Shoot-the-Chutes
| Other Name(s) | Chutes Shoot-the-Shoots |
|---|---|
| Type | Water ride Track ride |
| Park Section | North |
| Built | 1909 |
| Opened | 1909 |
| Closed | 1924 |
| Speed | 60 mph |
| Vehicle Type | Boat |
| Riders per Vehicle | 4 |
The Shoot-the-Chutes, sometimes stylized as Chutes, was a water ride installed at the north end of Olentangy Park in 1909.[1][2][3] The ride was planned for as early as 1905.[4] The boats were supplied from the "Marine Slide" built at Minerva Park, that closed several years earlier.[5]
Description
The Shoot-the-Chutes was a water ride invented by Paul Boyton,[6].
Flat-bottomed boats were brought up an incline pulled by a belt and rotated at the top. Up to four parkgoers would board a boat and it was pushed to slide down the main part of the incline, going as fast as 60 mph,[7] to splash and skip like a stone in the pond at the bottom. Part of this effect was achieved by a slight upward curve at the end of the ramp. Each boat was controlled by a park employee who stood at the back of the boat.[8][5]
The Ride's Run at the Park
The Shoot-the-Chutes was one of many rides and attractions built for the 1909 season. It started to suffer from "non-support" by 1916.[9]
The lagoon, also known as a "lake" or "pool,"[10][3] remained until the park's closure, being used for water bicycles (called "Watercycles"),[11] tug-of-war, and automobile events. The signage at the top of the ride was updated around 1920 and the zoo elephant, Tandy, was trained to ride the boats.
In 1934, on a day dubbed Plymouth Day, "Lucky" Teter and his troupe of "Hell Drivers" put on a show at the park. A driver drove at least one car down the Shoot-the-Chutes into the lagoon during a $100,000$2.5 million in 2025 dollars show of Chrysler products at the park.[12] Starting at 60 mph, the car leaped and hit the water at 90 mph, leaped a 2-foot embankment, and purposely turned the car over in the dirt, going 20 mph.[13][14][15]
Despite its unusable state, the structure remained standing and is visible in a photo in an article about the park's closure in 1937.[16]
Notable Events
There was a contest for automobile owners to climb the ride's incline during the 1910 North Side Chamber of Commerce outing, but no one signed up for it.[17]
For the Buckeye Republican Club outing on Aug. 26, 1911, and the three weeks following, Professor S. B. Erieg performed "Slide for Life," where he slid while on fire down a wire strung from the Shoot-the-Chutes flagstaff to the lagoon.[18][19]
Desperate Desmond performed the "Slide for Life" from the head to the foot of the Shoot-the-Chutes ride during July and August 1912.[20]
Injuries
Joseph Valkno, 17, was hit by a boat on the chute while working on the ride in September 1914. He broke his leg while trying to leap over the boat as it was diving into the pond.[21]
Gallery
-
The Shoot-the-Chutes ride during its construction in 1909. -
A panoramic photo of new rides nearing completion in the Columbus Sunday Dispatch on March 28, 1909. Rides and attractions shown: Whirlwind, Shoot-the-Chutes, the Midway including the Temple of Mirth, first Ye Olde Mill, and second Dancing Pavilion. -
A vintage postcard (postmarked 1916) showing the Whirlwind and Shoot-the-Chutes. Photo from around 1909-1910.
References
- ↑ "Olentangy Park, Founded in 1893, Long Was Amusement Mecca for Central Ohio." Columbus Evening Dispatch. April 1, 1938. Pages 1, 6.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park Opens April 25th." The Union County Journal (Marysville, Ohio). April 22, 1909. Page 3. Accessed through Newspapers.com.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio. Sanborn Map Company, - 1922 Vol. 3, 1922, 1922. Map.
- ↑ The Billboard. Vol. 17. Issue 40. Oct. 7, 1905. Page 25.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Stuart, R. G. "The Marine Slide Part Two." The Villager. November 1997. Page 3. Published by the Minerva Park Community Association.
- ↑ "Francis, David W. 2002. Ohio's Amusement Parks in Vintage Postcards. Page 42.
- ↑ "If You Would On Outing Go." The Columbus Dispatch. Sept. 16, 1923. Page 64.
- ↑ Barrett, Richard E. 2002. Columbus Ohio 1898-1950 in Vintage Postcards. Arcadia Publishing. Accessed through Google Books.
- ↑ "Park in Full Operation." The Columbus Evening Dispatch. May 1, 1916. Page 16.
- ↑ City of Columbus, Franklin Co., Ohio. Franklin Survey Co. 1937. Vol. 1. Map. Accessed through Ebay.com.
- ↑ Barrett, Richard E. "Olentangy Park: Four Decades of Fun." Columbus and Central Ohio Historian No. 1. April 1984. Page 11.
- ↑ "Plymouth's 'Hell Divers' Will Defy Death to Thrill Crowds at Olentangy." The Columbus Dispatch. June 17, 1934. Page 20.
- ↑ "Hell Drivers Again to Appear at Park." The Columbus Dispatch. June 24, 1934. Page 19.
- ↑ Walkmeyer, Gene. "Daredevils Thrill Olentangy Audience." The Columbus Dispatch. June 25, 1934. Page 16.
- ↑ Foster, Emily. "Bob and Carol Pattin, 1930s and 1940s north side residents, on Olentangy Park." The Ohio State University District: A Neighborhood History. United States: History Press, 2014.
- ↑ "$2,000,000 Housing Project to Replace Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch. April 1, 1938. Page 1.
- ↑ "Thirty-five Accept." Columbus Evening Dispatch. May 9, 1910. Page 10.
- ↑ "Olentangy." Columbus Evening Dispatch. Aug. 24, 1911. Page 16.
- ↑ "Olentangy." Columbus Evening Dispatch. Aug. 25, 1911. Page 14.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. Aug. 4, 1912. Page 5.
- ↑ "Park Employe Injured." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch. Sept. 6, 1914. Page 3.