 1985
In the News |
Streifthau's Life Story: What A Ride; Controversial Amusement Park Builder, 88, Still Scrapping
By Randy McNutt
Cincinnati Enquirer
September 1985
LeSOURDSVILLE,
Ohio – Edgar Streifthau never intended to be an amusement park
entrepreneur. All he ever wanted was to be a locomotive engineer.
“Life as funny ways. The great desire was never realized. I never
even rode in the cab of a train engine,” he explained in his newly
published autobiography, Edgar Streifthau, Ohio Amusement Park Founder:
His Story.
Streifthau is the quintessential American capitalist, a man reared on
Horatio Alger books and a deep belief in himself. Through determination
and hard work, he has managed to cram the accomplishments of a dozen
people into his one life. He wrote the book with Irene H. Wright, an
Enquirer reporter who has followed his exploits for most of her life.
Edgar told Mrs. Wright that he decided to write about personal and business
adventures now, at the age of 88, because, “I’m not dead
yet, so I might as well let people know I’m still around.”
Almost everybody knows that, for Streifthau is still shooting legal
darts at county officials over his intentions to open a park in the
area for elderly people, zoning laws notwithstanding. Sixty-five years
ago, however, Streifthau never thought of opening an amusement park.
He ran the East End Cycle Shop in Middletown with his brother, Ernest.
After World War I, they noticed that the people “wanted to forget
with a good time,” soothe brothers opened a place for people to
camp, swim and hunt.
But Edgar was not content to rent tents to campers. He wanted a lake
for swimmers, and a park, so he leased the ground and opened the park
May 22, 1922, on the Great Miami River. The book includes numerous photographs
of the park in development. Over the decades, LeSourdsville Lake survived
floods, lawsuits, fires and the Great Depression to provide amusements
for Butler County. By 1939, on the eve of another war, Streifthau finally
took a vacation: a cross-country motorcycle trip with his wife, Nellie,
and some friends.
By the 1950’s, LeSourdsville Lake had become one of the region’s
top parks, drawing hundreds of thousands of people each year. Then his
partner, Don Dazey, died in June 1959, and Streifthau later sold his
interests in LeSourdsville Lake.
“While I was mulling over what to do next to keep busy, I realized
I had my house and 20 acres of land next to the park that had not been
sold,” he said. “I started thinking about putting it to
use. It could be used as a family park for children, 12 years and younger.
The more I thought about it, the more I got fired up.”
Fantasy Farm Park was born. Streifthau eventually built a motel on the
grounds, but in 1965 he was shot in the chest by three men who robbed
the office. The bullet just missed his heart.
More problems came a few years alter when his son sued him for half
the revenues of the park. A second suit was filed a few years later.
Streifthau stubbornly fought back through the courts, but lost. “I’m
not one to give up easily,” he said in his typical understated
manner.
He recovered, physically and financially, and built the park into a
successful business. It is still operating, under different ownership,
but with Streifthau’s same vision that children need a place to
see animals and ride.
Through his life, Streifthau has always had a little operating money
but a lot of enthusiasm. “I guess one of my faults and one of
my blessings,” he explained, “is that I have never been
satisfied. I always wanted to do more…”
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Chimps Star At Americana Amusement Park
July 1985
Pulse Journal
The new head mechanic at Americana Amusement Park? Not quite –
the orangutan pictured is Radcliffe, the comedy orangutan. He will appear,
along with the Lancelot Link Chimpanzees, at Americana now through Aug.
11.
The internationally-renowned chimps, performing with a trainer by Joe
and Bette Naud, have appeared on five continents and have been featured
in numerous movies and TV shows. In 1969-70, they had their own Saturday
morning TV series on ABC, Lancelot Link and his Secret Chimps.
They have just finished a three-year stint at the Catskill Game Farm
in New York and soon will be featured on Gibson Greeting Cards.
The chimps (Moocho, Charlie, Sammy and Hooter), as well as Radcliff,
will be performing four different acts, with a wide variety of behaviors
and skits in each.
Radcliff will be seven years old Aug. 18. He will perform solo for two
of the acts.
Born in a Midwestern zoo, the Bornean-Sumatran cross orangutan spent
his first five years with his parents. Called by Joe “the smartest
animal I’ve ever trained,” Radcliff was performing on stage
within six months of joining the troupe.
Performances will be 1 and 2 p.m., Tuesday through Saturday, in Kids
World and 5 and 7 p.m. on the Midway stage.
