Merry-Go-Round (2)
| Other Name(s) | Carousal Caroussel |
|---|---|
| Type | Rotating Ride |
| Park Section | South |
| Built | 1904 |
| Opened | 1906 |
| Closed | Unknown |
| Manufacturer | Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) |
| Designer | E. Joy Morris |
| Vehicle Type | Wooden Animal Sculptures |
| Replaced | Dancing Pavilion (1) |
This second Merry-Go-Round at Olentangy Park was purchased from the Columbus Zoological Company in 1906[1][2][3] after the company became defunct the year before.[4] The ride was located near the park's southeast entrance and the Ferris Wheel.[1]
It took 20 teams and nearly 100 men to move the Carousel and Forest Coaster (changed to Scenic Coaster) to the park.[2]
Description
The Merry-Go-Round was an amusement device where riders would mount wooden sculptures of animals that would simulate a riding movement along a vertical pole for each sculpture. It was operated by electricity, and a central organ provided music.
Built in 1904, this ride had "gay rocking horses and chariots and [had a] big organ."[1] Philadelphia Toboggan Coasters (PTC) bought E. Joy Morris's carousel company and Morris continued designing the rides' animals.[5][6][7] It was called a "regular Coney Island carousel" (sic) when it opened.[3] PTC started building rides with only horses in 1909.[5]
Injuries
Mrs. Harry Funk received a scalp wound when she was thrown from one of the merry-go-rounds in June 1912. Dr. R. P. Elder dressed the injury after the ambulance from Pletcher-Brown arrived within four minutes.[8]
See Also
- Merry-Go-Round (1) - Original Merry-Go-Round built for the park's 1896 opening season
- Merry-Go-Round (3) - A merry-go-round added in 1910
- Grand Carousel - Mangels-Illions Carousel currently in operation at the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
- Merry-Go-Round De Luxe - Opened in 1930
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Olentangy Park." The Democrat-Sentinel (Logan, Ohio). June 14, 1906. Page 2. Clip 1 | Clip 2
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Olentangy Park Opens on April 29." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. April 15, 1906. Page 7.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "The Opening of Olentangy Park." The Marion Star (Marion, Ohio). April 28, 1906. Page 10. Accessed through Newspapers.com.
- ↑ Rashon, Sam. The Bark of Beechwold. January 1990. Accessed through the Columbus Metropolitan Library.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "The Passing of the Menagerie." Kit Carson County Carousel. Accessed on June 2, 2024.
- ↑ "E. Joy Morris - Philadelphia's Forgotten Carousel Builder." Carousel News and Trader, March 1989. Vol. 5. No. 3. Accessed on June 1, 2024. [1]. Special thanks to the members of the Carousel Figure Identification Facebook group.
- ↑ Sotheby's. "A Fine Carved and Painted Carousel Horse, Probably Charles I. D. Looff, Circa 1900." Sale N09100, Lot 314. 2014. Accessed May 23, 2025.
- ↑ "Thrown from Merry-Go-Round." Columbus Evening Dispatch. June 20, 1912. Page 5.