1909 Season: Difference between revisions

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{{Notice underconstruction}}
{{Infobox season
{{Infobox season
| year          = 1909 Season
| year          = 1909
| image          =  
| image          =  
| season        =
| management    = The Olentangy Park Company<br />Joseph W. Dusenbury, president<br />William J. Dusenbury, manager
| management    = Joseph W. Dusenbury, president<br />Will J. Dusenbury, secretary<br />The Olentangy Park Company
| season        = April 25, 1909 - Oct. 9, 1909
| openingday    =  
| postseason     = Oct. 10, 1909 - Oct. 31, 1909
| closingday     =  
| newattractions = [[Arcadia]]<br />[[Automatic Vaudeville]]<br />Bowling and Pool building<br />[[Love's Voyage]]<br />[[Ocean Wave]]<br />[[Panama Canal Exhibit]]<br />[[Shoot-the-Chutes]]<br />[[Whirlwind]]
| newattractions = Arcadia<br />Ocean Wave<br />Automatic Vaudeville<br />Love's Voyage<br />Shoot-the-Chutes<br />South Before the War<br />Whirlwind
| stockcompany  = Weber Travesty Company<br />Rodriguez Musical Stock Company<br />Vaughan Glaser Stock Company
| stockcompany  =  
| band          = The Ferulo Band<br>Neddermeyer's Columbus Concert Band<br>Power's Military Band
| theatermanager =  
| size           = 125 acres
| band           =  
}}
}}


The Olentangy Park and Theater opened for the 1909 season on Sunday, April 25, 1909. The Ferulo Band played during the opening weeks.<ref name="opening">"Olentangy." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' 11 April 1909. Pg. 5.</ref> The park closed for the season on Sunday, ??? 1909.
Olentangy Park and Theater opened for the 1909 season on Sunday, April 25, 1909. The Ferulo Band of 50 players played during the opening weeks.<ref name="opening">"Olentangy." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' April 11, 1909. Page 5.</ref><ref name="opening2">"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' April 30, 1909. Page 24.</ref><ref name="May1">"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' May 1, 1909. Page 10.</ref> The park expanded by 25 acres to the north,<ref name="pano">"Panoramic Views of Olentangy Park Showing Many New Amusement Structures Being Erected on Newly Acquired Tract of 25 Acres to North." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' March 28, 1909. Page 1.</ref> making the total size of the park 125 acres.<ref name="opensapril">"Olentangy Park Opens April 25th." ''The Union County Journal (Marysville, Ohio).'' April 22, 1909. Page 3. Accessed through Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-union-county-journal-olentangy-park/152965546/</ref>


The park expanded by 25 acres to the north.<ref name="pano">"Panoramic Views of Olentangy Park Showing Many New Amusement Structures Being Erected on Newly Acquired Tract of 25 Acres to North." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' 28 March 1909. Pg. 1.</ref>
The park's post-season began Oct. 10, 1909, being open only on Sundays,<ref>Advertisement. ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' Oct. 10, 1909. Page 35.</ref> until Oct. 31, 1909.<ref>"Olentangy." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' Oct. 23, 1909. Page 10.</ref>


==Notable Events==


==Notable Events==
A resolution was passed for Columbus to annex Indianola Park. It was seen as unfair to annex Indianola Park and not Olentangy Park.<ref>"Columbus is Now Third Greatest City of the State." ''Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' Jan. 3, 1909. Page 1.</ref>
 
Past Olentangy Park grounds superintendent George T. Groce was appointed landscape gardener at Barracks Park.<ref>"Barracks Park is to Be Beautified." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' Jan. 29, 1909. Page 2.</ref>
 
On Sunday, June 6, the park saw 5,000 more patrons than the heaviest day of the 1908 season, with 40,000 people attending.<ref>"At the Theaters." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' June 7, 1909. Page 12.</ref>
 
Henry T. Chittenden, Jr., inherited 34 acres of Olentangy Park land after his father died. Joseph W. Dusenbury had a 99-year lease on the property, paying {{Tooltip |text = $3,000|tooltip = $105,977 in 2025 dollars}} annually.<ref>"H. T. Chittenden Estate of $300,000 Goes to Children." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' June 8, 1909. Page 1.</ref>
 
Japan natives and staff members Shingo Immamura and Toku Magaya were married at the [[Fair Japan|Japanese Village]] on July 4 by Rev. Isaac, pastor of the 10th Avenue Baptist Church.<ref>"Shingo Immamura and Toku Magaya" ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' June 27, 1909. Page 13.</ref><ref name="july2">"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' July 2, 1909. Page 18.</ref>
 
The Ohio Veterans of the Spanish War held a reunion on Aug. 21, 1909, at the park. Troop B of the Ohio National Guard, four companies of the Fourth Regiment, held a parade, and Company I, the machine gun company, took part in a sham battle.<ref>"Soldiers to Have a Big Reunion at Olentangy Park." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' July 25, 1909. Page 2.</ref>
 
On Aug. 5, kites to display a banner for H. Sage Valentine's mayoral run became tangled in the [[Circle Swing]]'s lines, stopping the ride's operation.<ref>"Mayoralty Fight Not Lacking in Real Originality." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' Aug. 8, 1909. Page 3.</ref>
 
The first annual regatta by the Olentangy Canoe Club took place on Aug. 28 at the [[Boathouse]], where there were 22 canoes.<ref name="canoe">"Canoeists Will Organize a Club." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' Aug. 26, 1909. Page 2.</ref><ref>"Canoeists Have Fine Sport in a Regatta." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' Aug. 29, 1909. Page 8.</ref> The event included:
* 150-yard race, free-for-all, two men in a canoe
* 75-yard dash, 17-foot canoes and over, one man in a canoe, no ballast
* 75-yard dash, canoes under 16 feet, one man in a canoe, no ballast
* Tilting contest, one man with a pole, one with a paddle
* All-in-all-out race


A resolution was passed for Columbus to annex Indianola Park. It was seen as unfair to annex Indianola Park and not Olentangy Park.<ref>"Columbus is Now Third Greatest City of the State." ''Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' 3 January 1909. Pg. 1.</ref>
==Injuries==


Past Olentangy Park grounds superintendent George T. Groce was appointed landscape gardener at Barracks Park.<ref>"Barracks Park is to Be Beautified." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' 29 January 1909. Pg. 2.</ref>
On July 17, Earl Sands, 14, suffered a bad injury after his leg became caught beneath the platform of the [[Ocean Wave]], described as "a mechanical amusement device made to imitate the motion of a boat in the water."<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' July 19, 1909. Page 2.</ref>


==Rides and Attractions==
==Rides and Attractions==


===New Rides and Attractions===
===New Rides and Attractions===
The new attractions for 1909 included the [[Arcadia]], [[Ocean Wave]], [[Automatic Vaudeville]], [[Love's Voyage]], [[Shoot-the-Chutes]], [[The South Before the War]], and the [[Whirlwind]] racer rollercoaster.<ref name="pano" /><ref name="opening" />  
The new attractions for 1909 included the [[Arcadia]], [[Automatic Vaudeville]], [[Love's Voyage]], [[Ocean Wave]], [[Panama Canal Exhibit]], [[Shoot-the-Chutes]], and the [[Whirlwind]] racer rollercoaster.<ref name="pano" /><ref name="opening" /><ref name="opensapril" />
 
===New Automatic Vaudeville===
''Main Article:'' [[Automatic Vaudeville]]


===Other Rides and Attractions===
The Automatic Vaudeville, also called the '''Automatic Theater'''<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' April 11, 1909. Page 5.</ref> and '''Automatic Exhibit''',<ref>Advertisement. ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' April 20, 1909. Page 7.</ref> was likely an arcade built in the north Midway.
 
===Dancing Pavilion===
''Main Article:'' [[Dancing Pavilion (2)]]
 
The floor in the Dancing Pavilion was resurfaced for the season.<ref name="may9" />
 
===Gypsy Camp===
''Main Article:'' [[Gypsy Camp]]
 
Madam Marea performed as a fortune teller. A classified ad said she was a "psychological reader" who had been at the park for the last two seasons.<ref>Classified advertisement, ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' May 2, 1909. Page 9.</ref> A larger camp of "Gypsies" was located north of the city, east of Crestview. It had over 100 members and was lodged in tents and wagons. <ref>"Romany Wanderer Loves the Poetry of All Outdoors." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' May 16, 1909. Page 1.</ref><ref>"What the Dispatch Staff Photographer Saw in the Big Camp of Gypsies Located East of Crestview North of the Corporation Line." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' May 16, 1909. Page 1.</ref>
 
===Motion Picture Exhibit===
''Main Article:'' [[Moving Pictures]]
 
The park showed free motion pictures during the week of Sept. 7.<ref>"Olentangy." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' Sept. 7, 1909. Page 14.</ref>
 
===New Panama Canal Exhibit===
''Main Article:'' [[Panama Canal Exhibit]]
 
There was a Panama Canal exhibit operating in July that included a model of the canal.<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' July 9, 1909. Page 20.</ref> It was most likely in the [[Colonnade]].
 
===New Shoot-the-Chutes===
''Main Article:'' [[Shoot-the-Chutes]]
 
The Shoot-the-Chutes was built in what ''The Columbus Dispatch'' called "The Great White Way."<ref name="may9">"Olentangy Park." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' May 9, 1909. Page 5.</ref><ref name="opensapril" />
 
=== The South Before the War ===
''Main Article:'' [[Scenic Temple]]
 
The music revue<ref>"The Gillette Dog and Monkey Circus, The South Before the War, Willard's Temple of Music, Paradise — The Show Beautiful, and other shows." ''Lost Wonderland.'' Accessed Dec. 14, 2024. https://lost-wonderland.com/the-gillette-dog-and-monkey-circus-the-south-before-the-war-willards-temple-of-music-paradise-the-show-beautiful-and-other-shows/</ref> ''The South Before the War'' was most likely shown in the Scenic Temple building.<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' April 11, 1909. Page 5.</ref> It was often called a new attraction.
 
===List of Rides and Attractions===


* [[Arcadia]] '''NEW'''
* [[Arcadia]] '''NEW'''
* [[Automatic Vaudeville]] '''NEW'''
* [[Automatic Vaudeville]] '''NEW'''
* Baby Rack
* [[Bandstand (1)|Bandstand]]
* [[Bathing Pavilion]]
* [[Battle Scenes of the Republic]]
* [[Boathouse]]
* [[Boathouse]]
* [[Bowling alleys]]
* [[Bowling alleys]]
* [[Mystic Castle]]
* [[Merry-Go-Round (2)|Carousel]]
* [[Carousel]]
* [[Circle Swing]]
* [[Circle Swing]]
* [[Colonnade]]
* [[Colonnade]]
* [[Creation or The Great Hereafter]]
** [[Panama Canal Exhibit]] '''NEW'''
* [[Dancing Pavilion (Second)|Dancing Pavilion]]
** [[Penny Arcade (Colonnade)]]
* [[Egyptian Mystery]]
* [[Dancing Pavilion (2)|Dancing Pavilion]]
* [[Fair Japan]]
* [[Fair Japan]]
* [[Fantasma]]
* [[Ferris Wheel (1)|Ferris Wheel]]
* [[Ferris Wheel]]
* [[Figure Eight Toboggan]]
* [[Figure Eight Toboggan]]
* [[Floral Conservatory]]
* [[Floral Conservatory|Floral Conservatory & Greenhouse]]
* [[Gypsy Camp]]
* [[Gypsy Camp]]
* [[House That Jack Built]]
* [[Igorrote Village]]
* [[Infant Incubator]]
* [[Laughing Gallery]]
* [[Loop-the-Loop]]
* [[Loop-the-Loop]]
* [[Love's Voyage]] '''NEW'''
* [[Love's Voyage]] '''NEW'''
* [[Merry-Go-Round]]
* [[Merry-Go-Round (1)|Merry-Go-Round]]
* [[Miniature Railway]]
* [[Miniature Railway]]
* [[Moving Pictures|Motion Picture Exhibit]]
* [[Moving Pictures|Motion Picture Exhibit]]
* [[Museum of Ornithology]]
* [[Ocean Wave]] '''NEW'''
* [[Ocean Wave]] '''NEW'''
* [[Ye Olde Mill (First)|Ye Olde Mill]]
* [[Ye Olde Mill (1)|Ye Olde Mill]]
* [[Palace of Illusions]]
* [[Palm Garden]]
* [[Penny Arcade (Colonnade)|Penny Arcade]]
* [[Pony and Camel Track]]
* [[Photographic Gallery]]
* [[Roller Skating Rink (Building)|Roller Skating Rink]]
* [[Scenic Coaster]]  
* [[Scenic Coaster]]  
* [[Scenic Temple]]
* [[Shoot-the-Chutes]] '''NEW'''
* [[Shoot-the-Chutes]] '''NEW'''
* [[Shooting Gallery]]
* [[Shooting Gallery]]
* [[Snake Den]]
* [[Snake Den]]
* [[The South Before the War]] '''NEW'''
* Swings
* Swings
* [[Temple of Mirth]]
* [[Temple of Mirth]]
* [[Third Degree]]
* [[Tours of the World]]
* [[Water Toboggan]]
* [[Water Toboggan]]
* [[Whirlwind]] '''NEW'''
* [[Whirlwind]] '''NEW'''
* [[Zoological Garden]]
* [[Zoological Garden]]


==Olentangy Park Theater==
==Theater, Vaudeville, and Stunt Performances==
 
===Olentangy Park Theater===
''Main Article:'' [[Olentangy Park Casino and Theater]]
''Main Article:'' [[Olentangy Park Casino and Theater]]
Prices were {{Tooltip |text = 15 cents|tooltip = $5.30 in 2025 dollars}}, {{Tooltip |text = 25 cents|tooltip = $8.83 in 2025 dollars}}, {{Tooltip |text = 50 cents|tooltip = $17.66 in 2025 dollars}}, and {{Tooltip |text = 75 cents|tooltip = $26.49 in 2025 dollars}} for evening performances, and {{Tooltip |text = 15 cents|tooltip = $5.30 in 2025 dollars}}, {{Tooltip |text = 25 cents|tooltip = $8.83 in 2025 dollars}}, and {{Tooltip |text = 50 cents|tooltip = $17.66 in 2025 dollars}} for the matinees.<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' May 28, 1909. Page 20.</ref>
There were rumors that men named James and Murphy were to take over management of the theater in 1910, but the Dusenbury Brothers denied it.<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' Aug. 20, 1909. Page 16.</ref>
The theater performances ended for the season on Aug. 31, 1909.<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' Aug. 27, 1909. Page 18.</ref>
===Joe Weber's Travesty Company===
Joe Weber's Travesty Company performed for six weeks starting Memorial Day, May 31.<ref>"Olentangy." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' April 17, 1909. Page 10.</ref>
Joe Weber's Travesty Company included:
* Edith Bradford
* Mabel Evans
* Eddie Foy
* Lyda Franklin
* Agnes Gilden
* Grace Griswold
* Hera Hammer
* Lola Hawthorne
* Mellie Hoffman
* Joe Kane
* Nellie Lynch
* C. C. Mills
* George L. Mortimer
* Oscar Ragland
* L. J. Rodriguez, director and manager
* W. Douglas Stevenson
* Charles J. Stine
* Fred Sydney
* Hazel Tuffer (or Tapper or Tupper)
* Neil Walton
* Ernest Wood
Grace (Hall) Griswold was from Ashtabula, Ohio, and wrote "His Japanese Wife" and "Billy's First Love."<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' June 3, 1909. Page 14.</ref>
The American Beatty Chorus and the Dancing Dolls also performed.
====Shows====
Week of May 31: "The Merry Widow and the Devil"
Week of June 6: "The Girl from Paris"
Week of June 13: "Hip, Hip, Hooray"<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' June 10, 1909. Page 14.</ref>
Week of June 20: "In Gay Bohemia"<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' June 18, 1909. Page 18.</ref>
Week of June 27: "Florodora"<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' June 22, 1909. Page 7.</ref>
===Vaughan Glaser Stock Company===
The Vaughan Glaser Stock Company performed starting July 12, 1909.<ref>"Glaser Stock Company." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' June 28, 1909. Page 10.</ref>
====Members====
* Vaughan Glaser
* Miss Courtney
* Frederick Kerby
* James Hester
* Harrison Steadman
* W. E. Ross
* C. Edmund Roberts
* Charles Carver
* D. J. Sullivan
* Patrick Garyn
* F. C. Whittier
* Dorothy Bernard
* Jennie Dunbar (or Jenny Dunbar)
* Lola Dowin
* Olive Sherwood
* Patrick Garvin
* Eleanor Lewis
====Shows====
Week of July 12: "The Warrens of Virginia," written by W. C. DeMille
Week of July 19: "Clothes," written by Avery Hopwood and Channing Pollack
Week of July 26: "Her Own Way," written by Maxine Elliott - Matinee records were broken during this week<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' July 30, 1909. Page 16.</ref>
Week of Aug. 2: "Sherlock Holmes"
Week of Aug. 9: "St. Elmo"
Week of Aug. 16: "Peaceful Valley"
===Rodriguez Musical Stock Company===
The Rodriguez Musical Stock Company performed "In Gay Bohemia" in July.<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' July 9, 1909. Page 20.</ref>
===Charles Waldren's Company===
Charles Waldren's Company performed in August.<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' Aug. 6, 1909. Page 16.</ref>
====Members====
* Charles Waldren
* Tully Marshall
* Willard Robertson
* Albert Meyers (or Meyer)
* Jack Grey
* Harry Larribee
* Wilson Day
* Florence Smythe
* Gertrude Hitz
* Margaret Sayre
* Marie L. Day
====Shows====
Week of Aug. 23: "The Man on the Box"
===Stunts and Outdoor Shows===
A Wild West show performed for the first few weeks<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' April 23, 1909. Page 20.</ref> along with King Kelly performing balloon ascensions and parachute drops.<ref name="opening2" /><ref name="May1" />
Buckskin Ben's Wild West Show arrived on May 31 and performed for four weeks.<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' May 20, 1909. Page 14.</ref> It included dog and pony shows with the Cowboy and Cowgirl Band.
Cleo, a lion tamer, wrestled with a Numidian lion every hour, and Mosi, a Yaqui Indian snake charmer, handled diamondback rattlesnakes and other venomous snakes starting the week of June 20.<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' June 21, 1909. Page 14.</ref>
The Berkley Zouaves performed drill work and pyramid-building on July 4 and 5.<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' July 5, 1909. Page 10.</ref>
J. W. Montgomery and Charles Hauck spent time at the park in July building two flying machines: a dirigible balloon and an airplane to fly on July 18.<ref>"Summer Amusements: Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' July 16, 1909. Page 16.</ref> The dirigible balloon was 75 feet long and held 14,900 cubic feet of air. The airplane's lifting surface was 375 feet.<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' July 18, 1909. Page 31.</ref> They tested it at the end of July.
Captain V. Edwards and his Transcontinental Goats and Burrows performed the week of July 18.<ref>Advertisement. ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' July 18, 1909. Page 31.</ref>


==Music==
==Music==
The Ferulo Band played during the opening weeks.<ref name="opening" />
The Ferulo Band played during the opening weeks.<ref name="opening" /><ref name="opening2" />


==Stunts and Outdoor Shows==
Neddermeyer's Columbus Concert Band performed on May 23, and Power's Military Band performed for the rest of the season.<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' May 19, 1909. Page 16.</ref>
 
The Reeves Military Band performed on July 1 for a Canal Dover excursion that brought 3,000 people to the park.<ref>"Canel Dover Outing." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' June 27, 1909. Page 21.</ref>
 
For July 4 and 5, the trumpet corps of the United States Barracks gave concerts in the afternoon and evening.<ref name="july2" />
 
The English Grand Opera Company performed for nine days at the park during State Fair Week, producing "Madame Butterfly," "The Bohemian Girl," and "Aida.""<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' July 7, 1909. Page 14.</ref><ref>"Next Week." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' Aug. 14, 1909. Page 10.</ref>
 
Jessie Colkins and Adelaide Strang sang with the Power's Military Band during August.<ref>"Olentangy Park." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' Aug. 8, 1909. Page 31.</ref>


==Activities==
==Activities==
===New Bowling & Pool Building===
A Bowling & Pool building was built at the north end of the Midway<ref>"Olentangy Park midway, postcard." ''Columbus Metropolitan Library: Columbus in Historic Photographs.'' 1916. Last modified Dec. 23, 2021. 708O451916.</ref> but six pool tables and two box ball alleys were put up for sale the same year, meaning the building might have only served that purpose for a year.<ref>Classified advertisement. ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' Aug. 1, 1903. Page 17.</ref>
===List of Activities===


* [[Ball Grounds|Baseball]]
* [[Ball Grounds|Baseball]]
Line 95: Line 275:
* [[Canoe Club Boathouse|Boating]]
* [[Canoe Club Boathouse|Boating]]
* [[Bowling alleys|Bowling]] - All year activity
* [[Bowling alleys|Bowling]] - All year activity
* [[Dancing Pavilion (Second)|Dancing]]
* [[Dancing Pavilion (2)|Dancing]]
* Dining and Refreshments
* Dining and Refreshments
* [[Ball Grounds|Football]]
* [[Ball Grounds|Football]]
* [[Gypsy Camp|Fortune Telling]]
* General Games
* General Games
* Picnics
* Picnics
* [[Pony Rides]]
* Pony Rides
* [[Bathing Pavilion|Swimming]]
* [[Bathing Pavilion|Swimming]]


Line 107: Line 288:


[[Category:Seasons]]
[[Category:Seasons]]
{{#seo:|description=The 1909 season at Olentangy Park opened on April 25, 1909, and closed on October 31, 1909. New attractions included the Shoot-the-Chutes, the Whirlwind racer, Love's Voyage, and others.}}
{{#seo:|keywords=1909 Season, Olentangy Park, Olentangy Amusement Park, Olentangy Park Columbus, Columbus amusement park, amusement park, Clintonville, defunct amusement park, Olentangy Theater, Olentangy Theatre, Vaudeville, Zoo}}

Latest revision as of 00:13, 3 July 2025

1909 Season
Leadership The Olentangy Park Company
Joseph W. Dusenbury, president
William J. Dusenbury, manager
Season April 25, 1909 - Oct. 9, 1909
Post-season Oct. 10, 1909 - Oct. 31, 1909
New Attractions Arcadia
Automatic Vaudeville
Bowling and Pool building
Love's Voyage
Ocean Wave
Panama Canal Exhibit
Shoot-the-Chutes
Whirlwind
Stock Company Weber Travesty Company
Rodriguez Musical Stock Company
Vaughan Glaser Stock Company
Band(s) The Ferulo Band
Neddermeyer's Columbus Concert Band
Power's Military Band
Park Size 125 acres

Olentangy Park and Theater opened for the 1909 season on Sunday, April 25, 1909. The Ferulo Band of 50 players played during the opening weeks.[1][2][3] The park expanded by 25 acres to the north,[4] making the total size of the park 125 acres.[5]

The park's post-season began Oct. 10, 1909, being open only on Sundays,[6] until Oct. 31, 1909.[7]

Notable Events

A resolution was passed for Columbus to annex Indianola Park. It was seen as unfair to annex Indianola Park and not Olentangy Park.[8]

Past Olentangy Park grounds superintendent George T. Groce was appointed landscape gardener at Barracks Park.[9]

On Sunday, June 6, the park saw 5,000 more patrons than the heaviest day of the 1908 season, with 40,000 people attending.[10]

Henry T. Chittenden, Jr., inherited 34 acres of Olentangy Park land after his father died. Joseph W. Dusenbury had a 99-year lease on the property, paying $3,000$105,977 in 2025 dollars annually.[11]

Japan natives and staff members Shingo Immamura and Toku Magaya were married at the Japanese Village on July 4 by Rev. Isaac, pastor of the 10th Avenue Baptist Church.[12][13]

The Ohio Veterans of the Spanish War held a reunion on Aug. 21, 1909, at the park. Troop B of the Ohio National Guard, four companies of the Fourth Regiment, held a parade, and Company I, the machine gun company, took part in a sham battle.[14]

On Aug. 5, kites to display a banner for H. Sage Valentine's mayoral run became tangled in the Circle Swing's lines, stopping the ride's operation.[15]

The first annual regatta by the Olentangy Canoe Club took place on Aug. 28 at the Boathouse, where there were 22 canoes.[16][17] The event included:

  • 150-yard race, free-for-all, two men in a canoe
  • 75-yard dash, 17-foot canoes and over, one man in a canoe, no ballast
  • 75-yard dash, canoes under 16 feet, one man in a canoe, no ballast
  • Tilting contest, one man with a pole, one with a paddle
  • All-in-all-out race

Injuries

On July 17, Earl Sands, 14, suffered a bad injury after his leg became caught beneath the platform of the Ocean Wave, described as "a mechanical amusement device made to imitate the motion of a boat in the water."[18]

Rides and Attractions

New Rides and Attractions

The new attractions for 1909 included the Arcadia, Automatic Vaudeville, Love's Voyage, Ocean Wave, Panama Canal Exhibit, Shoot-the-Chutes, and the Whirlwind racer rollercoaster.[4][1][5]

New Automatic Vaudeville

Main Article: Automatic Vaudeville

The Automatic Vaudeville, also called the Automatic Theater[19] and Automatic Exhibit,[20] was likely an arcade built in the north Midway.

Dancing Pavilion

Main Article: Dancing Pavilion (2)

The floor in the Dancing Pavilion was resurfaced for the season.[21]

Gypsy Camp

Main Article: Gypsy Camp

Madam Marea performed as a fortune teller. A classified ad said she was a "psychological reader" who had been at the park for the last two seasons.[22] A larger camp of "Gypsies" was located north of the city, east of Crestview. It had over 100 members and was lodged in tents and wagons. [23][24]

Motion Picture Exhibit

Main Article: Moving Pictures

The park showed free motion pictures during the week of Sept. 7.[25]

New Panama Canal Exhibit

Main Article: Panama Canal Exhibit

There was a Panama Canal exhibit operating in July that included a model of the canal.[26] It was most likely in the Colonnade.

New Shoot-the-Chutes

Main Article: Shoot-the-Chutes

The Shoot-the-Chutes was built in what The Columbus Dispatch called "The Great White Way."[21][5]

The South Before the War

Main Article: Scenic Temple

The music revue[27] The South Before the War was most likely shown in the Scenic Temple building.[28] It was often called a new attraction.

List of Rides and Attractions

Theater, Vaudeville, and Stunt Performances

Olentangy Park Theater

Main Article: Olentangy Park Casino and Theater

Prices were 15 cents$5.30 in 2025 dollars, 25 cents$8.83 in 2025 dollars, 50 cents$17.66 in 2025 dollars, and 75 cents$26.49 in 2025 dollars for evening performances, and 15 cents$5.30 in 2025 dollars, 25 cents$8.83 in 2025 dollars, and 50 cents$17.66 in 2025 dollars for the matinees.[29]

There were rumors that men named James and Murphy were to take over management of the theater in 1910, but the Dusenbury Brothers denied it.[30]

The theater performances ended for the season on Aug. 31, 1909.[31]

Joe Weber's Travesty Company

Joe Weber's Travesty Company performed for six weeks starting Memorial Day, May 31.[32]

Joe Weber's Travesty Company included:

  • Edith Bradford
  • Mabel Evans
  • Eddie Foy
  • Lyda Franklin
  • Agnes Gilden
  • Grace Griswold
  • Hera Hammer
  • Lola Hawthorne
  • Mellie Hoffman
  • Joe Kane
  • Nellie Lynch
  • C. C. Mills
  • George L. Mortimer
  • Oscar Ragland
  • L. J. Rodriguez, director and manager
  • W. Douglas Stevenson
  • Charles J. Stine
  • Fred Sydney
  • Hazel Tuffer (or Tapper or Tupper)
  • Neil Walton
  • Ernest Wood

Grace (Hall) Griswold was from Ashtabula, Ohio, and wrote "His Japanese Wife" and "Billy's First Love."[33]

The American Beatty Chorus and the Dancing Dolls also performed.

Shows

Week of May 31: "The Merry Widow and the Devil"

Week of June 6: "The Girl from Paris"

Week of June 13: "Hip, Hip, Hooray"[34]

Week of June 20: "In Gay Bohemia"[35]

Week of June 27: "Florodora"[36]

Vaughan Glaser Stock Company

The Vaughan Glaser Stock Company performed starting July 12, 1909.[37]

Members

  • Vaughan Glaser
  • Miss Courtney
  • Frederick Kerby
  • James Hester
  • Harrison Steadman
  • W. E. Ross
  • C. Edmund Roberts
  • Charles Carver
  • D. J. Sullivan
  • Patrick Garyn
  • F. C. Whittier
  • Dorothy Bernard
  • Jennie Dunbar (or Jenny Dunbar)
  • Lola Dowin
  • Olive Sherwood
  • Patrick Garvin
  • Eleanor Lewis

Shows

Week of July 12: "The Warrens of Virginia," written by W. C. DeMille

Week of July 19: "Clothes," written by Avery Hopwood and Channing Pollack

Week of July 26: "Her Own Way," written by Maxine Elliott - Matinee records were broken during this week[38]

Week of Aug. 2: "Sherlock Holmes"

Week of Aug. 9: "St. Elmo"

Week of Aug. 16: "Peaceful Valley"

Rodriguez Musical Stock Company

The Rodriguez Musical Stock Company performed "In Gay Bohemia" in July.[39]

Charles Waldren's Company

Charles Waldren's Company performed in August.[40]

Members

  • Charles Waldren
  • Tully Marshall
  • Willard Robertson
  • Albert Meyers (or Meyer)
  • Jack Grey
  • Harry Larribee
  • Wilson Day
  • Florence Smythe
  • Gertrude Hitz
  • Margaret Sayre
  • Marie L. Day

Shows

Week of Aug. 23: "The Man on the Box"

Stunts and Outdoor Shows

A Wild West show performed for the first few weeks[41] along with King Kelly performing balloon ascensions and parachute drops.[2][3]

Buckskin Ben's Wild West Show arrived on May 31 and performed for four weeks.[42] It included dog and pony shows with the Cowboy and Cowgirl Band.

Cleo, a lion tamer, wrestled with a Numidian lion every hour, and Mosi, a Yaqui Indian snake charmer, handled diamondback rattlesnakes and other venomous snakes starting the week of June 20.[43]

The Berkley Zouaves performed drill work and pyramid-building on July 4 and 5.[44]

J. W. Montgomery and Charles Hauck spent time at the park in July building two flying machines: a dirigible balloon and an airplane to fly on July 18.[45] The dirigible balloon was 75 feet long and held 14,900 cubic feet of air. The airplane's lifting surface was 375 feet.[46] They tested it at the end of July.

Captain V. Edwards and his Transcontinental Goats and Burrows performed the week of July 18.[47]

Music

The Ferulo Band played during the opening weeks.[1][2]

Neddermeyer's Columbus Concert Band performed on May 23, and Power's Military Band performed for the rest of the season.[48]

The Reeves Military Band performed on July 1 for a Canal Dover excursion that brought 3,000 people to the park.[49]

For July 4 and 5, the trumpet corps of the United States Barracks gave concerts in the afternoon and evening.[13]

The English Grand Opera Company performed for nine days at the park during State Fair Week, producing "Madame Butterfly," "The Bohemian Girl," and "Aida.""[50][51]

Jessie Colkins and Adelaide Strang sang with the Power's Military Band during August.[52]

Activities

New Bowling & Pool Building

A Bowling & Pool building was built at the north end of the Midway[53] but six pool tables and two box ball alleys were put up for sale the same year, meaning the building might have only served that purpose for a year.[54]

List of Activities

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Olentangy." Columbus Evening Dispatch. April 11, 1909. Page 5.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. April 30, 1909. Page 24.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. May 1, 1909. Page 10.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Panoramic Views of Olentangy Park Showing Many New Amusement Structures Being Erected on Newly Acquired Tract of 25 Acres to North." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. March 28, 1909. Page 1.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Olentangy Park Opens April 25th." The Union County Journal (Marysville, Ohio). April 22, 1909. Page 3. Accessed through Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-union-county-journal-olentangy-park/152965546/
  6. ↑ Advertisement. The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. Oct. 10, 1909. Page 35.
  7. ↑ "Olentangy." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. Oct. 23, 1909. Page 10.
  8. ↑ "Columbus is Now Third Greatest City of the State." Columbus Sunday Dispatch. Jan. 3, 1909. Page 1.
  9. ↑ "Barracks Park is to Be Beautified." Columbus Evening Dispatch. Jan. 29, 1909. Page 2.
  10. ↑ "At the Theaters." Columbus Evening Dispatch. June 7, 1909. Page 12.
  11. ↑ "H. T. Chittenden Estate of $300,000 Goes to Children." Columbus Evening Dispatch. June 8, 1909. Page 1.
  12. ↑ "Shingo Immamura and Toku Magaya" The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. June 27, 1909. Page 13.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. July 2, 1909. Page 18.
  14. ↑ "Soldiers to Have a Big Reunion at Olentangy Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. July 25, 1909. Page 2.
  15. ↑ "Mayoralty Fight Not Lacking in Real Originality." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. Aug. 8, 1909. Page 3.
  16. ↑ "Canoeists Will Organize a Club." Columbus Evening Dispatch. Aug. 26, 1909. Page 2.
  17. ↑ "Canoeists Have Fine Sport in a Regatta." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. Aug. 29, 1909. Page 8.
  18. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. July 19, 1909. Page 2.
  19. ↑ "Olentangy Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. April 11, 1909. Page 5.
  20. ↑ Advertisement. Columbus Evening Dispatch. April 20, 1909. Page 7.
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 "Olentangy Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. May 9, 1909. Page 5.
  22. ↑ Classified advertisement, The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. May 2, 1909. Page 9.
  23. ↑ "Romany Wanderer Loves the Poetry of All Outdoors." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. May 16, 1909. Page 1.
  24. ↑ "What the Dispatch Staff Photographer Saw in the Big Camp of Gypsies Located East of Crestview North of the Corporation Line." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. May 16, 1909. Page 1.
  25. ↑ "Olentangy." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. Sept. 7, 1909. Page 14.
  26. ↑ "Olentangy Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. July 9, 1909. Page 20.
  27. ↑ "The Gillette Dog and Monkey Circus, The South Before the War, Willard's Temple of Music, Paradise — The Show Beautiful, and other shows." Lost Wonderland. Accessed Dec. 14, 2024. https://lost-wonderland.com/the-gillette-dog-and-monkey-circus-the-south-before-the-war-willards-temple-of-music-paradise-the-show-beautiful-and-other-shows/
  28. ↑ "Olentangy Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. April 11, 1909. Page 5.
  29. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. May 28, 1909. Page 20.
  30. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. Aug. 20, 1909. Page 16.
  31. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. Aug. 27, 1909. Page 18.
  32. ↑ "Olentangy." Columbus Evening Dispatch. April 17, 1909. Page 10.
  33. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. June 3, 1909. Page 14.
  34. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. June 10, 1909. Page 14.
  35. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. June 18, 1909. Page 18.
  36. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. June 22, 1909. Page 7.
  37. ↑ "Glaser Stock Company." Columbus Evening Dispatch. June 28, 1909. Page 10.
  38. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. July 30, 1909. Page 16.
  39. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. July 9, 1909. Page 20.
  40. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. Aug. 6, 1909. Page 16.
  41. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. April 23, 1909. Page 20.
  42. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. May 20, 1909. Page 14.
  43. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. June 21, 1909. Page 14.
  44. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. July 5, 1909. Page 10.
  45. ↑ "Summer Amusements: Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. July 16, 1909. Page 16.
  46. ↑ "Olentangy Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. July 18, 1909. Page 31.
  47. ↑ Advertisement. The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. July 18, 1909. Page 31.
  48. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. May 19, 1909. Page 16.
  49. ↑ "Canel Dover Outing." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. June 27, 1909. Page 21.
  50. ↑ "Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. July 7, 1909. Page 14.
  51. ↑ "Next Week." Columbus Evening Dispatch. Aug. 14, 1909. Page 10.
  52. ↑ "Olentangy Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. Aug. 8, 1909. Page 31.
  53. ↑ "Olentangy Park midway, postcard." Columbus Metropolitan Library: Columbus in Historic Photographs. 1916. Last modified Dec. 23, 2021. 708O451916.
  54. ↑ Classified advertisement. Columbus Evening Dispatch. Aug. 1, 1903. Page 17.


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