Merry-Go-Round
| Type | Rotating Ride |
|---|---|
| Park Section | South end, Center |
| Built | 1896 |
| Opened | 1896 |
| Closed | 1937 (park closure) |
| Vehicle Type | Wooden Animal Sculptures |
The Merry-Go-Round was an amusement device where riders would mount wooden sculptures of animals that would simulate a riding movement along a vertical pole for each sculpture. It was operated by electricity and a central organ provided music. There were likely multiple merry-go-rounds,[1] but they are separate from the Carousel. The original Merry-Go-Round was just inside the City of Columbus' boundaries in 1899, near the ravine.[2] In 1906, it was moved to the building that housed the first Dancing Pavilion located near the Park Entrance[3] and near the Ferris Wheel, however, this could have been the Carousel.[4]
In 1897, rides were free for children under 10 years old and ran from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. during the park season.[5]
Description
The Merry-Go-Round when the park first opened in 1896 was described as having "beasts and birds and dreadful-looking animals."[6]
Events
The ride lost power due to a lightning strike in June 1902.[7]
Injuries and Deaths
On July 12, 1902, a Mrs. John Hindmarch, 57, fell from the ride while at the park with her two granddaughters. She fell while checking on her granddaughter, her head landing on a rock. She later died from her injuries. Her family had just moved to Columbus two months prior from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.[8][9]
A boy fell from the ride during a charity event in July 1905.[10]
A woman was injured when she was thrown from one of the merry-go-round rides in June 1912.[11]
See Also
- Grand Carousel - Often called the "merry-go-round," but is a separate ride.
- Merry-Go-Round De Luxe - "New" in 1930, strikingly similar to the Grand Carousel and possibly the same ride
References
- ↑ Clay Record. United States: Clay Record Publishing Company, 1903. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Clay_Record/c6pPAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
- ↑ "Without Kids Gloves." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 27 July 1989. Pg. 6.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park." The Democrat-Sentinel (Logan, OH). 14 June 1906. Pg. 2. Clip 1 | Clip 2
- ↑ "Auspicious Day for Park Opening." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 30 April 1906. Pg. 6.
- ↑ Ad. Columbus Evening Dispatch. 31 July 1897. Pg. 6.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park Opened." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 13 June 1896. Pg. 5.
- ↑ "Brevities." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 14 June 1902. Pg. 6.
- ↑ Sunday Columbus Dispatch. 13 July 1902. Pg. 8.
- ↑ "A Fatal Ride." Monday Columbus Dispatch. 14 July 1902. Pg. 8.
- ↑ "Little Children of the Poor Have Day of Pleasure." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 6 July 1905. Pg. 1.
- ↑ "Thrown from Merry-Go-Round." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 20 June 1912. Pg. 5.