1905 Season

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1905 Season Season
Leadership Joseph W. Dusenbury, president
Will J. Dusenbury, manager
The Olentangy Park Company
New Attractions Fair Japan Japanese Village
Theater Manager W.W. Prosser

The Olentangy Park, Theater, and Zoological Garden opened for the 1905 season on Sunday, April 30, 1905.[1][2] Creatore's Italian band performed during the opening week at the theater.[3]

Park Improvements

For ride and attraction changes, see the Rides and Attraction section

To make room for the growth of the zoo (see rides and attractions), the park grounds were extended to Doddridge Street and the meadowlands on each side of the Glen Echo Run [published as "the river"] were added and beautified. More electric lights were strung over the grounds and along the river. Arches of incandescent lights were also added.[3] The paths were newly graveled and all buildings newly painted. Deep wells were bored to provide cold drinking water to patrons.[2]

Rides and Attractions

New Fair Japan

Main Article: Fair Japan

Park manager J. W. Dusenbury contracted Kushibiki Yumindo [published as Umeto Kushibiki] to build a Japanese Village exhibit on 10 acres[2] at the park, just north of the Figure Eight Toboggan, replacing the Miniature Railway. Kushibiki built and equipped the "Fair Japan" on the Pike at the Saint Louis World's Fair. The attraction was a representation of the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo, Japan, and featured the iconic Banzai Bridge, stream, and fountains. It also included a "typical Japanese home" with a family living in the structure; an open stage with continuous performances by Japanese actors, tumblers, and jugglers; a bazaar; and tea houses staffed by Japanese women in costumes, where parkgoers could drink tea from porcelain cups.[4][3] The staff, performers, etc. were probably a mix of races and ethnicities but dressed and performed in the representational ways of the time period.

Kushibiki worked with 8-15 other contractors from Japan starting in January 1905 with planned completion by May 10, a few days prior to the park's original planned opening of May 14.[4]

New Floral Conservatory and Greenhouses

Main Article: Floral Conservatory

Three new Greenhouses were built south of the pheasant cages and were stocked with plants of the California and Ohio exhibits of the Saint Louis World's Fair.[3] The main greenhouse was a large glass conservatory.[2]

Zoo

Main Article: Zoological Garden

Dusenbury purchased much of the Hagenback Animal Show, exhibited at the Saint Louis World's Fair, increasing the size of the Zoo for the 1905 season. The new animals included four sea lions, a rare sloth bear, a number of pheasants, pelicans, white and black swans, storks, cranes, seagulls, geese from the Straits of Magellan, and other aquatic birds. They were housed in open cages at the south end of the park. The elk and deer were moved from the east side to the south end of the park grounds.[3] In April, Dusenbury brought a giant alligator, shipped from Poro, Fla., to the zoo. It was 13.5 ft. (4.1 m) long and was the largest one in captivity at the time. The largest in any other zoo was said to be just over 11 ft. (3.4 m) long. The Olentangy Park gator was 1,100 lbs. (almost 500 kg) and came by express and cost the company $81.65 ($2,791 in 2023) to ship.[5]

Trained Animal Circus

The 1905 season had open air performances every afternoon and evening by trained dogs, ponies, monkeys, and animals formerly with the Long Bros. Animal Show. Added were burros, donkeys, bears, and other trained animals. The circus was under the management of C. H. Long, formerly of the Long Bros. Circus. The show incorporated the pony and camel track where parkgoers could ride camels, ponies, donkeys, and burros hitched to small carts.[2]

Other Rides and Attractions

Olentangy Park Theater

Main Article: Olentangy Park Casino and Theater

The Dusenbury Brothers traveled to New York in February to book the vaudeville attractions for the season. Creatore's Italian band performed during the opening week at the theater and Liberati's band performed for a month.[3]

Music

Creatore's Italian band performed during the opening week at the theater and Liberati's band performed for a month.[3] W.W. Prosser of Columbus returned to manage the theater for another season.[6] Performances were twice a day.[2]

Activities

References

  1. ↑ Ad. The Columbus Evening Dispatch. 16 April 1905. Pg. 7.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Opening of Olentangy." The Columbus Evening Dispatch. 16 April 1905. Pg. 6.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Olentangy Park Will Be Extended to Doddridge St." The Columbus Evening Dispatch. 18 February 1905. Pg. 7.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Geisha Girls are to be Attraction." The Columbus Evening Dispatch. 2 January 1905. Pg. 5.
  5. ↑ "With Jaws Tightly Tied and His Feet Lashed Together." The Columbus Evening Dispatch. 10 April 1905. Pg. 6.
  6. ↑ The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. 2 April 1905. Pg. 6.
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