The Lander Park Carousel, known also as Parker Carousel, Dickinson County Parker Carousel, or Riverton Park Carousel is a historic

carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (List of sovereign states, international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in South Australia, SA) is a type of amusement ...

Abilene, Kansas Abilene (pronounced ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Dickinson County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 6,460. It is home of The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum and the G ...

. Built around the turn of the 20th century, it is one of only three surviving carousels out of about 68 built by Abilene's Charles W. Parker Carousel Company, and it is the only remains of the company in Abilene today. It was declared a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places listed ...

in 1987. and It is now a feature of the Dickinson County Heritage Center, a local history museum.

Description and history

The Parker Carousel is located in southeastern Abilene, on the grounds of the Dickinson County Heritage Center, just east of the

Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home The Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum and Boyhood Home is the presidential library and museum of Dwight David Eisenhower, the 34th president of the United States (1953–1961), located in his hometown of Abilene, Kansas. The ...

on South Campbell Street. It is housed in a roughly octagonal single-story wood-frame structure, with an attached extension. The carousel consists of a circular wooden platform, whose outer portion has wheels that ride on a track set on the ground. The platform is fitted with 24 horses and four chariots. The horses are mounted in metal frames that impart a rocking motion when the carousel is in operation. The structure has no top of its own, as it was originally intended to be placed under a tent. The carousel is rotated via either an electric motor, or a period steam engine modified to meet modern safety standards. The power source is located in the extension, and is connected to the carousel by cabling. The carousel was built sometime between 1898 and 1901 by the Charles W. Parker Carousel Company of Abilene. The company manufactured about 68 carousels, of which this is one of only three to survive, and is now the only surviving reminder of the company's presence in the community. Parker's carousels were renowned for their particularly graceful carved horses. This carousel was part of a traveling show Parker operated, and was purchased from that show by a mechanic in

Lander, Wyoming Lander is a city in Wyoming, United States, and the county seat of Fremont County. It is in central Wyoming, along the Middle Fork of the Popo Agie River, just south of the Wind River Indian Reservation. It is a tourism center with several near ...

in 1928. There it was set up for annual

Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...

celebrations. In 1959 it was purchased by the operated of a

drive-in theater A drive-in theater or drive-in cinema is a form of movie theater, cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor movie screen, a projection booth, a concession stand, and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers ...

Riverton, Wyoming Riverton is a city in Fremont County, Wyoming, United States. The city's population was 10,682 at the 2020 census, making it the largest city in the county. History The city, founded in 1906, is an incorporated entity of the state of Wyoming. ...

, where it was operated until his death. His widow wanted to keep the machine intact, and a transfer of the carousel to the Dickinson County Historical Society was mediated by the

Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums and education and research centers, the largest such complex in the world, created by the U.S. government "for the increase and diffusion of knowledge". Founded ...

in 1976.

References

External links

{{National Register of Historic Places Amusement rides introduced in 1898 Carousels on the National Register of Historic Places in Kansas National Historic Landmarks in Kansas Buildings and structures in Dickinson County, Kansas Tourist attractions in Dickinson County, Kansas 1898 establishments in Kansas National Register of Historic Places in Dickinson County, Kansas

Description and history

See also

References

External links