“Here it comes now!” Alice Thompson, 9, heard the clang of the trolley from around a curve and soon spotted the polished wooden trolley with red roof as it trundled into the station on the east side of St. Paul.
The long black and white sign at the top of the Twin Cities Rapid Transit street car read, “Wildwood,” Alice's destination on this warm July day.
Her father, Lionel Thompson was a cigar store owner in downtown St. Paul and had let his clerk take over one Wednesday so that he could take his wife, Catherine, and their three children, Charlotte, Teddy and Alice, to Wildwood Amusem*nt Park on the southeast shore of White Bear Lake.
Shortly after the trolley squealed to a halt, the Thompsons, armed with their picnic basket and bathing suits, jostled with some 40 other similarly burdened people to fill the carriage.
“Father, why must we carry around these tedious suits?” asked Charlotte, 16. In 1909, women's swim suits were substantial – a flowing long dress to be worn with stockings and a floppy hat.
“Lotta, if you pay the 50 cents to rent them at the bath house, you won't have that money for other things,” Mr. Thompson said. “You can put the wet suits into the picnic basket after we've eaten all of mother's delicious sandwiches.”
“Everyone will be wearing white just like we are today,” Catherine said. “So, I've made these Alice Blue ribbons to put on your hats to help us find each other.” Lionel and Theodore rolled their eyes as they secured the glacier blue ribbons onto their boater hats.
With two clangs, the trolley lurched forward out of St. Paul toward North St. Paul. The rush of air blew their hats askew, and the electric trolley rattled through a 12-mile landscape of marshes and small wooded areas. The family made plans.
“I'm going on all of the rides,” Teddy, 11, said.
“I can't imagine the rides being more exhiliarating than the one we're on,” Mrs. Thompson said as the trolley took a curve at some 60 m.p.h.
“You're not to go on the water slide, Theodore.” Mr. Thompon said. “I heard it's dangerous.”
“I didn't read anything about it in the paper,” Mrs. Thompson said. “I only read about the fire at the pavilion last year,” she said.
“The barber next door heard from one of his customers that a couple of people died on it,” Mr. Thompson said.
Mr. Thompson then rummaged around in his shirt pocket. “I thought I had put more cigars in here,” he said before pulling one out to smoke. He patted his jingling pants pocket.
“When we get to the park, I'm going to give each of you children two dollars to pay for everything you need for the day. Spend wisely, for if you do, I may choose one of you to take over the store for me one day.”
“That's not enough money,” Lotta said.
“There is plenty of free entertainment, if you look for it,” Mr. Thompson said.
Although the trolley ride cost the family 35 cents, admission to the amusem*nt park was free. Arriving at the depot, Mr. Thompson paid the fare, and the family descended one of the two wide staircases before turning into a tunnel.
On the other side, the children gazed longingly at the sparkling blue waters of the large lake and the fantastical structures on its shore. They were amazed to see a gargantuan new roller coaster and a new red brick pavilion in place of the wooden one and Figure 8 toboggan ride that had burned down the previous year. The Katzenjammer Castle they remembered from their visit two years earlier had also burned down.
After the children had each secured their $2 and were about to bolt off, Mrs. Thompson invited them to meet for their lunch in the Picnic Grove, on the other side of the bath houses. “I will buy a strawberry soft drink for each of you, if you come,” she said. “If you miss our picnic, we'll all meet at the depot at 10:00 tonight. Remember, no trolleys run after 11:30, so be on time.”
After Teddy and Alice enjoyed several trips on the new rollercoaster, the Pippin, at 15 cents a ride, Teddy pulled out a couple of cigars he'd stashed in his pocket and whispered into Alice's ear, “Hey Al, I know how we can play some of those games for free.”
“Those are Father's cigars!” Alice cried.
“Watch this.” Ted led Alice to the games, such as Japanese Stores, County Store Wheel, Fish Pond, Dart Game, Monkey Racer and Casey's Alley and offered a cigar to the workers in exchange for the nickel or dime fee. They didn't win any Kewpie dolls or Japanese trinkets before they ran out of cigars, but passed the time pleasureably. After that, they still had enough money for the shooting gallery at 25 cents for 12 shots and the silly mirrors for five cents before exploring the park. They watched all the steamers and smaller boats on the lake, bathed and watched people fly off the water slide. Since they missed lunch, they stood in line at one of the company picnics to eat their free hot dogs, watermelon and ice cream.
Charlotte paid 25 cents to take a ride on the steamer, White Bear, with her girlfriend where they met two cute boys who accompanied them to the other side of White Bear Lake. All four got off at the Clark Street dock to stroll through the town of White Bear Lake. They also missed lunch, but returned to the amusem*nt park in time to dance on the polished dance floors of the pavilion, paying the 10 cent admission fee and enjoying an occasional five-cent ice cream cone.
Before spending the rest of the afternoon napping in the fishing boat he rented at 25 cents per hour, Mr. Thompson stopped at the same company picnic crashed by his children and enjoyed free beer from one of their barrels. As he drank, he spotted two children wearing Alice Blue ribbons hastily licking ice cream cones before they melted onto their clothing.
After Mrs. Thompson had seen Charlotte off at the steamer dock, she took the family picnic basket to the picnic grounds and shared sandwiches with other ladies and chatted all afternoon.
“I must say, I'm surprised none of you asked me for money,” Mr. Thompson said as the streetcar pulled away from the depot at 10:30 that night.
“We couldn't find you,” Alice said before her father could ask her to return any of the leftover change.
“I haven't ruled any of you out to inherit the store,” Mr. Thompson said as the trolley flew through the blue-black night filled with fireflies. “However, I still have the mystery of cigars going missing.”
For their enthusiastic professionalism and helpful information, special thanks to:
Emily Krawczewski of the Washington County Historical Society, Rheanna O'Brien, Education Director, White Bear Lake Historical Society, Dan Jones, Creative Director, White Bear Lake Historical Society ◼
