History Of Lake and Park Book Launch Event Set For April 24 At Fulton War Memorial

Live music, cheer teams, and key community speakers will help launch a new book, co-authored by Fultonians Jim Farfaglia and Timothy Carroll, entitled: Hiding from the River: A History of Lake Neatahwanta and Recreation Park.  The free event kicks off at 6:00 p.m., April 24, at the Fulton War Memorial, 609 W. Broadway. The photo above is a postcard showing a large carousel that was at the park from the 1920s to the 1940s. All book profits will go toward lakeside activities organized by the Fulton Special Events Committee.

FULTON, NY – Live music, cheer teams, and key community speakers will help launch a new book, co-authored by Fultonians Jim Farfaglia and Timothy Carroll, entitled: Hiding from the River: A History of Lake Neatahwanta and Recreation Park. The free event kicks off at 6:00 p.m., April 24, at the Fulton War Memorial, 609 W. Broadway.

            “ The first 100 attendees will receive a custom cookie shaped like the lake, courtesy of Fulton Savings Bank, who is also helping provide the live entertainment by Joe Cortini and his Jazz Mafia,” Carroll said. “The music will welcome people to the event, and there will also be a segment where they play in homage to the famous Big Bands like Tommy Dorsey and Ozzie Nelson that once appeared in the lakeshore park’s auditorium. “ The book will be for sale at the event, and all profits will go toward lakeside activities organized by the Fulton Special Events Committee.

            According to the book, Lake Neatahwanta has long been one of the city’s beloved natural resources. While the city’s early economic success was driven by the Oswego River, the lake has always been a haven for those seeking respite and relaxation. Located on the shore of the lake, Recreation Park has, for over 150 years, been a destination for crowd-pleasing sporting and community events. The authors have researched the lake’s timeline, from the ice age in 75,000 BC, to present day, and they have incorporated archival documents, maps, graphics, and memorable stories for this first-history of these two Fulton landmarks.

            The lake and Recreation Park have been the location for many milestones in Fulton’s history, Farfaglia said. “Although the event will be about an hour, we’ll cover years of history with excerpt readings and salutes to those who fostered and supported an array of youth sports and activities at the park: everything from Pop Warner Football and Cheer Teams to the Gauchos Drum and Bugle Corps, to Fulton’s new Dream Courts basketball complex.”

            Among the highlights of activities and historic events that have occurred at the park are:

• 1901- 20,000 people attend the Oswego County Fair, making it the largest fair in NY State
• In 1933, during the Depression, the city organized a dance marathon at the lakeshore park’s auditorium that went for 112 days! (not the typical 48- or 72- hour marathon)
• During the 1940s, it was host to nationally famous Big Bands like Tommy Dorsey and Ozzie Nelson
• It had a huge carousel and dance hall in the 1920s-1940s (similar to the one at Destiny USA)
• It’s been home to countless athletic teams and events, and was also home to the Fulton Gauchos Drum and Bugle Corps during the 1960s and 1970s
• Hundreds of Fultonians learned to swim at Stevenson’s Beach on the lake during the 40s, 50s, and 60s
• In the early 1990s it became home to the city’s Pop Warner Football and Pop Warner Cheer and Dance teams.
• The city’s Recreation Park was built on the lakeshore, and it continues to be the sight for major events at the lake today. Among these:  Big Truck Day, Fall Festival, Hydroplane Racing, and so much more!

“ We hope that we’ll get a great response from folks in our city and the local area who have a stake in the lake and park and will have a wonderful opportunity to hear and see the fabulous story and role it has played in all our lives here,” Farfaglia said. The book is available at Village Shops, 2 W. First St. N. Fulton; Amazon.com, and at the launch event.

For more information, visit the Facebook event page at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1348302646441375, or contact Carroll at [email protected], or Farfaglia at [email protected].

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