Riding Schwinns, Murrays and Roadmasters to Little Cedar Point hill: Cleveland Remembers National Parents Center

Riding Schwinns, Murrays and Roadmasters to Little Cedar Point hill: Cleveland Remembers

July 1, 2011 – 12:51 am

Riding Schwinns, Murrays and Roadmasters to Little Cedar Point hill: Cleveland Remembers A Schwinn Black Phantom.

In the 1950s and 60s, it was quite a thrill to ride our bikes down into “The Valley.” Our adventure began in just being able to navigate Wooster or Mastick Road hills on our faithful Murrays, Roadmasters and Schwinns.

There were so many of us back then in the early 1960s that our mothers felt safe in letting us pack lunches and stay down and explore the view from Little Cedar Point Hill, after which we would catch guppies and tadpoles in the Rocky River.

Sometimes we would walk the slippery rocks across the river fords. What a laugh we would get when one of us would slip and fall into the water and get wet.

There were no fears, worries or thoughts of duties, work or time clocks — just as long as we got home before “rush hour” because traffic got busier then.

In the evening — after the Catholic families prayed the Rosary (because the “family that prayed together, stayed together”), we would head out to the street for a lively game of baseball or kick the can. Bedtime came around 9:30 so we would be well rested for another adventure in the morning!

– Mary Polk Bishop, Cleveland

National Parents Center