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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 July 1905. Pg. 4. Retrieved from Newspapers.com on 11 April 2017. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10215101/the-giant-playing-circle-swing-at/</ref>, '''Flying Circle Swing''', '''Flying Swing''', '''Circle Ride'''<ref name="historian">Barret, Richard E. "Olentangy Park: Four Decades of Fun." ''Columbus and Central Ohio Historian.'' Vol. 1. April 1984. Pg. 11.</ref>, and '''spiral swing'''<ref>''The Billboard.'' 20 May 1905. Vol. 17. Iss. 20. Pg. 9.</ref> was a rotating ride installed in Olentangy Park in 1904.<ref>"Olentangy Park, Theater and Zoological Garden." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' 1 May 1904. Pg. 29.</ref> It was invented by Harry G. Traver<ref name="smithsonian">Oswald, Alison. "A Swinging Amusement." Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Published 20 September 2019. Accessed 5 August 2024. https://invention.si.edu/swinging-amusement</ref><ref name="times">Snedden, Jeffery. "Harry Traver took Beaver County on thrilling roller coaster ride." ''The Beaver County Times (Beaver County, Pennsylvania).'' Published 24 May 2016. Accessed 8 August 2024.</ref> and built by the Traver Circle Swing Company<ref name=":0">"Sue for Royalties." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch''. 2 February 1906. Pg. 10. Retrieved from the Columbus Dispatch Digital Archives.</ref><ref>Traver, H. G. (1904). Roundabout. U.S. Patent No. 830,688 https://patents.google.com/patent/US830688A</ref><ref>Traver, H. G. (1905). Circle-swing. U.S. Patent No. 830,687 https://patents.google.com/patent/US830687A</ref><ref>Traver, H. G. (1905). Amusement apparatus. U.S. Patent No. 842,276 https://patents.google.com/patent/US842276A</ref><ref>Traver, H. G. (1904). Car for swings. U.S. Patent No. 790,989 https://patents.google.com/patent/US790989A</ref>.  It was built by the North Penn Iron Company of Philadelphia and cost over $8,000 ($266,784 in 2023) to construct.<ref name="coneyisland">"Olentangy Park, a Coney Island Rival" ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' 1 May 1904. Pg. 4.</ref> It was located near [[Fair Japan]], then moved next to the [[Loop-the-Loop]]. 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.'' 31 July 1904. Pg. 4.</ref> but the ride worked irregularly for the first few weeks.
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 July 1905. Pg. 4. Retrieved from Newspapers.com on 11 April 2017. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10215101/the-giant-playing-circle-swing-at/</ref>, '''Flying Circle Swing''', '''Flying Swing''', '''Circle Ride'''<ref name="historian">Barret, Richard E. "Olentangy Park: Four Decades of Fun." ''Columbus and Central Ohio Historian.'' Vol. 1. April 1984. Pg. 11.</ref>, and '''spiral swing'''<ref>''The Billboard.'' 20 May 1905. Vol. 17. Iss. 20. Pg. 9.</ref> was a rotating ride installed in Olentangy Park in 1904.<ref>"Olentangy Park, Theater and Zoological Garden." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch.'' 1 May 1904. Pg. 29.</ref> It was invented by [[Harry G. Traver]]<ref name="smithsonian">Oswald, Alison. "A Swinging Amusement." Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Published 20 September 2019. Accessed 5 August 2024. https://invention.si.edu/swinging-amusement</ref><ref name="times">Snedden, Jeffery. "Harry Traver took Beaver County on thrilling roller coaster ride." ''The Beaver County Times (Beaver County, Pennsylvania).'' Published 24 May 2016. Accessed 8 August 2024. https://www.timesonline.com/story/lifestyle/around-town/2016/05/24/harry-traver-took-beaver-county/18574055007/</ref> and built by the Traver Circle Swing Company<ref name=":0">"Sue for Royalties." ''Columbus Evening Dispatch''. 2 February 1906. Pg. 10. Retrieved from the Columbus Dispatch Digital Archives.</ref><ref>Traver, H. G. (1904). Roundabout. U.S. Patent No. 830,688 https://patents.google.com/patent/US830688A</ref><ref>Traver, H. G. (1905). Circle-swing. U.S. Patent No. 830,687 https://patents.google.com/patent/US830687A</ref><ref>Traver, H. G. (1905). Amusement apparatus. U.S. Patent No. 842,276 https://patents.google.com/patent/US842276A</ref><ref>Traver, H. G. (1904). Car for swings. U.S. Patent No. 790,989 https://patents.google.com/patent/US790989A</ref>.  It was built by the North Penn Iron Company of Philadelphia and cost over $8,000 ($266,784 in 2023) to construct.<ref name="coneyisland">"Olentangy Park, a Coney Island Rival" ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' 1 May 1904. Pg. 4.</ref> It was located near [[Fair Japan]], then moved next to the [[Loop-the-Loop]]. 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.'' 31 July 1904. Pg. 4.</ref> but the ride worked irregularly for the first few weeks.


Originally built with boat-shaped vehicles, 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 June 1929. Pg. 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." ''Columbus Dispatch.'' 24 April 1956. Pg. 8B.</ref>
Originally built with boat-shaped vehicles, 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 June 1929. Pg. 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." ''Columbus Dispatch.'' 24 April 1956. Pg. 8B.</ref>
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==Lawsuits==
==Lawsuits==
In February 1906, the Traver Circle Swing Company sued the park for $2,392 ($74,723 in 2022 dollars) due to non-payment of royalties.<ref name=":0" />
In February 1906, the Traver Circle Swing Company sued the park for $2,392 ($74,723 in 2022 dollars) due to non-payment of royalties.<ref name=":0" />
==More about the Creator==
[[Harry G. Traver|Harry Guy Traver]] (1877-1961)<ref name="smithsonian" /> was inspired to create the Circle Swing by seagulls circling a mast of a ship he was lying on.<ref name="times" /> Similar to an earlier version of the ride created by Charles Braaf and a carousel maker, Traver's version was faster and gained popularity after patenting it in 1904 and starting the Traver Circle Swing Company in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania.<ref name="times" /><ref name="smithsonian" /> The ride was "to provide the occupants with the pleasurable sensation of the ordinary roundabout with increased speed and gradual rise from and return to the ground."<ref name="patent1">Traver, H. G. (1904). Amusement apparatus. U.S. Patent No. 758,341. https://patents.google.com/patent/US758341</ref> The vehicles on the rides were either boats (airships), baskets, or cars. In 1919, he grew the company by partnering with [[J. W. Zarro]] and later, buying out his factory for $140,000 (over $2.5 million in 2024). He expanded the factory and created Traver Engineering Company. By 1924, the company was the largest producer of amusement rides. In 1922, he patented the "Collapsible Passenger Carrying Car for Aeroplane Swings,"<ref>Traver, H. G. (1922). Collapsible passenger carrying car for aeroplane swings U.S. Patent No. 1,436,371 https://patents.google.com/patent/US1436371</ref> which could be the vehicles of the [[Airplanes]] ride. The company closed in 1933 after suffering losses due to the Great Recession.<ref name="times" />


== See Also ==
== See Also ==

Revision as of 00:26, 6 August 2024

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 ft. (36.6 m) diameter
Height 90 ft. (27.5 m)
Speed 40 mph (64 kph)
Vehicle Type Cars (open boat design)
Number of Vehicles 6

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] and built by the Traver Circle Swing Company[7][8][9][10][11]. It was built by the North Penn Iron Company of Philadelphia and cost over $8,000 ($266,784 in 2023) to construct.[12] It was located near Fair Japan, then moved next to the Loop-the-Loop. It opened to the public sometime during the week of July 31, 1904, after delays in building[13] but the ride worked irregularly for the first few weeks.

Originally built with boat-shaped vehicles, 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.[2][14]. 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.[15]

Description

The ride consisted of a 75-foot (23 m) tall steel tower (some sources say 90 feet (27.5 m)), 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 the centrifugal force raising the cars over 30 feet (9 m) above the ground at the full speed of 40 mph (64 kph). The circle created at its widest was 120 feet (36.5 m) in diameter.[12][1] It simulated the feeling of flying.[5]

  • Vintage postcard (c. 1908-1911) showing the Circle Swing and the Loop-the-Loop at Olentangy Park.
    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. 1907) showing the "Circle Swing" in motion.
  • Vintage postcard (c. 1905-1906) showing a section of Fair Japan and the Circle Swing.
    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.
    Panoramic photo (c. 1908-1910) of the Circle Swing and Loop-the-Loop.

Notable Events

On August 5, kits to display a banner for H. Sage Valentine's mayoral run became tangled in the Circle Swing's lines, stopping the ride's operation.[16]

Injuries

In 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[17].

Lawsuits

In February 1906, the Traver Circle Swing Company sued the park for $2,392 ($74,723 in 2022 dollars) due to non-payment of royalties.[7]

See Also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The Giant Flying Circle Swing at Olentangy Park." The Hocking Sentinel (Logan, Ohio). 13 July 1905. Pg. 4. Retrieved from Newspapers.com on 11 April 2017. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/10215101/the-giant-playing-circle-swing-at/
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Barret, Richard E. "Olentangy Park: Four Decades of Fun." Columbus and Central Ohio Historian. Vol. 1. April 1984. Pg. 11.
  3. ↑ The Billboard. 20 May 1905. Vol. 17. Iss. 20. Pg. 9.
  4. ↑ "Olentangy Park, Theater and Zoological Garden." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 1 May 1904. Pg. 29.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Oswald, Alison. "A Swinging Amusement." Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Published 20 September 2019. Accessed 5 August 2024. https://invention.si.edu/swinging-amusement
  6. ↑ Snedden, Jeffery. "Harry Traver took Beaver County on thrilling roller coaster ride." The Beaver County Times (Beaver County, Pennsylvania). Published 24 May 2016. Accessed 8 August 2024. https://www.timesonline.com/story/lifestyle/around-town/2016/05/24/harry-traver-took-beaver-county/18574055007/
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 "Sue for Royalties." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 2 February 1906. Pg. 10. Retrieved from the Columbus Dispatch Digital Archives.
  8. ↑ Traver, H. G. (1904). Roundabout. U.S. Patent No. 830,688 https://patents.google.com/patent/US830688A
  9. ↑ Traver, H. G. (1905). Circle-swing. U.S. Patent No. 830,687 https://patents.google.com/patent/US830687A
  10. ↑ Traver, H. G. (1905). Amusement apparatus. U.S. Patent No. 842,276 https://patents.google.com/patent/US842276A
  11. ↑ Traver, H. G. (1904). Car for swings. U.S. Patent No. 790,989 https://patents.google.com/patent/US790989A
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 "Olentangy Park, a Coney Island Rival" The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. 1 May 1904. Pg. 4.
  13. ↑ "Summer Amusements." The Columbus Evening Dispatch. 31 July 1904. Pg. 4.
  14. ↑ "Zoo Amusement Park Has Established Its Popularity." Columbus Dispatch. 2 June 1929. Pg. 14-A.
  15. ↑ "Airplane Ride is Razed." Columbus Dispatch. 24 April 1956. Pg. 8B.
  16. ↑ "Mayoralty Fight Not Lacking in Real Originality." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. 8 August 1909. Pg. 3.
  17. ↑ "Young Woman is Made Unconscious by Circle Swing." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 31 May 1907. Pg. 2. Retrieved by the Columbus Dispatch Digital Archives.


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