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MEMORIES OF THE PIKE
From Keith Cullum, London, England
What a thrill it was to find your site
on the net. I live in Ealing, London, England now but in 1954
I lived on west 4th Street and Golden Avenue in beautiful Long
Beach. My memories are so vivid of my youth there and I often
wax nostalgic when I think of the wonderful times I had a kid
of 12 at the Pike.
 The
summer vacations seemed to last forever and it was such a short
walk to the beach and Rainbow Pier where I learned to swim. I
also learned that being an adult didn't mean you didn't act like
a child after witnessing the men argue their points at the Spit
and Argue Club on the pier.
I distinctly remember the smell of pistachios and how they stained
your fingers with the red dye they used to stain the nuts with,
the salt water taffy, corn dogs, hot dogs and pop corn, cotton
candy and the smell of beer from the honky tonk beer parlors
at the east end of the walk.
My name is Keith Cullum. I was born in England in 1942 and my
family moved to Canada in 1952. We lived there for two years
and then my uncle Gordon Pinder, a Long Beach resident sponsored
us to move to Long Beach in 1954. He was the owner of the Glue
Pot Bar. I don't know if it still exists today. Unfortunately,
he died of a heart attack while trying to haul a beer keg into
place at the bar.
I attended Edison Elementary school at the bottom of the hill
on Golden Avenue. My best friend was Ledrue (Leddy) Baker, who
lived on West 4th Street with his parents and brother Paul. I'm
still in touch with Leddy. He lives in Seal Beach now.
I remember with great fondness lying in bed at night in our 2nd
story rented apartment, looking out from the glass enclosed veranda
that we had converted into a bedroom for my brother and me. The
warm air smelling of the Pacific Ocean would drift into my room
and bring with it that wonderful smell of night blooming jasmine
and the sounds of traffic coming from Ocean Blvd. I could see
the night lights of the city glowing in the sky and that large
red letter atop the old hotel on Ocean Blvd. (sorry I've forgotten
its name)
I also remember (with good reason) the Miss Universe Contest
every year. My dad, Syd Cullum was a singer in those days with
the Long Beach Civic Light Opera Company. He sang on stage during
a couple of the beauty pageants at the Municipal Auditorium.
Afterward I would get to go back stage and meet all those beautiful
contestants from around the world. I was only 12 but the sight
of all those lovely women smiling so sweetly at me when my dad
introduced me was something I'll never forget.
I remember Lincoln Park and the best used book store in the world
called 'Acres of Books' just across the street. I spent many,
many hours in there reading and looking through dust covered
old books. I still have a couple I bought there in storage in
California.
I got my first of three tattoos at the Pikes tattoo shop, I was
16 and told the guy I was 18. I got my first kiss from a girl
at the Plunge on the Pike and I would sneak into the theater
on the Pike to see those adults' only films. That's where I learned
about the holocaust by watching a film called Halfway to Hell.
I never forgot that film and I still have a very soft spot inside
me for the Jews that suffered during those terrible days. I was
only 12 and couldn't understand why men can do such terrible
things to each other. I still don't understand. Yet it still
goes on.
I'm 61 now and I can say that after all my traveling in the world,
after all that I've seen and done, Long Beach, The Pike, Rainbow
Pier and that beautiful Pacific Ocean live in a very warm place
in my heart.
The Pike is gone, but not forgotten. Those of us that had the
wonderful experience of enjoying it are much better for having
walked it, tasted it, smelled it and loved it.
All the best from London, England.....Regards, Keith Cullum
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HELLO, HERE IS MY PIKE STORY. MY GRANDPA USED TO TAKE ME TO
THE PIKE IN THE LATE 60'S EARLY 70'S - WHAT WAS LEFT OF IT.
I REMEMBER DOUBLE FERRIS WHEEL, BUMPER CARS, FUN HOUSE, THE
LAUGHING LADY, AND THE ARCADE AND MIDWAY GAMES. I CAN STILL
REMEMBER THE CHALK FIGURE PRIZES AND THE SMELL OF THE ELECTRIC
BUMPER CARS. I FOUND THIS PHOTO OF ME AND MY COUSIN FROM 1976.
WE WENT TO WHAT WAS LEFT OF THE PIKE A LOT, AND WE TOOK THIS
PICTURE IN THE LONG BEACH JAIL. I WISH I HAD MORE FROM THE
PIKE. THANKS, JIMMY TILLITT - 44 YEARS OLD
Posted 10/27/06
"JUST FOUND YOUR SITE. BRINGS BACK GOOD MEMORIES.
MY UNCLE, (LEON SOMMERVILLE) OWNED LONG BEACH ICE AND COLD
STORAGE COMPANY ON ANAHEIM ST. MY FATHER (HESTON WILBERG) WORKED
FOR HIM. MY FATHER HAD THE ICE ROUTE ON THE PIKE. IF YOU REMEMBER,
REFRIGERATION WAS JUST COMING IN. IT WAS THE WAR YEARS AND THE
PIKE WAS ALWAYS CROWDED WITH SERVICE MEN. ALL OF THE STORES DOWN
THERE USED A LOT OF ICE. AND EVERY MORNING BEFORE THEY OPENED MY
DAD WOULD DELIVER ICE TO THEM. HE HAD THE KEYS TO ALL OF THE
PLACES THAT USED ICE. SOMETIMES HE WOULD TAKE ME WITH HIM. I WOULD
DRINK SOFT DRINKS AND EAT CANDY AT EACH ONE. WHEN I WAS IN JUNIOR
HIGH SCHOOL. (JEFFERSON) WE WOULD GO DOWN AND RIDE THE RIDES, AND
PLAY IN THE ARCADES WHEN EVER WE COULD. AND IN THE 50'S I WAS
STATIONED AT CAMP PENDLETON. AND WENT TO THE PIKE QUITE OFTEN. I
REMEMBER RIDING THE LITTLE MOTOR BOATS IN RAINBOW BAY. AND I
REMEMBER SNEAKING INTO THE AUDITORIUM TO WATCH THE FIGHTS THERE.
WE WOULD CLIMB THE TREES BY THE BALCONY UPTO THE SECOND FLOOR AND
JUST STEP ACROSS.
I REMEMBER THE TUNNEL UNDER OCEAN BLVD. AND ALL OF THE
WONDERFUL SMELLS THAT IT HAD. IT WAS A GREAT PLACE. LATER ON I
WORKED FOR GENERAL TELEPHONE COMPANY AND THEY BUILT THEIR LONG
BEACH MAIN OFFICE ON OCEAN BLVD. AND THE BACK OF THE BUILDING WAS
NEXT TO THE PIKE. SOME GOOD MEMORIES."
DENNIS WILBERG
LEHI, UTAH
Posted 10/20/07
FOND MEMORIES OF THE PIKE
RICK KENDALL
TORRANCE CA.
I REMEMBER THE PIKE VERY WELL,I ALSO REMEMBER IT HAD A LOT OF DIFFERENT
NAMES,THE LAST I REMEMBER WAS "QUEENS PARK" PROABLY NAMED AFTER THE
CITY OF LONG BCH AQUIRED THE THE QUEEN MARY LINER
I AM NOT A GREAT WRITER SO EXCUSE ME IF I DRIFT OF SUBJECT ON OCASION AND MISPELL WORDS AND ETC.
THE FIRST VISIT TO THE PIKE I CAN REMEMBER MY FATHER TOOK ME,I THINK I
WAS UNDER 5 YRS OLD,HE WAS LOOKING FOR WORK IN THE AIRCRAFT INDUSTRY IN
LONG BCH ,WE STOPPED IN AND HE WALKED ME AROUND THE PARK AND HE GAVE A
LITTLE HISTORY,SADLY I CANNOT REMEMBER MUCH OF WHAT HE SAID.
MY FATHER WAS WW2 NAVY AND I BELIEVE HAD BEEN TO THE PIKE MANY TIMES,I
REMEMBER SEEING THE CYCLONE RACER COASTER ALLTHOUGH MY FATHER STEERED
ME WELL CLEAR OF IT ,ALSO INFORMING ME THAT MORE THAN ONE "FOOL "HAD
BEEN KILLED BY OR WHILE RIDING IT,I ALSO REMEMBER THE SHOOTING GALLERY
WHERE THERE WERE SAILORS IN THERE NEAT BLUE /WHT UNIFORMS,AS I REMEMBER
THERE WERE TWO TYPES THOSE SHARP AND CLEAN NEAT LOOKING GUYS AND THEN
THERE WERE THESE TOUGH GUY LOOKING SAILORS USUALLY WITH A TIGHT WHITE T
SHIRT,THAT WHITE SAILOR HAT ,A CIG ,NEEDING A SHAVE AND SOME FUNKY
TATOO OF SOME BOOBY CHIC IN HOT PANTS IN THAT "DOLLAR BILL GREEN"
INK....I MEAN EVERYONE WAS ONE OR THE OTHER NO LIE ...IT WAS VERY
INTERESTING TO ME! A BIT SCARY TOO, I DIDNT TRUST ANY BODY DOWN THERE
,SOMETIMES I WAS EVEN FEARFUL MY DAD WOULD SOMEHOW DISAPPEAR AND I
WOULD BE LOST AND FACE CERTAIN DEATH!
ANYWAY BACK TO THE ARCADE SHOOTING GALLERY,THEY HAD THESE METAL MACHINE
GUNS THAT LOOKED PRETTY REAL TO ME,I RECALL THE FRONT OF THE BARREL WAS
CHAINED TO THE BAR TOP THEY WERE MOUNTED ON (SO YOU COULDNT SPIN AROUND
AND SHOOT OTHER PATRONS OR THE GUY RUNNING THE PLACE)THEY HAD A
VERTICAL TUBE ABOUT 24"HIGH FULL OF BB'S THE OPERATOR WOULD LOAD ON
YOUR GUN AND THE GUY WOULD HANG A 4"X6"PIECE OF PAPER WITH A 1"
RED STAR ON IT HAUL IT DOWN ABOUT 25' DOWNRANGE...... THEN IF YOU COULD
SHOOT ALL THE RED OUT,YOU WON SOMETHING.
I NEVER GOT TO TRY IT OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR THAT MATTER! MY DAD WAS
PRETTY MUCH A "SHOW YA "RATHER THAN "HAVE YA DO IT" GUY
ACCORDING
TO HIM IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR AT LEAST TWO REASONS,ONE "THE DARN SIGHTS
WERE MIS ALLIGNED SO YOU COULDNT HIT THE BROAD SIDE OF A BARN !"
AND
TWO "BY THE TIME YOU SIGHT IT IN RICHARD THE DAMMM THING WILL BE OUT OF
BB'S" HE WAS LIKELY CORRECT ON BOTH COUNTS BUT THERE WAS NO SHORTAGE OF
PEOPLE TRYING,AND IT IT SOUNDED REALLY NEAT,I THINK IT WAS AIR POWERED
BY A COMPRESSOR AND IT EMPTIED THE GUN IN ABOUT 5 SECONDS,SURE WAS
COOL,REMEMBER I WAS ONLY ABOUT 5 YEARS OLD.
I RETURNED TO THE PIKE MORE TIMES THAN I CAN REMEMBER FROM THAN TILL
ABOUT 16 Y.O.OR ABOUT 1973,I NEVER DID GET TO RIDE THE CYCLONE BY THE
TIME I WAS OLD ENOUGH OR BOLD ENOUGH IT WAS NO LONGER OPERATING,I DO
REMEMBER THE PEOPLE WHO DID RIDE IT WERE ALLWAYS SCREAMING SO IT MUST
HAVE BEEN A REAL THRILL RIDE. I DO REMEMBER THAT SOME OF THE
OTHER COASTER S SOME I DID RIDE WERE IN PRETTY BAD CONDITION ,I REMBER
SEEING THE TRACK HEAVE WHEN THE LOAD OF THE CAR WOBBLED AROUND IT,I
REMEMBER THE CARS DID NOT ROLL SMOOTHLY THRU THE TURNS...RATHER THE CAR
JERKED VIOLENTLY AS IT SQUARED OFF THE CORNER IN STRAIGHT LINE TANGENTS!
THAT WAS THE SCARY PART THE WOOD STRUCTURE LOOKED READY TO FALL APART ALSO ,
BUT
I GUESS THERE WAS ENOUGH REDUNDENCY IN THE STRUCTURE THAT IT DIDNT FOLD
UP! REMEMBER I WAS A KID AND I COULD RECONIZE THIS WAS RISKY.
THE OTHER THING THAT STICKS OUT VIVIDLY IN MY MEMORIE IS THE
OPERATORS ON THE POWERED RIDES,THESE GUYS LOOKED THE PART OF A TWEAKER
IF I EVER SAW ONE,JUST ROUGH ,MISSING TEETH, DIRTY,SMOKERS EVERY ONE OF
THEM,DONT GET ME WRONG ALTHOUGH THESE GUYS LOOKED MEAN AS HELL I
BELIEVE THEY WERE ACTUALLY KIND PEOPLE,I THINK I DID GET A FEW FREE
RIDES ,EVEN THOUGH THOSE GUYS KNEW IF YOU COULD AFFORD A TICKET,IF YOU
WERE UNABLE TO PAY THEY WOULD LET A KID RIDE FREE,THEY JUST HAD TO BE
SNEAKY ABOUT IT,WHICH IS REALLY COOL AND JUST WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT A
"KIND "PERSON TO DO ,OF COURSE I DID NOT KNOW THIS AT THE TIME,AND
USUALLY WAS PREPARED TO BUY A TICKET.
THE OTHER MOST IMPRESSIVE THING ABOUT THE PIKE WAS THE NOISE! SOMETHING
ABOUT THOSE DIESEL ENGINES ARCING UP TO THE GOVERENED LOAD LIMIT WHEN
THE RIDE STARTED IS UNDESCRIBABLY EXCITING,THEY ALL SOUNDED THE
SAME,LIKE THEY WERE GONNA GERNADE TOO ,NEVER SAW ONE BREAK
,EVER............THE PLACE WAS ALLWAYS DIRTY ,FULL OF CRIMINALS,
DRUGGIES ,HOOKERS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE BEST PLACES ON EARTH TO VISIT,
I
HOPE IF YOU READ THIS YOU WILL GET SOME IDEA OF THE GREAT COLOR OF THIS
PLACE IF YOU NEVER GOT TO SEE IT,AND OR SPARK A FOND MEMORIE IF YOU DID.
Posted 12.26.08
Arcades When
I was a kid, I spent many a weekend playing those old card machine
pinball games at various arcades at the Pike. It may have been NuPike
by then, it was around '62 when we first went there. The machines were
rigged to play for a nickel, but I soon discovered that they would also
play for a penny, and my family wasn't exactly the richest. So for
about 25¢, I could be entertained all day.
I got pretty good,
and eventually the machine would award me free games, so then I would
use the extra money to feed the Jukebox, which was more sophisticated,
and rejected my pennies.
The machines did good for me: They kept
me out of trouble. While many a kid was stealing hubcaps (or worse) I
was playing games. Eventually the State of Calif. would outlaw pinball
machines that didn't have flippers. They labelled them gambling
machines, and most were confiscated and/or destroyed.
In Chicago they burned hundreds in a bonfire. After all, we can't have gambling now, can we?
Round
about '69, I remember going to a NuPike arcade, and finding a new
Seeburg jukebox. I asked the guy where the old one went, and he told me
that I could have it for $25.
It was a stupid move for me not to get it. Today on eBay, it would sell for about what he paid for it, when it was new.
So,
now I'm retired, living in Northern Cal, and doing what I should have
done some 50 years ago: Repairing jukeboxes and pinballs.
Bro Duke (of Duke&Banner)
http://www.dukeandbanner.com/ Posted 12.27.08 Pike in the '50s My
family moved to Long Beach from Oxnard, Ca in 1950. For a short while
we lived just a few blocks from the Pike in an old apartment building
on Golden Ave and Ocean Blvd. I was four years old at the time but can
remember walking to the Pike with my Dad and riding the kiddie rides.
He would also take me on the double ferris wheel. What a thrill that
was! One of my favorite things was riding the electric boats at Rainbow
Pier. I put in a lot of nautical miles in that lagoon!
We
soon moved to Wilmington and only made occasional trips back to the
Pike. Later on when I got older, my buddies and I would go there on the
bus, usually on Wednesdays, when rides were ten cents. We would ride
all the thrill rides but It took a while for us to work up enough nerve
for the Cyclone Racer but once we did you couldn't get us off of it!
I
spent many happy hours at the Pike and was sorry to see it deteriorate
and finally shut down. I can still hear the sounds of the penny arcades
and smell the popcorn and Macgruder's salt water taffy. For many of us
that grew up there in the '50s, there will never again be anything like
it.
John Flint, Banning High School 1964
Posted 12.27.08
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