:
The Boss has given me an assignment involving trying to locate someone.
Maybe you guys have some ideas about some data bases we can interrogate
to locate these folks.
Here is the deal.
WDS got a phone call from a Mr. John Phillips (Hanover, Pa.) asking if
the Comptroller can help him locate "Jim and Arthur Price" so that Mr.
Phillips can contact either of those gentlemen to give him a "large
scrapbook" of "memorablilia" pertaining to the Price Family and Gwynn
Oak Amusement Park.
According to Mr. Phillips, who I have talked to to let him know we
were on the case, the Price Family once owned Gwynn Oak Amusement Park.
(You may remembmer the place--it was located in Woodlawn. I went there
several times as a kid--the Standard Oil Company use to have its annual
Booster Club picnic there. The picture of my Dad and family in my
office was taken at the Park in 1948-49...)
I have contacted Association of Amusement Parks of America in D.C.
(yes, there really is such an organization) and am working with Beth
Robertson to see if that organization has any info which might help us
track down Jim and Arthur Price. I am waiting to hear from her. She
has acknowledged my inquiry and indicated to me that she is working the
problem for us.
According to Mr. Phillips, the Price family lived on Charles Street and
Mr. Price (the Great grandfather of Arthur and Jim) was a Mason and an
Elk. Mr. Phillips thinks Mr. Price was a member of the Elks Club which
had its facility next to the Town Theatre in Baltimore. )I remember the
place. I went to a wedding reception there for my cousin Myrtle
Klasmeier when I was in College.)
Mr. Price, the great grandfather is the gentleman who owned Gwynn Oak
Park. He had 3 sons and 1 daughter. And he died on Dec 10, 1957.
I am also contacting my friend Tim Baker to enlist the assistance of
the Archives in this pursuit. I know Tim has nothing to do so I am sure
he will appreciate this opportunity! (Tim, call me when you get this.
I called to explain the effort and you were out goofing off somewhere,
but I mentioned this email to your Secretary and asked her to have you
call me after you get it...)
With that, thank you all very much. I will keep you apprised of
progress on my end. Please so the same on yours, ok?
Incidentally, the Comptroller doesn't think we can find these folks.
Let's prove him wrong, ok?
ECP response:
Yes, but Barnes probably would be helpful as well.
This is probably a sensitive matter for the Prices. They were shut down by the NAACP, etc. during the protests over segregation there.
I have done a fair amount with Dr. Keifer Mitchell on this (I think he was arrested there) and we have tracked down some of the cases re: for my race and the law course.
I would start with the Social Security death index and work from there.
Emily scanned and uploaded two obituaries for Mr. Arthur B. Price, original owner of the park. The obits list the following surviving family members at Dec. 1957:
Brothers, Frank Price Jr. and Edward R. Price
Sister, Mrs. Florence Steppach
Daughter, Mrs. Audrey C. Toth
Sons, Arthur B. Price Jr., James F. Price and David W. Price
Wife, Mary Elizabth Cockrill Price
Home 3909 North Charles Street
Scans of obituaries:
"Arthur B. Price, 72, Ex-Council Head, Dies." The Baltimore Sun, 10 December 1957.
Death Notice. The Baltimore Sun, 12 December 1957.
BALTIMORE CITY REGISTER OF WILLS (Estate Papers) Arthur B. Price, Box 638 File No. 70072 [MSA T1018-1288, 2/28/9/5]
Emily called The Trust for Public Land, Baltimore Field Office,
The Mill Center, 3000 Chestnut Avenue, Ste. 205, Baltimore, MD 21211,
(410)243-3698,
fax: (410)243-4723
http://www.tpl.org/tier3_cdl.cfm?content_item_id=7061&folder_id=1745
Emily spoke to both Hale Vandergaag (ext. 201) and Julie Inger (ext. 202) in the TPL. They did not know of any names or family names/connections between the park land and the amusement park, although she confirmed that the former amusement park is part of the current park land. Ms. Vandergaag will try to do some research to be back in touch with Emily after the holdiays.
Emily also spoke to the City Parks department:
http://www.baltimorecity.gov/government/recnparks/popups/parks/gwynns_falls.htm
Maurice Collins
Gwynns Falls Division
Assistant Park District Manager
(410) 396-0010
Gwynns Falls Trail
Mike Strawbridge
(410) 396-0440
The city parks said that any former amusement park land would be encompassed in the county parks.
Emily called the Baltimore county parks department at 410-887-1357, and was directed to the Land Acquisition office.
Emily spoke to Bob Nalatessy at the Baltimore County Land Acquisition office at 410-887-3263. Mr. Nalatessy found a series of deeds from the Recreation and Parks files. The instuments recorded the sale of the land that used to be the amusement park. The deeds are as follows:
York Ridge Federal Savings and Loan, liber 5789, folio 658
Monumental Corporation, liber 6079, folio 756
Monumental Corporation, liber 6059, folio 673
Deeds:
BALTIMORE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT (Land Records) Volume 2170 pp. 350-356, 1952 (Downloaded from mdlandrec.net)
BALTIMORE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT (Land Records) Volume 2812 pp. 425-427, 1955 (Downloaded from mdlandrec.net)
BALTIMORE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT (Land Records) Volume 5578 pp. 788-791, 1975 (Downloaded from mdlandrec.net)
This sale was the result of default on the mortgage, as well property taxes and employment taxes. See: BALTIMORE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT (Equity Papers) Yorkridge Federal Savings and Loan Association of Baltimore County v. Gwynn Oak Amusement Park, Inc., Box 602 File No. 79897 [MSA T696-1125, 0/35/2/38]
BALTIMORE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT (Land Records) Volume 5789 pp. 658-661, 1977 (Downloaded from mdlandrec.net)
BALTIMORE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT (Land Records) Volume 6059 pp. 673-676, 1979 (Downloaded from mdlandrec.net)
BALTIMORE COUNTY CIRCUIT COURT (Land Records) Volume 6079 pp. 756-760, 1979 (Downloaded from mdlandrec.net)
Jen Hafner found a history site of on "retired" amusement parks at:
http://www.btco.net/ghosts/oddsends/amuse/amuseparks.html
Kane, Gregory. "Story of civil rights martyr one of unheralded heroism." The Baltimore Sun, 12 January 2005.
See also MSA SC 5339-176-12 for scans of scrapbooks and financial reports which were donated to MSA.
