1920 Season

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1920 Season
Leadership Park Amusement Co.
Jacob F. Luft, manager
Joseph D. Cleary, assistant manager

The Olentangy Park Company
Joseph W. Dusenbury, president
William J. Dusenbury
Pre-season April 4, 1920 - May 23, 1920
Season Began May 30, 1920
New Attractions Pool Band Shell
Band(s) The Winter Garden Jazz Orchestra
Tagline "The People's Place of Pleasure"
"The Wonder Play Grounds of All Ohio"

Olentangy Park opened its 1920 season on Easter Sunday, April 4, 1920.[1][2][3] Operated first by the Park Amusement Co., J. D. Cleary was the manager at the opening. Joseph Katona served as the park florist. The opening day featured Sammy Stewart's famous orchestra in the Dancing Pavilion and free band concerts in the afternoon and evening by the Fourth Regiment band, directed by Frank Carbone.[1] Almost 7,000 patrons visited opening day.[4] The park was only open on Sundays for its pre-season until Decoration Day (now known as Memorial Day) on Sunday, May 30, 1920, when it opened for daily operation.[5][6] The swimming pool opened on June 5 with 10,000 new suits.[7][8][9]

The Retail Grocers' Association decided to change the location of the annual Grocers' Outing to Indianola Park because the receivers of Olentangy Park did not want them to do a "Country Store" stunt, which is a raffle for goods like flour, sugar, etc., but was seen as some as a form of gambling.[10]

While the case in which Park Amusement Co. lost its lease to Olentangy Park due to having gambling at the park was pending appeal, Judge C. M. Rodgers of the county courts appointed receivers for the park. The park was returned to J. W. and W. J. Dusenbury, Jacob D. Luft, and Joseph D. Cleary. The bonds were fixed at $10,000$160,733 in 2025 dollars each.[11] In May, the receivers, Luft and Cleary, filed a complaint against Jerry O'Shaughnessy, the superintendent of the Columbus water works, when O'Shaughnessy threatened to cut off water to the park over a $100$1,425 in 2025 dollars water bill created before the park went into receivership.[12] In June, it was planned that a resolution would be presented authorizing the director of the service to transfer to receivers for the park a claim of $1,116.91$17,952 in 2025 dollars against the Park Amusement Co. and Will D. Harris for water furnished to the park after the receivers made the payment.[13]

Rides and Attractions

New Band Shell

Main Article: Bandstand (3)

A large Band Shell was built at the end of the Swimming Pool featuring free performances.[14]

Dancing Pavilion Enlarged

Main Article: Dancing Pavilion (2)

The Dancing Pavilion's dance floor was enlarged for the season, making it the largest in the State of Ohio. Other additions to the building included a new check room and a lunchroom with a fountain, where soft drinks were available for purchase. Twelve men worked the soda fountain to provide drinks quickly between dances.[15] Parkgoers were able to dance from 2 to 11 p.m.[16]

List of Rides and Attractions

Theater, Vaudeville, and Stunt Performances

On Saturday, May 22, Navy Post No. 276 staged its Sea-Going Cabaret dance featuring a 10-piece jazz orchestra and many vaudeville acts.[17]

Lottie Mayer and her female diving team performed twice daily at the park in June.[18][14][19] Diving for 13 years, she was hired by the park to teach diving to women and children at 10 a.m. daily for $5$81 in 2025 dollars.[20][21]

Chicago-based Flying Wards, a group of six trapeze artists who also traveled with the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circuses, succeeded Lottie Mayer's group in featuring two free performances per day on a 40-foot trapeze between the Swimming Pool and Shoot-the-Chutes so swimmers could watch.[22][23] The group consisted of three men and three women.[24][25]

The Flying Campbells, followed by the Marrietta Troupe in a casting act, began a double performance July 4 and continued through the following week. The Flying Campbells originally performed with the great Wallaco shows, and the Marietta Troupe had been with the Ringling Circus for four years.[26]

The Flying Fearless Greggs, the "speed kings," in an auto race and triple somersault act began their performances on July 11.[27]

Music

The Fourth Regiment Band directed by Frank Carbone,[16] and Sammy Stewart's Jazz Orchestra played during the first few weeks.[28]

Navy Post No. 276 held a Sea-Going Cabaret dance on May 28. It featured a 10-piece jazz orchestra and many high-class vaudeville acts between dances.[29]

Rudy Pruger and his orchestra performed in the ballroom starting in June.[30]

The Winter Garden Jazz Orchestra of Piqua began performing in the Dancing Pavilion in late June.[25]

Activities

List of Activities

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Park to Open Today." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. April 4, 1920.
  2. ↑ "Olentangy Opens Easter." The Columbus Dispatch. April 1, 1920. Page 4.
  3. ↑ "Olentangy Open Tomorrow." The Columbus Dispatch. April 15, 1920. Page 11.
  4. ↑ "At the Park Opening." The Columbus Dispatch. April 5, 1920. Page 20.
  5. ↑ "Park's Formal Opening." The Columbus Dispatch. May 29, 1920. Page 12.
  6. ↑ "Weather Right for Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. May 30, 1920. Page 6.
  7. ↑ "Pool to Open Saturday." The Columbus Dispatch. June 4, 1920.
  8. ↑ "Motto is Safety First." The Columbus Dispatch. June 5, 1920. Page 12.
  9. ↑ "Pool Is Open to Public." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. June 6, 1920. Page 6.
  10. ↑ "Grocers Will Hold Outing at Indianola." The Columbus Dispatch. June 22, 1920. Page 19.
  11. ↑ "Name Park Receivers." The Columbus Dispatch. April 2, 1920. Page 21.
  12. ↑ "O'Shaughnessy May Be Jailed If He Cuts Off Park's Water." The Columbus Dispatch. May 7, 1920. Page 1.
  13. ↑ "Council May Consider Employing Engineers." The Columbus Dispatch. June 7, 2910. Page 1.
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Diving Beauties at Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. June 13, 1920.
  15. ↑ "At the Dance Pavilion." The Columbus Dispatch. June 2, 1920. Page 28.
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Park is Again Open Today." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. April 11, 1920. Page 9.
  17. ↑ The Columbus Dispatch. May 22, 1920. Page 2.
  18. ↑ "Grand Stand at Park Pool." The Columbus Dispatch. June 12, 1920. Page 12.
  19. ↑ "For Swimmers and Spectators." The Columbus Dispatch. June 17, 1920.
  20. ↑ "Diving Girl at Park Pool." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. June 20, 1920. Page 26.
  21. ↑ Advertisement. The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. June 20, 1920. Page 7.
  22. ↑ "Free Act is Booked." The Columbus Dispatch. June 25, 1920. Page 40.
  23. ↑ "On the Flying Trapezes." The Columbus Dispatch. June 26, 1920. Page 12.
  24. ↑ "An Act From Circus Rings." The Columbus Dispatch. June 26, 1920. Page 8.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 "On Forty-Foot Trapeze." The Columbus Dispatch. June 29, 1920. Page 30.
  26. ↑ "A Double Free Attraction." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. July 4, 1920. Page 7.
  27. ↑ Advertisement. The Columbus Dispatch. July 9, 1920. Page 15.
  28. ↑ "Music at Olentangy." The Columbus Dispatch. April 10, 1920. Page 12.
  29. ↑ The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. May 22, 1920. Page 2.
  30. ↑ "An Every-day Attraction." The Columbus Dispatch. June 1, 1920. Page 26.


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