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A Site with History
In 1924, sportsman Carl Dixon purchased some property south of Chattanooga, Tennessee, to fill an unmet need in the area—a place for people to fish, swim, and picnic. The location of his new business already had a history behind it. The 9-acre lake had been formed by Native Americans who built an earthen dam around several springs. It was later known as Green’s Spring Lake and home of a grist mill for area farmers. During the Civil War, the property was a campsite and meeting place for Confederate troops.
 One of Dixon’s first moves was to change the name to Winnepesaukah, a Native American word meaning “bountiful waters.” His new business first opened May 30, 1925, drawing a crowd of 1,000 people. A good start, but the next day, 5,000 people showed up and Lake Winnepesaukah was on its way.
Like so many amusement parks opening around the country at the time, swimming was the most popular attraction, so in 1926 Dixon opened a 22,000-square-foot swimming pool, the largest in the South. Winnie’s first mechanical ride followed in 1927. Built by the park itself, the “Boat Chute” was a forerunner of today’s log flume and remains in operation as the last ride of its kind. One of the country’s first miniature golf courses, also still in operation, followed in 1930. Both attractions remain treasured features at the park as direct links to the legacy of Carl Dixon.
Dixon passed away in 1933 and, at a time when dozens of amusement parks were closing as a result of the Depression, Dixon’s wife, Minnette, stepped in and took over. She was the first of four generations of women in the family that have overseen the operation, a rarity in a traditionally male-dominated industry. For most of the early years, the park was known for unusual acts and events such as balloonists, circus acts, automobile and boat races, and the Human Cork, who set an in-the-water endurance record in the pool in 1934.
The Dixons’ only child, Evelyn White, who developed the park’s food service program, took the reins in 1958 when her mother died. During the 1960s, yet another challenging period for family-owned amusement parks, White launched a major expansion of Lake Winnepesaukah. While the pool was closed, the number of rides were doubled, including the addition of what continue to be some of the park’s signature attractions: the antique carousel, which was originally carved in 1916; the “Castle” dark ride; and the “Cannonball,” one of the few wooden roller coasters built in the late 1960s.
But by the early 1970s, the times were catching up with Lake Winnepesaukah. Staffing was becoming an issue, Evelyn was seeking to retire and her daughters— Adrienne Rhodes and Tootsie Harless— were not in a position to take over, having young children to raise. So at the end of the 1974 season, the park closed.
In most cases Lake Winnepesaukah could have easily become a memory. But Evelyn had no intention of destroying all that her family had worked for, so the park was mothballed. In 1976, she approached veteran carnival operators JD Floyd and Billy Baxter of Cumberland Valley Shows about reopening the facility. They signed a 20-year lease, and in 1977, following a $1 million renovation, Lake Winne - pesaukah came back to life.
Back in the Family
Cumberland Valley succeeded in keeping Lake Winnepesaukah an active, vibrant facility and made improvements throughout its lease. But as the agreement expired, Adrienne Rhodes decided the time was right to bring the operation back under the family umbrella. By now, her daughters, Talley Green and Tennyson Dickinson, were grown and working outside the business but were convinced to join their mother. “It was time to get back involved,” Rhodes recalls of that time. The trio has since succeeded in reestablishing the park and growing it from a local amusement park to a regional attraction.
“I had worked so closely with our grandmother and seen how hard she worked and how hard my mother worked. It was my turn to roll up my sleeves and make good things happen,” says Rhodes. While she headed the newly formed family corporation, Evelyn remained an active part of the park, living in a house next to the “Boat Chute” until her death in 2002 at the age of 90. “Mother was so thrilled to see the park back with the family friendly feel,” says Rhodes.
 Back under family ownership, Lake Winnepesaukah was in need of an overhaul. New attractions were necessary, and the infrastructure had not been updated in decades, with only a single phone line and computer serving the office. According to Dickinson, it was like stepping back in time, “like we went from log cabin to two-story house with indoor plumbing and electricity.” Improvements included a new entrance, upgraded restrooms and parking, and rebuilt concessions.
The family knew their attractions lineup had to be upgraded and expanded, as well, to retain existing customers and expand Lake Winnie’s marketing area. In just the 12 years the family has managed the park, they have added 17 rides and attractions, including the “Wild Lightning” roller coaster, “Oh-Zone” drop tower, and “Stay & Play Hideaway” playground. Today, Lake Winnepesaukah features 26 thrill and family rides and 11 kiddie rides. “Patrons had been loyal; we had to show our appreciation,” says Rhodes.
Since returning to family operation, growth has been solid, with the park posting double-digit increases in revenues in a typical year. The marketing area expanded from Chattanooga to the outskirts of Nashville, Knoxville, and Atlanta—each more than 100 miles away. Groups account for one-third of business, a percentage that has remained constant as the marketing radius has increased.
 At the heart of the family’s success is an unflinching dedication to serving their core market. “Everything we do focuses on the family,” says Dickinson. For instance, to make sure the “Stay & Play Hideaway” would serve as large a percentage of their guests as possible, they brought in a consultant to make sure it was accessible to children with physical challenges. But it was also a good business decision as the playground increased the average length of stay in the park. “You give parents opportunity to rest and kids opportunity to run off energy,” says Dickinson.
Mark Goldner of Jacobson Hat, a longtime supplier, appreciates this focus: “It’s where I would go to take my kids,” citing Lake Winnie’s hands-on owners, high-quality, reasonably priced food, dedicated employees, and cleanliness.
According to Green, the feminine touch provided by herself, her sister, and her mother is important and visitors notice—paying attention to things moms, especially, pick up on like cleanliness, shade, and adequate seating. “It’s your hometown amusement park even if you’re 150 miles away,” she says.
Green feels Lake Winnie’s market position was best summarized by an e-mail she received from a customer. It praised the park for what it did not have: long lines, employees who wanted to be somewhere else, food prices comparable to an airport, and parking fees.
“There’s not a day I am not glad we did it,” says Rhodes of her decision to get involved again. “In 85 years, we have produced an amazing amount of memories.”
Jim Futrell has been historian for the National Amusement Park Historical Association since 1984. He serves on the IAAPA Hall of Fame and Archives Committee and oversees the association’s Oral History Project. He has written extensively on the industry including four books.
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