A Fun Day with Aunt Ava

In early September, 1961, Ava Gardner took her great niece, Ava Carol Creech, to Freedomland U.S.A. This is an account of this fun filled day with her famous aunt written by Ava Carol.

The question I am asked most often is, “What was Ava Gardner really like?” A simple answer seems to me to be inadequate. She was so many things to me. When I was little, she was the special family member who sent gifts, letters, and talked with me on the phone. When she visited the family at home, there was always lots of excitement and a flurry of preparations for her visits. She found time to play with me and tell me stories about my Dad growing up. My Dad, David Allison Creech, nicknamed Al, was her nephew although they were less than two years apart in age. Ava’s sister, my grandmother, Elsie Mae Gardner Creech, was next to the oldest of the Gardner children and Ava was the youngest. There was 18 years difference in Ava and Elsie Mae’s ages. Ava and Al played together on the grounds of the Brogden Teacherage next to Brogden School. They were great pals and remained close friends throughout their lives.

As I grew older and our relationship matured, we became friends. We shared secrets and we had fun! She would send for me when she didn’t have time to visit home, and I would travel with her. She introduced me to some of the most famous people of the 1950s and 1960s, and she took me to some of the most iconic places. She was always concerned with my education and never stopped encouraging me to learn and to grow in my attitudes and values, and to expand my worldview.

Back to the question, the most outstanding things about Ava were her fun-loving nature, her uproarious laughter, her sense of adventure, and her zest for life. She was always fun to be with! In early September of 1961, I had just turned 12, and she called for me to come visit her in New York City. I saw all the usual sights: the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and many others. The most outstanding and fun part of the trip was going to Freedomland U.S.A. Ava had already been to Freedomland, perhaps more than once, and reportedly enjoyed every aspect of the park. Before going to the park, we had lunch with William B. Williams, a radio personality on WNEW, in the Monkey Bar at the Hotel Elysee. He hosted the Make-Believe Ballroom for most of his career and was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1988. He is credited for coining the phrase “Chairman of the Board” for Frank Sinatra. He was a good friend and advisor to Ava, and he went with us to Freedomland. His autograph is on my guide to the park.

My Official Guide to the park was autographed by William B. Williams of radio WNEW. Bill hosted the show, Make Believe Ballroom, for many years. He went to Freedomland with me and Ava.

Freedomland U.S.A. was a theme park in the Bronx. It was referred to as the Disneyland of the East, and it was conceived and built by C.V. Wood and his Marco Engineering Company. Wood was Disneyland’s first employee, and he brought Walt Disney’s imagination to life by leading the team that built Disneyland. Freedomland’s creators included artists who followed Wood from Disney along with others from Hollywood, television, and Broadway.

Freedomland made its debut on Father’s Day, June 19th, 1960. The park featured 85 acres of attractions with seven themed areas. Six areas addressed America’s colorful history – Little Old New York of the late 1800s, Old Chicago of 1871 (the year of the Great Fire), The Great Plains (1803-1900), San Francisco (time of the 1906 earthquake), The Old Southwest of 1890, and New Orleans. The seventh themed area featured contemporary history – the burgeoning space race.

The park was divided into different sectors; each sector was devoted to a period of American History.

Our first stop was Little Old New York. It gave a detailed view of the city during the last half of the nineteenth century. Here we had ice cream at The Borden Company and rode around in a horse-drawn streetcar.

Transportation in Little Old New York was by horse-drawn streetcar. In this photo the streetcar is passing the Harbor Tug Boats.

Our next stop was Old Chicago in 1871. As we were walking around, all of a sudden chaos broke out. Someone was yelling “fire!” and flames sprung up everywhere. To an unsuspecting 12-year-old, this was quite alarming! The Chicago Fire Department rolled out a hand pump, and Ava nudged me to go help, and I took my charge seriously and worked very hard pulling up and down on the bars. For my hard work, I was sworn in as “Honorary Fire Chief for meritorious service in fighting the Chicago Fire.” In twenty minutes, the fire broke out again as it did every 20 minutes all day long. In Chicago, we also boarded The Santa Fe Railroad for a trip through the heart of Freedomland on an old “iron horse.” The Santa Fe trains were actual steam engines dating back to 1913 and 1918. The cars were vintage coaches.

This is the Chicago Fire House where a hand pump was rolled out for the children to help put out the fire. I received a certificate for my service in fighting the fire.

As we moved into the Great Plains, we saw Chippewa war canoes. Ava did not seem to be frightened, so I was brave too! We came across a village of friendly Indians, and I became a member of the Freedomland Indian Tribal Council. I was inducted by Chief Black Hawk himself! He was an actual chief with the Penobscot Nation. His real name was Elmer Attean.

This is a photo of me, Aunt Ava, Chief Black Hawk, and a park official. I received a certificate saying I was a member of the Tribal Council.

We visited Fort Calvary and saw the Pony Express riders leaving the fort. We drank a Coke at the Chuck Wagon and rode the stagecoach. Visiting the Borden Farm was extra special because we saw “Elsie the Cow” in the barn. I loved meeting Elsie because she was on milk advertisements back home in NC. She was quite a celebrity. Of course, we had milk at the Borden Farm as well.

Elsie the Cow had a special boudoir in the barn on the Borden Farm. It was a real farm with chickens, goats, and sheep.

We participated in events and action that helped shape American history. We even rode on a paddlewheel boat, The American. We sampled food and drink in every section, including popcorn in New Orleans at the L.D. Pop Corn Corporation. It was a wonderful day of fun-filled adventure.

I think Ava especially loved taking me to Freedomland because it was not only fun but also educational. The park closed five years later and was replaced with Co-Op City, the largest housing cooperative in the world, but for a day in September of 1961, this kid and her famous relative had an unforgettable, grand time.

Written by Ava Thompson in consultation with Michael R. Virgintino, author of Freedomland U.S.A.: The Definitive History and Freedomland U.S.A.: More Definitive History. Both books are available on Amazon. All photos from the Michael R. Virgintino Collection.