Circle Swing: Difference between revisions
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| closed = 1926 (Changed name) | | closed = 1926 (Changed name) | ||
| manufacturer = [[Traver Circle Swing Company]] | | manufacturer = [[Traver Circle Swing Company]] | ||
| width = 120 | | width = 120 feet (36.6 meters) diameter | ||
| height = | | height = 75 feet (23 meters) | ||
| speed = 40 mph (64 kph) | | speed = 40 mph (64 kph) | ||
| vehicletype = Cars (boat design) | | vehicletype = Cars (boat design) | ||
| Line 16: | Line 16: | ||
| architect = North Penn Iron Company | | architect = North Penn Iron Company | ||
| designer = [[Harry G. Traver]] | | designer = [[Harry G. Traver]] | ||
| numriders = 8 | |||
| inversions = 0 | |||
| cost = Over {{Tooltip |text = $8,000|tooltip = $288,957 in 2025 dollars}} | |||
}} | }} | ||
The [[Circle Swing]], also known as the '''Giant Circle Swing'''<ref name="logan">"The Giant Flying Circle Swing at Olentangy Park." ''The Hocking Sentinel (Logan, Ohio).'' 13 | The [[Circle Swing]], also known as the '''Giant Circle Swing'''<ref name="logan">[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10215101/the-giant-playing-circle-swing-at/ "The Giant Flying Circle Swing at Olentangy Park."] ''The Hocking Sentinel (Logan, Ohio).'' July 13, 1905. Page 4. Accessed through Newspapers.com on April 11, 2017.</ref>, '''Flying Circle Swing''', '''Flying Swing''', '''Circle Ride'''<ref name="historian">Barrett, Richard E. "Olentangy Park: Four Decades of Fun." ''Columbus and Central Ohio Historian No. 1.'' April 1984. Page 11.</ref>, and '''Spiral Swing'''<ref>[https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1905-05-20_17_20/page/8/ "Ohio: Columbus."] ''The Billboard.'' May 20, 1905. Vol. 17. Issue 20. Page 9. Accessed through the Internet Archive.</ref> was a rotating ride installed in Olentangy Park in 1904.<ref>"Olentangy Park, Theater and Zoological Garden." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' May 1, 1904. Page 29.</ref> It was invented by [[Harry G. Traver]]<ref name="smithsonian">Oswald, Alison. [https://invention.si.edu/swinging-amusement "A Swinging Amusement."] ''Smithsonian National Museum of American History.'' Sept. 20, 2019. Accessed on Aug. 5, 2024.</ref><ref name="times">Snedden, Jeffery. 2016. [https://www.timesonline.com/story/lifestyle/around-town/2016/05/24/harry-traver-took-beaver-county/18574055007/ "Harry Traver took Beaver County on thrilling roller coaster ride."] ''The Beaver County Times (Beaver County, Pennsylvania).'' Published May 24, 2016. Accessed on Aug. 8, 2024.</ref><ref>[http://www.flatrides.com/rides/circleswing.html "Circle Swing."] ''The Flat Joint.'' Accessed May 23, 2025.</ref> and designed by the [[Traver Circle Swing Company]].<ref name=":0">"Sue for Royalties." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' Feb. 2, 1906. Page 10.</ref><ref>Traver, H. G. 1906. "Roundabout." ''U.S. Patent No. 830,688.'' Accessed through [https://patents.google.com/patent/US830688A Google Patents] and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WJaDlcT4oN-WoQhhAHdNBklLuqRJQSBC/view?usp=sharing PDF]</ref><ref>Traver, H. G. 1906. "Circle-swing." ''U.S. Patent No. 830,687.'' Accessed through [https://patents.google.com/patent/US830687A Google Patents] and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WO6lStAJSnBo3_6wyHWEoBVsyKoMI5Q9/view?usp=sharing PDF]</ref><ref>Traver, H. G. 1904. "Amusement apparatus." ''U.S. Patent No. 758,341.'' Accessed through [https://patents.google.com/patent/US842276A Google Patents] and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WObAfTl9Ru5rtY2y8HYBe9Vb8RXTRrcK/view?usp=sharing PDF] </ref><ref>Traver, H. G. 1905. "Car for swings." ''U.S. Patent No. 790,989,'' Accessed through [https://patents.google.com/patent/US790989A Google Patents] and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WHkH_-u0qxC1sh9uB4bSyGBveSdM1tEE/view?usp=sharing PDF]</ref> The Dusenbury Brothers bought the ride from R. S. Uzzell in November 1903.<ref name="passing">Uzzell, R. S. "Passing of Olentangy." ''The Billboard.'' April 23, 1938. Page 42. Accessed through the Internet Archive.</ref> It was built by the North Penn Iron Company of Philadelphia by the next season. | ||
Originally built with boat-shaped cars, it was updated to have plane-shaped vehicles around 1927 and rebranded as [[Airplanes]]. The ride was moved to the Haenlein Brothers' Zoo Amusement Park in 1938.<ref name="historian" /><ref>"Zoo Amusement Park Has Established Its Popularity." ''Columbus Dispatch.'' 2 | It cost over {{Tooltip |text = $8,000|tooltip = $288,957 in 2025 dollars}} to construct.<ref name="coneyisland">"Olentangy Park, a Coney Island Rival" ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' May 1, 1904. Page 4.</ref> It was originally located across from the entrance to [[Fair Japan]], then moved south of the [[Dancing Pavilion (2)|second Dancing Pavilion]] and next to the [[Loop-the-Loop]].<ref name="sanborn1922">''[https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn06656_008/ Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio.]'' Sanborn Map Company, - 1922 Vol. 3, 1922, 1922. Map.</ref> It opened to the public sometime during the week of July 31, 1904, after delays in building,<ref name="july31">"Summer Amusements." ''The Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' July 31, 1904. Page 4.</ref> but the ride worked irregularly for the first few weeks. | ||
Originally built with boat-shaped cars (called "air-ships"), it was updated to have plane-shaped vehicles around 1927 and rebranded as [[Airplanes]] or Aeroplanes. It used the tower and superstructure of the original ride.<ref name="passing" /> 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> the ride was moved to the Haenlein Brothers' Zoo Amusement Park in 1938.<ref name="historian" /><ref>"Zoo Amusement Park Has Established Its Popularity." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' June 2, 1929. Page 14-A.</ref>. The ride was razed at Zoo Park in 1956 after Floyd E. Gooding of the Gooding Amusement Company bought the park after the death of Leo Haenlein. According to Elmer Haenlein, it was the oldest of its kind at the time.<ref>"Airplane Ride is Razed." ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' April 24, 1956. Page 8B.</ref> | |||
== Description == | == Description == | ||
The ride consisted of a 75-foot ( | The ride operated on the principle of a merry-go-round.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-leavenworth-times-new-thrill-for-vis/152821022/ "New Thrills for Visitors to Coney."] ''The Leavenworth Times (Leavenworth, Kansas).'' March 14, 1903. Page 7. Accessed through Newspapers.com.</ref> It consisted of a {{Tooltip |text = 75-foot|tooltip = 23-meter}}<ref name="richwood">[https://www.newspapers.com/article/richwood-gazette-giant-flying-circle-swi/152765120/ "Giant Flying Circle Swing."] ''Richwood Gazette (Richwood, Ohio).'' July 13, 1905. Page 2. Accessed through Newspapers.com.</ref> tall steel tower, which revolves around a vertical shaft. Connected to this shaft at the top of the tower were six radiating arms described as being "like spokes of a great wheel or legs of a gigantic spider." Steel cables extended from the arms to carry cars of passengers. An electric motor at the base spun the arms, cables, and cars with centrifugal force, raising the cars over {{Tooltip |text = 30 feet|tooltip = 30 feet}} above the ground at the full speed of {{Tooltip |text = 40 mph|tooltip = 64 kph}}. The circle created at its widest was {{Tooltip |text = 120 feet|tooltip = 36.5 meters}} in diameter.<ref name="richwood" /><ref name="coneyisland" /><ref name="logan" /> At night, the entire structure was lit by hundreds of electric lights.<ref name="richwood" /> It simulated the feeling of flying.<ref name="smithsonian" /> Being one of the earliest Circle Swings, the vehicles were most likely made of wicker/woven rattan.<ref>[https://lagoonhistory.com/project/attractions/the-rockets/ "Captive Aeroplanes/Rockets."] ''The Lagoon History Project.'' Accessed on Aug. 5, 2024.</ref><ref>Advertisement. 1904. ''[https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Street_Railway_Journal/92dJAAAAYAAJ?q=&gbpv=0#f=false The Street Railway Journal.]'' Street Railway Publishing Company. Page 18A. Accessed through Google Books.</ref> | ||
==Gallery== | ==Gallery== | ||
| Line 35: | Line 40: | ||
== Notable Events == | == Notable Events == | ||
On | On Aug. 5, 1909, kites displaying 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> | ||
==Injuries== | ==Injuries== | ||
In 1907, Amy Wright, 22, was found unconscious while riding the | In May 1907, Amy Wright, 22, was found unconscious while riding the Circle Swing. She was taken to her home on North 18th Street by Fisher's ambulance, where she fully recovered<ref>"Young Woman is Made Unconscious by Circle Swing." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' May 31, 1907. Page 2.</ref>. | ||
==Lawsuits== | ==Lawsuits== | ||
In February 1906, the Traver Circle Swing Company sued the park for $2,392 | In February 1906, the Traver Circle Swing Company sued the park for {{Tooltip |text = $2,392|tooltip = $85,438 in 2025 dollars}} due to non-payment of royalties.<ref name=":0" /> | ||
== Related Patents == | == Related Patents == | ||
* Amusement apparatus. (1904) U.S. Patent No. 758,341 https://patents.google.com/patent/US758341 | * Amusement apparatus. (April 26, 1904) U.S. Patent No. 758,341 [https://patents.google.com/patent/US758341 Google Patents] | [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WObAfTl9Ru5rtY2y8HYBe9Vb8RXTRrcK/view?usp=sharing PDF] | ||
* Car for swings. ( | * Car for swings. (May 30, 1905) U.S. Patent No. 790,989 [https://patents.google.com/patent/US790989A Google Patents] | [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WHkH_-u0qxC1sh9uB4bSyGBveSdM1tEE/view?usp=sharing PDF] | ||
* Circle-swing. ( | * Circle-swing. (Sept. 11, 1906) U.S. Patent No. 830,687 [https://patents.google.com/patent/US830687A Google Patents] [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WO6lStAJSnBo3_6wyHWEoBVsyKoMI5Q9/view?usp=sharing PDF] | ||
* Roundabout. (Sept.11, 1906) U.S. Patent No. 830,688 [https://patents.google.com/patent/US830688A Google Patents] | [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WJaDlcT4oN-WoQhhAHdNBklLuqRJQSBC/view?usp=sharing PDF] | |||
* | |||
== See Also == | == See Also == | ||
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<references /> | <references /> | ||
{{Rides}} | |||
{{Park Sections}} | {{Park Sections}} | ||
[[Category:Rides]] | [[Category:Rides]] | ||
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[[Category:Rides by Harry G. Traver]] | [[Category:Rides by Harry G. Traver]] | ||
{{#seo:|description=The Circle Swing, also known as the Flying Swing, Circle Ride, and | {{#seo:|description=The Circle Swing, also known as the Flying Swing, Circle Ride, and Spiral Swing, was a rotating ride installed in Olentangy Park in 1904.}} | ||
{{#seo:|keywords=Circle Swing, Flying Swing, Circle Ride, spiral swing, airplanes, Olentangy Park, | {{#seo:|keywords=Circle Swing, Flying Swing, Circle Ride, spiral swing, airplanes, Olentangy Park, Olentangy Amusement Park, Olentangy Park Columbus, Columbus amusement park, amusement park, Clintonville, defunct amusement park, Harry G. Traver, Traver, Harry Traver, Traver Circle Swing}} | ||
Latest revision as of 17:15, 6 October 2025
Circle Swing
| Other Name(s) | Giant Circle Swing Flying Circle Swing Flying Swing Circle Ride Spiral Swing |
|---|---|
| Type | Rotating ride Swinging Rides |
| Park Section | East Center |
| Built | 1904 |
| Opened | 1904 |
| Closed | 1926 (Changed name) |
| Manufacturer | Traver Circle Swing Company |
| Designer | Harry G. Traver |
| Architect | North Penn Iron Company |
| Width | 120 feet (36.6 meters) diameter |
| Height | 75 feet (23 meters) |
| Speed | 40 mph (64 kph) |
| Vehicle Type | Cars (boat design) |
| Number of Vehicles | 6 |
| Riders per Vehicle | 8 |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Cost | Over $8,000$288,957 in 2025 dollars |
The Circle Swing, also known as the Giant Circle Swing[1], Flying Circle Swing, Flying Swing, Circle Ride[2], and Spiral Swing[3] was a rotating ride installed in Olentangy Park in 1904.[4] It was invented by Harry G. Traver[5][6][7] and designed by the Traver Circle Swing Company.[8][9][10][11][12] The Dusenbury Brothers bought the ride from R. S. Uzzell in November 1903.[13] It was built by the North Penn Iron Company of Philadelphia by the next season.
It cost over $8,000$288,957 in 2025 dollars to construct.[14] It was originally located across from the entrance to Fair Japan, then moved south of the second Dancing Pavilion and next to the Loop-the-Loop.[15] It opened to the public sometime during the week of July 31, 1904, after delays in building,[16] but the ride worked irregularly for the first few weeks.
Originally built with boat-shaped cars (called "air-ships"), it was updated to have plane-shaped vehicles around 1927 and rebranded as Airplanes or Aeroplanes. It used the tower and superstructure of the original ride.[13] Despite being listed for sale in The Billboard,[17] the ride was moved to the Haenlein Brothers' Zoo Amusement Park in 1938.[2][18]. The ride was razed at Zoo Park in 1956 after Floyd E. Gooding of the Gooding Amusement Company bought the park after the death of Leo Haenlein. According to Elmer Haenlein, it was the oldest of its kind at the time.[19]
Description
The ride operated on the principle of a merry-go-round.[20] It consisted of a 75-foot23-meter[21] tall steel tower, which revolves around a vertical shaft. Connected to this shaft at the top of the tower were six radiating arms described as being "like spokes of a great wheel or legs of a gigantic spider." Steel cables extended from the arms to carry cars of passengers. An electric motor at the base spun the arms, cables, and cars with centrifugal force, raising the cars over 30 feet30 feet above the ground at the full speed of 40 mph64 kph. The circle created at its widest was 120 feet36.5 meters in diameter.[21][14][1] At night, the entire structure was lit by hundreds of electric lights.[21] It simulated the feeling of flying.[5] Being one of the earliest Circle Swings, the vehicles were most likely made of wicker/woven rattan.[22][23]
Gallery
-
Vintage postcard (c. 1908-1911) showing the Circle Swing and the Loop-the-Loop at Olentangy Park. -
Vintage postcard (c. 1907) showing the "Circle Swing" in motion. -
Vintage postcard (c. 1905-1906) showing a section of Fair Japan and the Circle Swing. -
Panoramic photo (c. 1908-1910) of the Circle Swing and Loop-the-Loop.
Notable Events
On Aug. 5, 1909, kites displaying a banner for H. Sage Valentine's mayoral run became tangled in the Circle Swing's lines, stopping the ride's operation.[24]
Injuries
In May 1907, Amy Wright, 22, was found unconscious while riding the Circle Swing. She was taken to her home on North 18th Street by Fisher's ambulance, where she fully recovered[25].
Lawsuits
In February 1906, the Traver Circle Swing Company sued the park for $2,392$85,438 in 2025 dollars due to non-payment of royalties.[8]
Related Patents
- Amusement apparatus. (April 26, 1904) U.S. Patent No. 758,341 Google Patents | PDF
- Car for swings. (May 30, 1905) U.S. Patent No. 790,989 Google Patents | PDF
- Circle-swing. (Sept. 11, 1906) U.S. Patent No. 830,687 Google Patents PDF
- Roundabout. (Sept.11, 1906) U.S. Patent No. 830,688 Google Patents | PDF
See Also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The Giant Flying Circle Swing at Olentangy Park." The Hocking Sentinel (Logan, Ohio). July 13, 1905. Page 4. Accessed through Newspapers.com on April 11, 2017.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Barrett, Richard E. "Olentangy Park: Four Decades of Fun." Columbus and Central Ohio Historian No. 1. April 1984. Page 11.
- ↑ "Ohio: Columbus." The Billboard. May 20, 1905. Vol. 17. Issue 20. Page 9. Accessed through the Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park, Theater and Zoological Garden." Columbus Evening Dispatch. May 1, 1904. Page 29.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Oswald, Alison. "A Swinging Amusement." Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Sept. 20, 2019. Accessed on Aug. 5, 2024.
- ↑ Snedden, Jeffery. 2016. "Harry Traver took Beaver County on thrilling roller coaster ride." The Beaver County Times (Beaver County, Pennsylvania). Published May 24, 2016. Accessed on Aug. 8, 2024.
- ↑ "Circle Swing." The Flat Joint. Accessed May 23, 2025.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Sue for Royalties." Columbus Evening Dispatch. Feb. 2, 1906. Page 10.
- ↑ Traver, H. G. 1906. "Roundabout." U.S. Patent No. 830,688. Accessed through Google Patents and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PDF
- ↑ Traver, H. G. 1906. "Circle-swing." U.S. Patent No. 830,687. Accessed through Google Patents and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PDF
- ↑ Traver, H. G. 1904. "Amusement apparatus." U.S. Patent No. 758,341. Accessed through Google Patents and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PDF
- ↑ Traver, H. G. 1905. "Car for swings." U.S. Patent No. 790,989, Accessed through Google Patents and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office PDF
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Uzzell, R. S. "Passing of Olentangy." The Billboard. April 23, 1938. Page 42. Accessed through the Internet Archive.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Olentangy Park, a Coney Island Rival" The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. May 1, 1904. Page 4.
- ↑ Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. Sanborn Map Company, - 1922 Vol. 3, 1922, 1922. Map.
- ↑ "Summer Amusements." The Columbus Evening Dispatch. July 31, 1904. Page 4.
- ↑ Advertisement. The Billboard. April 16, 1938. Page 41. Accessed through the Internet Archive.
- ↑ "Zoo Amusement Park Has Established Its Popularity." The Columbus Dispatch. June 2, 1929. Page 14-A.
- ↑ "Airplane Ride is Razed." The Columbus Dispatch. April 24, 1956. Page 8B.
- ↑ "New Thrills for Visitors to Coney." The Leavenworth Times (Leavenworth, Kansas). March 14, 1903. Page 7. Accessed through Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 "Giant Flying Circle Swing." Richwood Gazette (Richwood, Ohio). July 13, 1905. Page 2. Accessed through Newspapers.com.
- ↑ "Captive Aeroplanes/Rockets." The Lagoon History Project. Accessed on Aug. 5, 2024.
- ↑ Advertisement. 1904. The Street Railway Journal. Street Railway Publishing Company. Page 18A. Accessed through Google Books.
- ↑ "Mayoralty Fight Not Lacking in Real Originality." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. Aug. 8, 1909. Page 3.
- ↑ "Young Woman is Made Unconscious by Circle Swing." Columbus Evening Dispatch. May 31, 1907. Page 2.