Merry-Go-Round: Difference between revisions

From Olentangy Park Wiki
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
No edit summary
Line 4: Line 4:
| othernames    =  
| othernames    =  
| type          = Rotating Ride
| type          = Rotating Ride
| section        = South end, Center
| section        = South, Center
| built          = 1896
| built          = 1896
| opened        = 1896
| opened        = 1896

Revision as of 16:13, 21 March 2024

Merry-Go-Round
Type Rotating Ride
Park Section South, 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 and near the Ferris Wheel[3], 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] In 1906, the "Merry-Go-Round" had "gay rocking horses and chariots and [had a] big organ."[3]

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]

On July 6, 1905, during an outing for orphans and poor children hosted by the Salvation Army, Eral Roach became dizzy while riding the merry-go-round and fell from a horse. He was badly shaken and bruised but recovered.[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

  1. ↑ Clay Record. United States: Clay Record Publishing Company, 1903. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Clay_Record/c6pPAQAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0
  2. ↑ "Without Kids Gloves." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 27 July 1989. Pg. 6.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Olentangy Park." The Democrat-Sentinel (Logan, OH). 14 June 1906. Pg. 2. Clip 1 | Clip 2
  4. ↑ "Auspicious Day for Park Opening." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 30 April 1906. Pg. 6.
  5. ↑ Ad. Columbus Evening Dispatch. 31 July 1897. Pg. 6.
  6. ↑ "Olentangy Park Opened." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 13 June 1896. Pg. 5.
  7. ↑ "Brevities." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 14 June 1902. Pg. 6.
  8. ↑ Sunday Columbus Dispatch. 13 July 1902. Pg. 8.
  9. ↑ "A Fatal Ride." Monday Columbus Dispatch. 14 July 1902. Pg. 8.
  10. ↑ "Little Children of the Poor Have Day of Pleasure." The Columbus Evening Dispatch. 6 July 1905. Pg. 1.
  11. ↑ "Thrown from Merry-Go-Round." Columbus Evening Dispatch. 20 June 1912. Pg. 5.