Puritas Springs Water
The land on which the amusement park would eventually be built was originally developed by the Cleveland, Berea, Elyri & Oberlin Railway. In the mid-1890s, the company purchased land in the area and began to bottle and sell water from the local springs.
Establishment and early days
The railway company and Albert Akins, its vice president, soon made plans to create a park at the Puritas Springs site. They hoped to attract guests to the area and profit from increased rail ticket sales. The Cleveland, Berea, Elyria, and Oberlin Railway began service to the park gates on June 10, 1900. In the early days, the Puritas Springs did not include a merry-go-round, a Ferris Wheel, or other staple attractions of more modern amusement parks; like many parks of the time, it provided simpler amenities, such as a dance hall, camp sites and picnic areas.
Transformation
John Gooding was a very important figure in the history of the park. Though sources disagree on whether Gooding founded the park or became involved around 1908. What is clear is that he owned the park outright by the end of 1915 and directed many important changes until his death in the 1930s. John Gooding began to transform the park by installing mechanized rides, such as merry go rounds. In 1922, seven years after acquiring the park, he installed an enclosed roller-skating rink, which featured a band organ. 1927 saw the installation of the Cyclone, a roller coaster designed by coaster pioneer John Miller. The Cyclone opened on June 10, 1928 and soon became the park's main attraction. Gooding died in the mid-1930s, but the park remained under the ownership of his family until its closure.
Closure and fire
In 1958, high insurance prices and increasing residential development in the area, combined with a decline in attendance, led to the sale of Puritas Springs Park to residential developers. Less than a year after the closure, a fire destroyed much of the park. The cause of the fire was never determined.
After closure
In spite of the fire and years of decay, parts of the park, including some of the famous Cyclone roller coaster, remained. A commemorative plaque funded by West Park Historical Society and The Ohio History Connection stands at the site of the park's original entrance.
Puritas Park Townhomes
In 1985 the construction of the Puritas Park Townhomes started with the last townhouse being finished in 1989.