Rutherford - Carowinds

IMAGES
of America

CAROWINDS

Summertime fireworks bloom above the Carowinds sign that stands on the North Carolina/South Carolina state line near the parks main entrance. (Courtesy of Carowinds.)

ON THE COVER: Thunder Road, which opened in 1976, was Carowinds largest ride to date and the only wooden roller coaster in the country that actually took passengers through two different states (North and South Carolina) during the ride. It remains one of the parks most popular attractions. (Authors collection.)

IMAGES
of America

CAROWINDS

Scott Rutherford

Copyright 2013 by Scott Rutherford
ISBN 978-1-4671-2003-6
Ebook ISBN 9781439643419

Published by Arcadia Publishing
Charleston, South Carolina

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013930896

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This book is dedicated to my mom and dad, who accompanied me on my very first real wooden roller coasterthe Shooting Star at Ohios Coney Island. That experience ignited a heartfelt passion for coasters and amusement parks that refuses to fade.

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

In spring of 1973, I listened to the radio as E. Pat Hall welcomed the opening day crowd to his brand new theme park called Carowinds. The excitement in his voice immediately captured my interest. When I returned home from college, I thought I would look into getting a summer job there. Little did I know that summer job would become much more.

The day I applied for my first job I made a left turn onto Avenue of the Carolinas and found myself in the middle of a new and very large parking lot. A large black car came speeding around the corner. The driver pulled up, rolled down the window with much authority and no hesitation, and he asked, What are you doing here, son?

It took a couple of seconds for me to gather myself, and I more or less ended up telling him an abbreviated life story. He paused and said, Follow me. We drove to a large brick building. Inside he said, This young man is looking for a job. Then just like that he disappeared through a door.

A lady explained what jobs were available. Being a poor college kid, I said security since it paid $2.25 per hour, much better than the $1.65 for other jobs. She promptly took me to the office of Jennings Hayward, head of Carowinds Security. He and I hit it off, and I soon had a job. After an orientation and a trip to wardrobe, I thanked the ladies in the front office and told them how relieved and happy I was to get a job at Carowinds. One of them replied, You shouldnt be surprised. If you werent Carowinds material, E. Pat Hall wouldnt have brought you in here. My jaw dropped. All these years later, I still think about that day and wonder how different my life would be if I had taken the time to read the road signs.

I spent three seasons working in security while I was in college and grad school. Every day was just plain fun. I got to meet and help people, watch them laugh and be kids again. I saw children shout with glee when they spotted the animals in the petting zoo or climbed onto the EPH Railroad to take a train ride around the park. I felt lucky to be a part of it all.

In the summer of 1973 I met Irene, a beautiful brunette. I figured she was way above my head, and it took two seasons for me to get the courage to ask her out. To this day, my lovely wife still contends that my initial assessment was correct; she claims she felt sorry for me and decided to go out with me anyway. Thanks to Carowinds, I found the love of my life.

At the end of the 1975 season, I took a job as an accountant for a local hospital. I thought it was time to put my new degree to work. While I enjoyed my job, I still missed the magic of Carowinds. So when the phone rang in October 1976, I jumped at the chance to become the assistant security manager for Carowinds. From then until now, I have never looked back. My job responsibilities have varied and grown through the years, as have the rewards. I have seen the great coasters from Thunder Road to the Intimidator go up piece by piece to the delight of our loyal guests and fans. I have watched great artists deliver amazing performances to packed houses in our Paladium. I have marveled at the night sky filled with fireworks, shared the joy of a mom or dad getting a big hug as their little one emerges from one of our kiddie rides for the first time, and never get tired of seeing Old Glory raised to the top of the Sky Tower for the first time each season. All have created great memories and have enriched my life.

My experiences and memories are multiplied exponentially by those who have worked, played, and basked in the aura and magic of this special place we call Carowinds. May it bring the same for generations to come!

Jerry Helms

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First and foremost, I must thank the Carowinds staff, especially Julie Whitted, without whom this particular book would never have been completed.

I also thank Scott Anderson, Jerry Helms, Jan Hall Brown, Meg Rallings, James Henderson, Chris Kirby, Rod Alexander, Neal Hall, and Becky Neely.

Unless otherwise noted, all images in this book come from Carowinds archives.

INTRODUCTION

Carowinds came into being in the early 1970s, when the burgeoning theme park industry was booming. Numerous such venues had already opened across America, while plenty of others were in development or under construction. The initial inspiration for Carowinds, however, stretches back to the 1950s, when prominent Charlotte, North Carolina, businessman and commercial real estate developer E. Pat Hall found himself intrigued by Disneyland. During a fortuitous visit to Walts original park in California, Hall was impressed by the design and the wholesome approach to family entertainment. It was then that he began to formulate his plan to bring a similar but uniquely Carolina resort to the Charlotte area.

Halls ambitious plan would germinate for more than a decade. During that period, he amassed a staggering degree of theme parkrelated research and began to surround himself with like-minded individuals who shared his values and savvy business sense. By the late 1960s, Hall had purchased several hundred acres of land a few miles south of Charlotte. He chose to build his new park on the border between North and South Carolina, a characteristic that is treasured to this day.

Carowinds opened with great fanfare in 1973, sporting original themes chosen to showcase the rich history and cultural heritage of the Carolinas. Attention to detail in every sense was addressed, and the result was a theme park like no other. Though Carowinds was immensely popular during its first years, the sagging economy of the mid-1970s directly affected attendance and forced Hall to eventually sell the park in order to save it.

Over the years, ownership of Carowinds would change hands several times. However, the park continued to grow and evolve favorably. While each operator left their own unique imprint on the venue, Carowinds still managed to retain key facets of its original identity, which reflected first and foremost its Carolina lineage. Though some of the parks rides and area names may have been altered or even replaced, the intrinsic soul of Carowinds remains intact and completely relevant. Even in this day and age of hi-tech video games and other such activities, there is still a tactile desire, a human need to experience the sights and sounds and smells that only a visit to a real amusement park can provide.