in 1954

Hiker Locates Plane Crash in Catskills from 1983

According to legend, the Catskill Mountains are littered with wreckage from plane crashes - but they're not easy to find! But Connecticut resident Keith Thomas told us he hiked the muddy 9.5-mile trail to locate it, and once he did, he was "glowing!"

Gallery Credit: Brian Cody TSM Albany

LOOK: Oldest Disneyland Rides From 1955 to Today

Stacker, set out to compile a definitive list of every Disneyland attraction you can enjoy today and ranked them by their age. Using real-time data from Touring Plans, Disney archives, and historical news releases and reviews, our list starts with exciting recent park additions and stretches back to the oldest opening-day classics. This list focuses on the original Disneyland Park, so you will not see any rides from its neighboring California Adventure located just across the promenade. Read on to discover the oldest Disneyland rides you can still ride today.

Gallery Credit: Angela Brown

 

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