By Michael Perna Jr., Contributing Writer
Photo/Michael Perna Jr.
Shrewsbury – The great White City Amusement Park has been closed for over 60 years now, however fond memories of the place still lingered with local residents for years and years. One such old “townie” was Joseph “Pony” Lucier. Pony ran the carousel at the park from 1942 to 1951, becoming well acquainted with all the various rides, games and other attractions that were featured there. In 1945, he met the young lady that would later become his wife – Carol “Candy” Paul worked at a hot dog stand at the park, where she soon learned to balance eight or nine hot dogs on one arm while using her other hand to put condiments on the “dogs!” The two soon hit it off, with “Pony” giving Carol the nickname “Candy” based on a popular song of the period that went “I call my sugar Candy.”
Pony related many of his memories in a 1994 letter that concluded with the following:
“My years spent in ‘White City Park’ were the ‘Good Days.’ We were at war, and people needed to unwind and have fun. I met many interesting people. I heard many stories of their travels and somehow or other I felt fortunate to share their travels, although I never even left ‘White City Park.’ In my heart I still can hear the sound of the pipe organ and the sound of people laughing and enjoying themselves in a very tense, unsettled world. I am proud to have worked in ‘White City Park,’ even prouder to have lived it!”
Our photograph shows a pennant from the park from the “old days,” when Shrewsbury was a very small town and the park was advertised as being in Worcester!
