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[[Dodgem]] was an amusement ride that opened at Olentangy Park in 1922.<ref name=":0">"Park Opens Today." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch,'' April 16, 1922. Page 68.</ref><ref>"New Restaurant Open." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch,'' June 4, 1922.</ref><ref name="newsgazette">[https://archive.org/details/newsgazette1920000news/page/n869/ "Olentangy Park."] ''The News Gazette (Reynoldsburg, Ohio).'' Vol. 15. Issue 27. July 6, 1922. Page 2. Accessed through the Internet Archive.</ref> Housed in an 80-foot-by-150-foot building,<ref name="spring">"Spring Building at Olentangy." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' March 24, 1922. Page 14.</ref> it was a ride that later became known as a "bumper car" ride, consisting of electrically-propelled cars that riders would ride around with the intent to dodge other cars, but usually would bump them intentionally instead. It was north of the entrance to the Red Devil roller coaster.<ref>''General Map, The Olentangy Amusement Co., Columbus, Ohio.'' 1924.</ref> The patents for the Dodgem were secured only the season before by the [[Stoehrer & Pratt Dodgem Corporation]], and the first one opened in Atlantic City. The one at Olentangy Park was the second in the country.<ref name="newsgazette" /> The attraction was improved in 1927<ref>"Amusement News." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' April 13, 1927. Page 34.</ref><ref name="patent27" /> and in 1930, front-wheel dodgem cars were added.<ref>Cherrington, H. E. "Looking Backward at Park and Forward to Film Season." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' Nov. 9, 1930. Page 6-F.</ref><ref>"Olentangy Receipts Almost Up to 1929." ''The Billboard.'' Vol. 42. Issue 44. Nov. 1, 1930. Page 61. Accessed through the Internet Archive.</ref><ref name="patent30" /> The ride remained operational until the park closed in 1937.<ref>''[https://www.ebay.com/itm/235251834706 City of Columbus, Franklin Co., Ohio.]'' Franklin Survey Co. 1937. Vol. 1. Map. Accessed through Ebay.com.</ref> Despite being listed for sale in ''The Billboard,''<ref>Advertisement. ''[https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1938-04-16_50_16/page/40 The Billboard.]'' April 16, 1938. Page 41. Accessed through the Internet Archive.</ref> it was moved to the Haenlein Brothers' new Zoo Amusement Park across from the Columbus Zoo.<ref name="historian">Barrett, Richard E. "Olentangy Park: Four Decades of Fun." ''Columbus and Central Ohio Historian No. 1.'' April 1984. Page 17.</ref><ref>"Zoo Amusement Park Has Established Its Popularity." ''Columbus Dispatch.'' June 2, 1929. Page 14-A.</ref><ref>"Marysville Family Picnics Arranged for Columbus Zoo." ''Marysville Journal-Tribune (Marysville, Ohio).'' Aug. 16, 1939. Pages 1-2. Accessed through Newspapers.com [https://www.newspapers.com/article/marysville-journal-tribune-marysville-fa/161188120/ Clip 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/marysville-journal-tribune-marysville-fa/161188060/ Clip 2]</ref>
[[Dodgem]] was an amusement ride that opened at Olentangy Park in 1922.<ref name=":0">"Park Opens Today." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch,'' April 16, 1922. Page 68.</ref><ref>"New Restaurant Open." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch,'' June 4, 1922.</ref><ref name="newsgazette">[https://archive.org/details/newsgazette1920000news/page/n869/ "Olentangy Park."] ''The News Gazette (Reynoldsburg, Ohio).'' Vol. 15. Issue 27. July 6, 1922. Page 2. Accessed through the Internet Archive.</ref> It was a ride that later became known as a "bumper car" ride, consisting of electrically-propelled cars that riders would ride around with the intent to dodge other cars, but usually would bump them intentionally instead. It was north of the entrance to the Red Devil roller coaster.<ref>''General Map, The Olentangy Amusement Co., Columbus, Ohio.'' 1924.</ref> The patents for the Dodgem were secured only the season before by the [[Stoehrer & Pratt Dodgem Corporation]], and the first one opened in Atlantic City. The one at Olentangy Park was the second in the country.<ref name="newsgazette" /> The attraction was improved in 1927<ref>"Amusement News." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' April 13, 1927. Page 34.</ref><ref name="patent27" /> and in 1930, front-wheel dodgem cars were added.<ref>Cherrington, H. E. "Looking Backward at Park and Forward to Film Season." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' Nov. 9, 1930. Page 6-F.</ref><ref>"Olentangy Receipts Almost Up to 1929." ''The Billboard.'' Vol. 42. Issue 44. Nov. 1, 1930. Page 61. Accessed through the Internet Archive.</ref><ref name="patent30" /> The ride remained operational until the park closed in 1937.<ref>''[https://www.ebay.com/itm/235251834706 City of Columbus, Franklin Co., Ohio.]'' Franklin Survey Co. 1937. Vol. 1. Map. Accessed through Ebay.com.</ref> Despite being listed for sale in ''The Billboard,''<ref>Advertisement. ''[https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1938-04-16_50_16/page/40 The Billboard.]'' April 16, 1938. Page 41. Accessed through the Internet Archive.</ref> it was moved to the Haenlein Brothers' new Zoo Amusement Park across from the Columbus Zoo.<ref name="historian">Barrett, Richard E. "Olentangy Park: Four Decades of Fun." ''Columbus and Central Ohio Historian No. 1.'' April 1984. Page 17.</ref><ref>"Zoo Amusement Park Has Established Its Popularity." ''Columbus Dispatch.'' June 2, 1929. Page 14-A.</ref><ref>"Marysville Family Picnics Arranged for Columbus Zoo." ''Marysville Journal-Tribune (Marysville, Ohio).'' Aug. 16, 1939. Pages 1-2. Accessed through Newspapers.com [https://www.newspapers.com/article/marysville-journal-tribune-marysville-fa/161188120/ Clip 1], [https://www.newspapers.com/article/marysville-journal-tribune-marysville-fa/161188060/ Clip 2]</ref>


==Description==
==Description==
The ride was described as a set of small circular electric motor-propelled cars, guided by shifting the trolley pole from one trolley wire to another, and riders could control them by turning the motor forward or backward. The cars were on swiveled casters,<ref name="case2">''[https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/6934162/stoehrer-pratt-dodgem-corp-v-lusse-bros Stoehrer & Pratt Dodgem Corp. v. Lusse Bros.]'' 282 Pa. 166, 127 A. 473. Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1925. Accessed through CourtListener.</ref> and each held up to two people.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="case">''[https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/6563085/greenburg-v-stoehrer-pratt-dodgem-corp/ Greenburg v. Stoehrer & Pratt Dodgem Corp.]'' 1927 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1234. United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1927. Accessed through CourtListener.</ref>
It was housed in a building that was 80 feet by 150 feet,<ref name="spring">"Spring Building at Olentangy." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' March 24, 1922. Page 14.</ref> and had a porch that wrapped around for onlookers. The floor was covered in steel, and overhead wire netting was stretched. Fancy upholstered cars, mounted on wheels that could turn in any direction, with each car holding two to four riders, were placed on the floor. An electric motor in the cars and trolleys that extended to the overhead wire netting generated an electric current to operate each car.<ref>"On the 'Dodgem'." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' April 9, 1922. Page 7.</ref>


The original design of the car by J. J. Stock was unsuccessful, so the Stoehrer brothers modified it to hold two riders. They made the cars seem to be steerable by riders, but the mechanism moved in random directions. The electricity for the motors was supplied through a pole extending from the ceiling to the floor.<ref name="case2" />
The patent described the ride as a set of small circular electric motor-propelled cars, guided by shifting the trolley pole from one trolley wire to another, and riders could control them by turning the motor forward or backward. The cars were on swiveled casters,<ref name="case2">''[https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/6934162/stoehrer-pratt-dodgem-corp-v-lusse-bros Stoehrer & Pratt Dodgem Corp. v. Lusse Bros.]'' 282 Pa. 166, 127 A. 473. Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1925. Accessed through CourtListener.</ref> and each held up to two people.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="case">''[https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/6563085/greenburg-v-stoehrer-pratt-dodgem-corp/ Greenburg v. Stoehrer & Pratt Dodgem Corp.]'' 1927 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1234. United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1927. Accessed through CourtListener.</ref>
 
The original design of the car by J. J. Stock was unsuccessful, so the Stoehrer brothers modified it to hold two riders. They made the cars appear steerable by riders, but the mechanism moved in random directions. The electricity for the motors was supplied through a pole extending from the ceiling to the floor.<ref name="case2" />


The concept for the Dodgem ride came from when Max Stoehrer saw a kid maneuvering a stripped-down Ford in a parking garage, avoiding all the posts.<ref>[https://amusementparksandbeyond.wordpress.com/2017/12/21/when-rides-were-the-soul-of-salisbury-part-ii/ "When Rides Were the Soul of Salisbury, Part II."] ''Amusement Parks and Beyond.'' December 21, 2017.</ref>
The concept for the Dodgem ride came from when Max Stoehrer saw a kid maneuvering a stripped-down Ford in a parking garage, avoiding all the posts.<ref>[https://amusementparksandbeyond.wordpress.com/2017/12/21/when-rides-were-the-soul-of-salisbury-part-ii/ "When Rides Were the Soul of Salisbury, Part II."] ''Amusement Parks and Beyond.'' December 21, 2017.</ref>

Latest revision as of 08:20, 22 November 2025

Dodgem
Type Other
Park Section Center
Built 1922
Opened April 16, 1922
Closed 1937 (park closure)
Manufacturer Stoehrer & Pratt Dodgem Corporation
Architect Miller, Baker & McKee
Length 150 feet
Width 80 feet
Vehicle Type Car
Number of Vehicles 15
Riders per Vehicle 2

Dodgem was an amusement ride that opened at Olentangy Park in 1922.[1][2][3] It was a ride that later became known as a "bumper car" ride, consisting of electrically-propelled cars that riders would ride around with the intent to dodge other cars, but usually would bump them intentionally instead. It was north of the entrance to the Red Devil roller coaster.[4] The patents for the Dodgem were secured only the season before by the Stoehrer & Pratt Dodgem Corporation, and the first one opened in Atlantic City. The one at Olentangy Park was the second in the country.[3] The attraction was improved in 1927[5][6] and in 1930, front-wheel dodgem cars were added.[7][8][9] The ride remained operational until the park closed in 1937.[10] Despite being listed for sale in The Billboard,[11] it was moved to the Haenlein Brothers' new Zoo Amusement Park across from the Columbus Zoo.[12][13][14]

Description

It was housed in a building that was 80 feet by 150 feet,[15] and had a porch that wrapped around for onlookers. The floor was covered in steel, and overhead wire netting was stretched. Fancy upholstered cars, mounted on wheels that could turn in any direction, with each car holding two to four riders, were placed on the floor. An electric motor in the cars and trolleys that extended to the overhead wire netting generated an electric current to operate each car.[16]

The patent described the ride as a set of small circular electric motor-propelled cars, guided by shifting the trolley pole from one trolley wire to another, and riders could control them by turning the motor forward or backward. The cars were on swiveled casters,[17] and each held up to two people.[1][18]

The original design of the car by J. J. Stock was unsuccessful, so the Stoehrer brothers modified it to hold two riders. They made the cars appear steerable by riders, but the mechanism moved in random directions. The electricity for the motors was supplied through a pole extending from the ceiling to the floor.[17]

The concept for the Dodgem ride came from when Max Stoehrer saw a kid maneuvering a stripped-down Ford in a parking garage, avoiding all the posts.[19]

  • 1936 photo of the Dodgem ride at Olentangy Park.
    1936 photo of the Dodgem ride at Olentangy Park.
  • 1936 photo of the Dodgem and Red Devil rides at Olentangy Park.
    1936 photo of the Dodgem and Red Devil rides at Olentangy Park.
  • Amusement device. (May 4, 1920) U.S. Patent No. 1,339,299 PDF[20]
  • Amusement apparatus. (March 29, 1921) U.S. Patent No. 1,373,108 PDF[21]
  • Amusement device. (Sept. 11, 1923) U.S. Patent No. 1,467,959 PDF[22]
  • Amusement apparatus. (Dec. 25, 1923) U.S. Patent No. 1,478,979 PDF[23]
  • Amusement device. (Dec. 13, 1927) U.S. Patent No. 1,652,840 PDF[6]
  • Amusement device. (Aug. 5, 1930) U.S. Patent No. 1,772,220 PDF[9]
  • Amusement device. (Jan. 5, 1932) U.S. Patent No. 1,839,981 PDF[24]
  • Amusement device. (Nov. 27, 1934) U.S. Patent No. 1,982,391 PDF[25]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Park Opens Today." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch, April 16, 1922. Page 68.
  2. ↑ "New Restaurant Open." Columbus Evening Dispatch, June 4, 1922.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Olentangy Park." The News Gazette (Reynoldsburg, Ohio). Vol. 15. Issue 27. July 6, 1922. Page 2. Accessed through the Internet Archive.
  4. ↑ General Map, The Olentangy Amusement Co., Columbus, Ohio. 1924.
  5. ↑ "Amusement News." The Columbus Dispatch. April 13, 1927. Page 34.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Stoehrer, F. 1927. "Amusement device." U.S. Patent No. 1,652,840. Accessed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PDF
  7. ↑ Cherrington, H. E. "Looking Backward at Park and Forward to Film Season." The Columbus Dispatch. Nov. 9, 1930. Page 6-F.
  8. ↑ "Olentangy Receipts Almost Up to 1929." The Billboard. Vol. 42. Issue 44. Nov. 1, 1930. Page 61. Accessed through the Internet Archive.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Markey, F. L. 1930. "Amusement device." U.S. Patent No. 1,772,220. Accessed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PDF
  10. ↑ City of Columbus, Franklin Co., Ohio. Franklin Survey Co. 1937. Vol. 1. Map. Accessed through Ebay.com.
  11. ↑ Advertisement. The Billboard. April 16, 1938. Page 41. Accessed through the Internet Archive.
  12. ↑ Barrett, Richard E. "Olentangy Park: Four Decades of Fun." Columbus and Central Ohio Historian No. 1. April 1984. Page 17.
  13. ↑ "Zoo Amusement Park Has Established Its Popularity." Columbus Dispatch. June 2, 1929. Page 14-A.
  14. ↑ "Marysville Family Picnics Arranged for Columbus Zoo." Marysville Journal-Tribune (Marysville, Ohio). Aug. 16, 1939. Pages 1-2. Accessed through Newspapers.com Clip 1, Clip 2
  15. ↑ "Spring Building at Olentangy." The Columbus Dispatch. March 24, 1922. Page 14.
  16. ↑ "On the 'Dodgem'." The Columbus Dispatch. April 9, 1922. Page 7.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 Stoehrer & Pratt Dodgem Corp. v. Lusse Bros. 282 Pa. 166, 127 A. 473. Supreme Court of Pennsylvania, 1925. Accessed through CourtListener.
  18. ↑ Greenburg v. Stoehrer & Pratt Dodgem Corp. 1927 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 1234. United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, 1927. Accessed through CourtListener.
  19. ↑ "When Rides Were the Soul of Salisbury, Part II." Amusement Parks and Beyond. December 21, 2017.
  20. ↑ Stock, J. J. 1920. "Amusement device." U.S. Patent No. 1,339,299. Accessed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PDF
  21. ↑ Stoehrer, M. and H. 1921. "Amusement apparatus." U.S. Patent No. 1,373,108. Accessed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PDF
  22. ↑ Stoehrer, H. et al. 1923. "Amusement device." U.S. Patent No. 1,467,959. Accessed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PDF
  23. ↑ Stoehrer, M. et al. 1923. "Amusement apparatus." U.S. Patent No. 1,478,979. Accessed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PDF
  24. ↑ Markey, F. L. 1932. "Amusement device." U.S. Patent No. 1,839,981. Accessed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PDF
  25. ↑ Markey, F. L. 1934. "Amusement device." U.S. Patent No. 1,982,391. Accessed through the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PDF


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