List of Lawsuits
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Below is a list of reported lawsuits involving Olentangy Park or its management.
| Year | Plaintiff | Defense | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | W. B. Flynn | W. J. Dusenbury | For unpaid work after being hired to design and construct an electric sign for Olentangy and Minerva parks at High and Broad streets for $75$2,855 in 2025 dollars. Dusenbury claimed not to know Flynn and said another party designed and built the sign at 7 South High Street.[1] |
| 1900 | American School Furniture Company Grand Rapids School Furniture Company |
Eli M. West Joseph W. Dusenbury The Olentangy Park Company |
For $928.88$35,364 in 2025 dollars for unpaid contracted work involving furnishing and setup of chairs for the Theater.[2] Dusenbury and West filed a demurrer to the petition a month later, claiming the facts weren't sufficient for action.[3] |
| 1900 | Vern Ramsey | E. T. Simmons | For $64$2,437 in 2025 dollars for ads in the programs of the Olentangy and Minerva Park theaters.[4] |
| 1901 | Central Union Telephone Company | Olentangy Park Company | For $155.19$5,839 in 2025 dollars for operating a line during the 1899 and 1900 seasons.[5] |
| 1901 | Daniel H. Mackey Otho L. Hays |
Olentangy Park Company | For $1,400$52,322 in 2025 dollars when owners of the ball grounds raised rent and requested fencing to be removed. See more info here: Hays-Mackey v. The Olentangy Park Co.[6][7] |
| 1901 | Globe Ticket Company | Olentangy Park Company | For $258.80$9,737 in 2025 dollars with interest in unpaid bills from May 27. The first item was for 405,000 wide strip tickets for Olentangy Park, 335,000 of which were for the gate, 50,000 for the balcony, and 10,000 for children. Also included in the amount were 95,000 tickets for Minerva Park, which Joseph W. Dusenbury was also the manager of.[8] |
| 1902 | Olentangy Park Company | John Field | For $250$9,296 in 2025 dollars on a contract for $450$17,339 in 2025 dollars for the program privilege during the 1899 season.[9] The judge ruled the park company should receive $174.25$6,480 in 2025 dollars because Field already paid $100$3,719 in 2025 dollars and did not receive credit.[10] |
| 1902 | Henrietta B. Burgher | Estate of Henry T. Chittenden | The ex-wife of Henry T. Chittenden filed an equitable relief suit against Chittenden's property, asking for the foreclosure of a mortgage, causing liens on the property, and a receiver. This property included Olentangy Park. The property the park sat on, along with other parts, was to receive 6 percent interest, but this interest allegedly went unpaid since July 1, 1901. Only $10,000$371,859 in 2025 dollars has been paid on the property, where $50,000$1,859,297 in 2025 dollars was owed. Bugher wanted the mortgage satisfied by the sale of Olentangy Park and the property on Cussins Street.[11] Through the lawsuit investigation, it was discovered that park manager J. W. Dusenbury signed a 99-year lease on the park's property, renewable forever, beginning in March 1901 for a monthly cost of $250$9,296 in 2025 dollars. The Columbus Railway Company waived its lease on the property. The total mortgage for 27 acres was $52,699.25$1,959,671 in 2025 dollars.[12][13] |
| 1902 | Rev. J. M. Riddle P. W. Chavous |
Olentangy Park Company | Field missionary for the Baptist Church and the proprietor of the local Black newspaper accused park employees of preventing them from bowling, and that this was not an uncommon occurrence.[14] |
| 1902 | Henry Becker | Joseph W. Dusenbury Will J. Dusnbury |
For $204$7,586 in 2025 dollars for groceries furnished at Olentangy Park, Minerva Park, and Bryden Hotel.[15] This was later increased to $206.95$7,696 in 2025 dollars.[16] |
| 1904 | F. R. Brown | Joseph W. Dusenbury | For $108.60$3,923 in 2025 dollars due for building materials.[17] |
| 1904 | Page Woven Wire Fence Company | Joseph W. Dusenbury The Olentangy Park Company |
For $814.39$29,415 in 2025 dollars due for labor and materials.[18] |
| 1906 | Traver Circle Swing Company | The Olentangy Park Company | For $2,392$85,438 in 2025 dollars due to non-payment of royalties.[19] |
| 1917 | Will D. Harris | Columbus Local American Federation of Musicians | Manager Harris filed a lawsuit when the Columbus Federation refused to play after being contracted for the park, and they had been overpaid. The musicians were playing regularly at the park when he later dropped the suit.[20] |
| 1919 | Joseph W. Dusenbury Will J. Dusnbury |
Will D. Harris The Park Amusement Company |
The Dusenbury brothers alleged that the Park Amusement Company was conducting gambling on the park grounds in violation of the lease terms. Harris said he remained in control of the Park Amusement Company and changed the company's name from his name as a stockholder. Since he was in control, he claimed the proceeds from the park were to go toward the payment of the debts of the original Will D. Harris Company. However, when W. N. Ferguson was made theater manager, Harris was thrown out, and the profits were distributed to the park company instead. Harris' application for a receiver was originally continued until Ferguson could attend court.[21] |
| 1919 | Creditors of Will D. Harris | Will D. Harris W. N. Ferguson David Armstrong J. P. Russell |
Attorney Eugene Morgan filed a lawsuit asking for a receiver or trustees for all property turned over to the Park Amusement Company last spring. The Electric Sales Company, a creditor of Harris, wanted $775$14,326 in 2025 dollars. Since Harris turned over his interests consisting of 496 shares in the Will D. Harris Company and the leasehold on the park, creditors were not able to collect anything from Harris.[22] This led Judge M. G. Evans of the Franklin County courts to deny the request to appoint a receiver after Judge Kinkead had already heard the case. The Park Amusement Company said they'd give a bond to pay the debts assumed by Harris after they determined what they were for Olentangy Park and not allow funds to pay for the Grand Theater, which Harris continued to operate.[23] Judge Kinkead also refused to appoint a receiver and ordered the Park Amusement Company to give a bond of over $10,000$184,855 in 2025 dollars, guaranteeing the payment of debts of the park.[24] |
| 1919 | Charles H. Towson | Will D. Harris | Towson said he lent Harris $1,500$28,010 in 2025 dollars[25] |
| 1919 | John T. Dundon | Will D. Harris | For $1,684$31,446 in 2025 dollars in lumber[25] |
| 1919 | F. A. Siegel | Will D. Harris | Siegel said he had Harris's promissory note for $1,500$28,010 in 2025 dollars[25] |
| 1919 | W. L. Arnett | Will D. Harris | Arnett said he lent Harris $1,000$18,673 in 2025 dollars[25] |
| 1919 | Jacob Luft | Park Amusement Company | For his salary of $1,600$33,886 in 2025 dollars, stating that he was hired on May 1, 1918, to manage the theater for $50$1,059 in 2025 dollars per week and worked 16 weeks. In 1919, he was hired to work for $100$1,848 in 2025 dollars per week and worked 10 weeks. He said he was only paid $200$3,697 in 2025 dollars of the $1,800$33,274 in 2025 dollars owed.[26] |
| 1920 | Jacob Luft Joseph Cleary |
Jerry O'Shaughnessy, superintendent of Columbus water works | Luft and Cleary filed a complaint against O'Shaughnessy, when O'Shaughnessy threatened to cut off water to the park over a $100$1,425 in 2025 dollars water bill created before the park went into receivership.[27] |
References
- ↑ "Dusenbury's Answer." Columbus Dispatch. May 24, 1900. Page 9.
- ↑ "Furniture Company Brings Suit Against Dusenbury, West and Olentangy Park Co." "The Columbus Sunday Dispatch." Sept. 9, 1900. Page 6.
- ↑ "Olentangy Theater Decision." "Saturday Columbus Dispatch." Oct. 6, 1900. Page 6.
- ↑ "Sued for Ads." The Billboard. Oct. 10, 1900. Vol. 12. Issue 25. Page 6. Accessed through Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1900-10-20_12_25/mode/2up
- ↑ "Brevities." Columbus Evening Dispatch. Jan. 7, 1901. Page 7.
- ↑ "Beat the Injunction." Columbus Evening Dispatch. April 27, 1901. Page 7.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park Fences." Columbus Evening Dispatch. May 11, 1901. Page 6.
- ↑ "Olentangy Company Sued for Tickets Furnished for Use at Olentangy and Minerva Parks." Columbus Evening Dispatch. Aug. 20, 1901. Page 5.
- ↑ "Brevities." Columbus Evening Dispatch. March 24, 1902. Page 7.
- ↑ "Justices' Court." Saturday Columbus Dispatch. April 12, 1902. Page 7.
- ↑ "H.T. Chittenden Sued." Friday Columbus Dispatch. June 13, 1902. Page 7.
- ↑ "Mrs. Burgher's Note." Wednesday Columbus Dispatch. July 23, 1902. Page 7.
- ↑ "Park Notes." The Billboard, March 8, 1902. Vol. 14. Issue 10. Page 3. Accessed through the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1902-03-08_14_10/page/3/mode/2up
- ↑ "Color Line Drawn." Thursday Columbus Dispatch. July 17, 1902. Page 6.
- ↑ Tuesday Columbus Dispatch. Oct. 28, 1902. Page 8.
- ↑ "Court Notes." Monday Columbus Dispatch. Nov. 17, 1902. Page 5.
- ↑ Columbus Evening Dispatch. June 10, 1904. Page 2.
- ↑ Columbus Evening Dispatch. Aug. 31, 1904. Page 6.
- ↑ "Sue for Royalties." Columbus Evening Dispatch. Feb. 2, 1906. Page 10.
- ↑ "Harris Settles Trouble." The Newark Daily Advocate (Newark, Ohio). July 24, 1917. Page 9. Accessed through Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/newark-advocate-1917-07-24/page/n7/mode/2up
- ↑ "Three-Cornered Fight for Park Opens in Court." Columbus Evening Dispatch. June 24, 1919. Page 1.
- ↑ Reynoldsburg News Gazette (Reynoldsburg, Ohio). July 10, 1919. Page 8. Accessed through Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/newsgazette1917000news/page/n583/mode/2up
- ↑ "Rejects Request for Receiver for Park Co." Columbus Evening Dispatch. July 7, 1919. Page 1.
- ↑ "Refuses to Appoint Receiver for Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. July 28, 1919. Page 1.
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 "Lancaster Man Files Suit For Collection of Money Against Manager of Olentangy Park." Lancaster Eagle-Gazette (Lancaster, Ohio). July 22, 1919. Page 4. Accessed through Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/article/lancaster-eagle-gazette-lancaster-man-fi/179694865/
- ↑ "Sues Park Company." Columbus Evening Dispatch. June 24, 1919. Page 20.
- ↑ "O'Shaughnessy May Be Jailed If He Cuts Off Park's Water." The Columbus Dispatch. May 7, 1920. Page 1.