LaMarcus Adna Thompson (March 8, 1848 – May 8, 1919) was an American inventor and businessman most famous for developing a variety of

gravity rides Amusement rides, sometimes called carnival rides, are mechanical devices or structures that move people especially kids to create fun and enjoyment. Rides are often perceived by many as being scary or more dangerous than they actually are. This ...

and

roller coaster A roller coaster, or rollercoaster, is a type of amusement ride that employs a form of elevated railroad track designed with tight turns, steep slopes, and sometimes inversions. Passengers ride along the track in open cars, and the rides are o ...

Early years

Thompson was born in Jersey, Licking County, Ohio on March 8, 1848. His parents were Adna Thompson (father), and Nancy D Thompson (mother). He had a brother named Olvid. In his adolescence he became a skilled carpenter. In 1873 he began operating a grocery store in Elkhart, Indiana. There he began designing a device to manufacture seamless hosiery. He made a fortune in that business, but failing health forced him to quit it.

Father of the gravity ride and the roller coaster

Thompson is best known for his early work developing

s and for inventing the scenic railway genre of rides. He is known as the "Father of the American Roller Coaster" and is often also called the "Father of the Gravity Ride". Over his lifetime, Thompson accumulated nearly thirty

patents A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...

related to roller coaster technologies. An example is the patent granted December 22, 1884 for the ''Gravity Switch-back Railway''. Thompson's work built upon an earlier patent for an "Inclined Railway" by

John G. Taylor John Gerald Taylor (18 August 1931 – 10 March 2012) was a British physicist and author. He is notable for writing a book critical of paranormal phenomena.Evans, Peter. (24 July 1980). ''Knock twice for no. Science and the supernatural by John ...

, and upon the general idea of gravity-powered inclined rides dating back to at least the 17th century through the overall

history of the roller coaster History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...

. Thompson's breakthrough ride was the "Gravity

Switchback Railway The original Switchback Railway was the first roller coaster at Coney Island in Brooklyn, New York City, and one of the earliest designed for amusement in the United States. The 1885 patent states the invention relates to the gravity double tr ...

", which opened at

Coney Island Coney Island is a peninsular neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach and Manhattan Beach, Brooklyn, Manhattan Beach to its east, L ...

in 1884. A (6 mph) ride cost 5 cents. In 1887, along with designer James A. Griffiths, he opened the

Scenic Railway Scenic railroad (American English) or Scenic railway (British English) may refer to: *Heritage railways operating leisurely train tours of sights such as mountain scenery, historic areas, and foliage tours *Scenic gravity railroad, early terminol ...

on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J. Thompson's scenic railway concept initially was intended to give riders a scenic view of the surrounding landscape; later, Thompson created elaborate painted backgrounds and scenes so that riders would feel like they were touring the Swiss Alps or other foreign landscapes. Thompson was managing director of the L. A. Thompson Scenic Railway Company, 220 West 42nd St., incorporated in 1895. Thompson's scenic railways were immensely popular during the first and second decade of the 1900s, and his company operated six major scenic railways at Coney Island alone during that time. Dozens of scenic railways operated throughout the U.S. and in Europe. Eventually, the scenic railway was eclipsed by faster and more thrilling roller coaster rides made possible by improvements in roller coaster safety technology. Thompson died at his home, Thompson Park,

Glen Cove, Long Island Glen Cove is a city in Nassau County, New York, United States, on the North Shore of Long Island. At the 2020 United States Census, the city population was 28,365 as of the 2020 census. The city was considered part of the early 20th century G ...

, on May 8, 1919, at age 71.

References

External links

Coney Island History: Roller Coasters, Shows and Attractions (c. 1905)
at Heart of Coney Island

– quotes multiple obits
UltimateRollerCoaster.com, ''Roller Coaster History''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thompson, LaMarcus Adna Amusement ride manufacturers American inventors Roller coaster designers 1848 births 1919 deaths