Ye Olde Mill (2)
| Other Name(s) | The Old Mill Old Mill Ye Olde Mill Second Old Mill |
|---|---|
| Type | Water ride Dark ride |
| Park Section | Midway |
| Built | 1918 |
| Opened | 1918 |
| Closed | 1937 (park closure) |
| Vehicle Type | Boat |
| Replaced | Wonderland The Destruction of Johnstown Penny Arcade (Midway) |
Ye Olde Mill, stylized as Old Mill, The Old Mill, and Ye Old Mill, was a water ride and dark ride installed at Olentangy Park in 1918. A fire destroyed the original building in July 1911, and the ride was rebuilt for the 1918 season[1] further north.[2][3] It was the only ride in the country at the time to use concrete channels for the water to carry the boats.[4] More than 2,200 people rode the ride on opening day in 1918.[5]
It was redecorated in 1930[6] and 1933.[7] The ride was a mainstay until the park's final season in 1937.[8]
It was common with Old Mill rides around the country to be referred to by some park-goers as "The Tunnel of Love" due to its pitch-black sections allowing couples a chance to cuddle and kiss.[9] This version of the ride ran on new lines, and there were electrically lit ways throughout the ride where riders encountered weird scenes.[1]
The ride was one of the many that the Cleveland Wrecking Company of Cincinnati, Ohio sold off.[10]
Although the word "Ye" appears and sometimes is pronounced with a "Y" sound, the original pronunciation of the Y-like symbol is a "Th" sound, so "Ye" sounds like "The."
Gallery
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Part of the second Ye Old Mill ride at Olentangy Park. -
The Midway at Olentangy Park with the Ye Olde Mill, Mysterious Sensation, Joy Mill, and Dancing Pavilion. -
Cannon Ball Express miniature railway and the Midway with the Ye Old Mill, Mysterious Sensation, Rifle Range, and the Joy Mill. (c. 1929-1930s)
See Also
- First Ye Olde Mill - Opened in 1904, burned down in 1911
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Lavish Park Plans." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch, September 23, 1917. Page 56.
- ↑ Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. Sanborn Map Company, - 1922 Vol. 3, 1922, 1922. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn06656_008/.
- ↑ General Map, The Olentangy Amusement Co., Columbus, Ohio, 1924.
- ↑ "Park Novelties." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. March 31, 1918.
- ↑ "New 'Old Mill' Is Popular." Columbus Evening Dispatch. April 4, 1918. Page 24.
- ↑ "Play in Sunshine." Columbus Evening Dispatch, May 10, 1930. Page 8.
- ↑ Charrington, H. E.. "Olentangy Opening Near---Hardgrove Is New Fo'castle Manager---Tidings of Film." The Columbus Dispatch. May 16, 1933. Page 2-C.
- ↑ Franklin Survey Co. 1937. Map. City of Columbus, Franklin Co., Ohio, Vol. 1. Accessed through Ebay.com https://www.ebay.com/itm/235251834706
- ↑ "Variety Club at Olentangy Fiesta." Columbus Evening Dispatch, July 26, 1932. Page 8.
- ↑ Advertisement. 1938. The Billboard, May 14, 1938. Page 45. Accessed through the Internet Archive. https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1938-05-14_50_20/page/44