Glimpses forgotten7/14/2023 As many Nashvillians struggled to make ends meet, weekend luxuries were discarded.Īt the same time, Nashville faced another type of transition. During the Great Depression, park attendance plummeted. In 1932, the Glendale Park Zoo was forced to close its doors, according to the historical marker at the site. The grand prize: a Shetland pony, worth $100. There was also a casino with a theater which featured vaudeville shows.ĭuring Easter, the park would host an annual egg hunt. Newspaper clippings from the time show the park held events like balloon ascensions, acrobatic stunts, outdoor movie screenings, live music shows, magician performances and even dogs shows - with around 200 canines in the competition. Performance entertainment was also crucial to the Glendale Park experience. Visitors could go on carnival rides, such as a roller coaster merry-go-round that cost a nickel per ride. ![]() The zoo held a massive collection of animals, including sea lions, buffalo, African sheep, monkeys, bobcats, coyotes, bald eagles, skunks and rattlesnakes. It was created as a way to attract more passengers to the city’s streetcar line and was owned by Nashville Railway and Light Company, with Percy Warner acting as the company’s president. The creation of the 64-acre park was economically motivated. Turning the estate into a full-fledged destination for child’s play and family fun. FĪmilies would indulge in weekend escapes from urban life in the woodsy expanse,Īccording to streetcar historian Ralcon Wagner. Typically called “dummy lines” at the time). T the southernmost stop of the Overland streetcar line ( Step Right Up, Step Right Up: The Glendale Attractions It talked about how this was the sight of The Glendale Zoo and we thought, ‘What in the world? There was a zoo here?'” “And of course those historical markers are just a paragraph, but it was just enough to peak my interest. “We happened upon a historical marker some time ago and it talked about the Glendale Zoo,” says Egly. When they lived on Glendale Lane, Egly says his family rode bikes and went on walks together, often with their dog. ![]() “What is the story behind the Glendale Park Zoo? Are there any artifacts that still remain in the area?” The father of three teenage girls asked Curious Nashville the following question: One resident of the Glendale neighborhood was Jason Egly, a native Tennessean. ![]() Yet, for some locals, the past still lives on in backyard as relics of the Glendale Zoo seamlessly weave into the fabric of modern life.Ī morning jog around the block can reveal a bear cave, or the old house of an Englishman with a talent for tending animals. Walking around the suburb today, it’s hard to imagine such a vivacious fairgrounds once stood here. The Glendale Park Zoo sat seven miles outside of downtown, a place where animals roamed and children screamed at the drop of the wooden roller coaster ride. In the decades before serene family homes occupied the Glendale neighborhood of South Nashville, exotic animals, lush vegetation and summertime whimsy filled the area.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |