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News: Uncle Milty's Playland owner dies

By Jill Anne

Dec. 3rd, 2004 -- Milton Tone, 85, died Saturday in Florida after a long illness. He was the owner and operator of Uncle Miltie's Playland in the 1950s. The park closed sometime in the 1970s but is still well remembered by locals. The park's land was acquired by the city and turned into a municipal park.

The park was the remainder of a large number of privately-run arcades and entertainments in the area, when Bayonne was a popular summer resort spot for vacationing New Yorkers and locals from about a century ago.

By the 1940s most of the entertainment was gone and the land lay dormant. In the park's heydey, it was about 10 times the size of the eventual Uncle Miltie's, and was about the same size as Palisades Park.

In 1950, Milton leased the property and installed some skeeball machines and small rides. For each year after he would add more rides and attractions. He planned it to be a nice place for families, and a place that locals could visit without having to travel very far. The park also had an attached diner.

He rented out the park in 1960 and sold the land to the city in 1969.

For more information on Milton and the park, visit NJ.com.