Olentangy Park was a
trolley park
Trolley may refer to:
Vehicles and components
* Tram, or trolley or streetcar, a rail vehicle that runs on tramway tracks
* Trolleybus, or trolley, an electric bus drawing power from overhead wires using trolley poles
** Trolleytruck, a trolleyb ...
, a type of
amusement park
An amusement park is a park that features various attractions, such as rides and games, as well as other events for entertainment purposes. A theme park is a type of amusement park that bases its structures and attractions around a central ...
, in
Clintonville,
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...
, operating from 1880 to 1937.
Location
Olentangy Park was located in what is now the southwest corner of
Clintonville. The park boundaries on its west and east sides were the
Olentangy River
The Olentangy River is a tributary of the Scioto River in Ohio, United States.
History
It was originally called ''keenhongsheconsepung'', a Delaware word literally translated as "sharp tool river", based on the shale found along its shores. ...
and north High Street, North Street on the south, and nearly to West Tulane Road on the north.
History
Robert M. Turner (1880–1895)
Prior to 1880, Olentangy Park was a wooded area on the
Olentangy River
The Olentangy River is a tributary of the Scioto River in Ohio, United States.
History
It was originally called ''keenhongsheconsepung'', a Delaware word literally translated as "sharp tool river", based on the shale found along its shores. ...
which was popular for
picnic
A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...
s and swimming. There was a mill in the area north of Ackerman Road. In 1880, Robert M. Turner purchased the area. The first development of this property was the building of a formal picnic ground and swimming area in 1881. Then a tavern was built on the site and Turner renamed it "The Villa."
Between 1881 and 1895, little changed. A few small amusement rides, a
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 ...
, and possibly some pony rides were added.
Columbus Railway, Power and Light Company
In 1895, the Columbus Railway, Power and Light Company purchased "The Villa" at the northern end of the company's North High Street
trolley line.
The company hoped to use the park to increase the ridership on the weekend. Electric lighting was added to the park in 1896.
That same year, the company held a naming contest resulting in the park being named "Olentangy Park" by an anonymous "Volunteer."
The Dusenbury brothers (1899–1929)
In 1899, around 50 acres were purchased by the Dusenbury brothers of
New Lexington, Ohio
New Lexington is a village in and the county seat of Perry County, Ohio, United States, southwest of Zanesville and miles southeast of Columbus. The population was 4,731 at the 2010 census.
In 2020, New Lexington’s historical Main Street un ...
. They immediately added a large casino with a theater just north of the ravine, more bowling alleys, and a fun house attraction called the "Crystal Maze." Later, they built a "Water Toboggan" and a roller coaster called "The Figure Eight."
The 1904
World's Fair
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...
was held in
St. Louis
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
. At its conclusion, the Dusenbury brothers purchased the "Japanese Gardens" exhibit and installed it at Olentangy Park as "Fair Japan." In 1907, they opened the second Dancing Pavilion, expanding it in 1914 and 1920, making it the largest in the state.
A formal picnic area was cleared in the ravine which separated the north and south ends of the park. Wooden walking bridges were built over the ravines connecting the Park's various points. By 1910, the brothers had added considerably to Olentangy Park. A zoo with monkeys, bears, and elephants was built near the Park's southern end. A boat house, known later named the "Canoe Club," was constructed along the banks of the Olentangy River. Visitors could rent a canoe or electric Naphtha launch for a quiet afternoon of boating on the Olentangy. A Mideway was constructed along the northern end of the Park which featured rows of enclosed rides and attractions such as "The Olde Mill," "Love's Voyage," and "The Temple of Mirth." A restaurant replaced the tavern. Electric lighting was added throughout the Park. The North High Street Trolley was diverted into the Park. Trolleys could exit North High Street at North Street, travel through a large "castle gate" and arrive at the Park's exclusive trolley stop. Olentangy Park became one of a growing number of
"Trolley parks" becoming more common at the time in the United States. Visitors could reach such a park from every corner of their city.
![Loop the Loop Olentangy](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cd/Loop_the_Loop_Olentangy.jpg)
From the late 1900s, Olentangy Park grew rapidly. Some of the park's most famous rides were installed in this period. One such ride was the "
Loop the Loop
The generic roller coaster vertical loop, where a section of track causes the riders to complete a 360 degree turn, is the most basic of roller coaster inversions. At the top of the loop, riders are completely inverted.
History
The vertical ...
" in 1908. It was one of America's first looping roller coasters. It was removed sometime around 1913 because it placed too much physical stress on its riders. Others included the "Whirlwind," "Over-the-Top" (which later became "The Racer") and the "Scenic Coaster" (which later became the "Red Devil"). The "Red Devil" was built feet from North High Street. Riders soared dozens of feet above the west side of the road. A
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsules ...
,
Circle Swing and pony rides were also installed at the park. "Shoot-the-Chutes," added in 1909, was a tall water slide added in the center of the park's north end. Riders boarded a wide, flat-bottomed boat that traveled up a side chute, then shot down the slide. It made a large wave that showered riders and spectators. An
elephant
Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae an ...
was trained to ride down the slide.
In 1914, a Mangels-Illions carousel was purchased for the Park. It had 52 horses and 2 chariots, hand carved by the Lithuanian master carousel carver Marcus C. Illions and Sons. This "Grand Carousel" was one of only a few manufactured by the
William F. Mangels
William F. Mangels (1866–1958) was an amusement manufacturer and inventor. He worked at Coney Island and was a major player in the development of American amusement parks at the start of the 20th century. In addition to manufacturing carousels ...
Company. According to the Franklin County Recorder, Joseph Dusenbury and his wife, Ada, gave some land to the Olentangy Park Company in 1915. Joseph gave even more land in 1917, allowing for the park's expansion.
A significant addition to Olentangy Park was the country's second-largest
swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, paddling pool, or simply pool, is a structure designed to hold water to enable Human swimming, swimming or other leisure activities. Pools can be built into the ground (in-ground pools) or built ...
which was constructed near the theatre in 1917. The pool was 325 feet by 95 feet. It was able to accommodate 5,000 bathers.
["New Park Pool Second Largest of Its Kind in United States." ''The Columbus Sunday Dispatch.'' 15 July 1917. Pg. 42.] In an effort to simulate an "ocean side setting", such as that found in
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
, hundreds of tons of
sand
Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural class of s ...
were trucked in and dumped around the pool's edges to create a beach. Development of the park placed financial strain on the Dusenbury brothers. This was complicated by poor custom in the 1923 season. The Dusenbury brothers sold Olentangy Park to "The Olentangy Amusement Company," a group of investors. It was placed under the management of Max Stern. The investors continued to operate the Park successfully through the remainder of the 1920s. However, there was little further development by them.
Leo and Elmer Heanlein (1929–1937)
In 1929, the brothers Leo and Elmer Heanlein purchased the park. They expanded the zoo and added the Mysterious Sensation, a fun house attraction, to the Midway, and experimented with short-term attractions like the "Lindy-Loop" and "Flight Tutors." They ultimately closed the park during the
Great Depression
The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...
.
L.L. LeVeque Company (1938–1939)
In 1938, the L.L. LeVeque Company purchased Olentangy Park and sold the park's rides and equipment.
The Gooding Amusement Company, which also owned the
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a non-profit zoo located near Powell in Liberty Township, Delaware County, Ohio, United States, north of the city of Columbus. The land lies along the eastern banks of the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir on the Sciot ...
, purchased the carousel, the
Ferris wheel
A Ferris wheel (also called a Giant Wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondolas, capsules ...
, the airplane ride, the dodgem cars and the rifle range. Many of the rides were relocated to the Wyandot Lake Amusement Park. Olentangy Park closed at the end of its 1937 season. Instead, LeVeque demolished the park and opened Olentangy Village Apartments on March 26, 1939.
Olentangy Park remnants
In 1940, a bowling alley, the Olentangy Lanes, was constructed on the site of the Park's parking lot. It was destroyed by fire on Oct. 27, 1980.
[“Fire Destroys Olentangy Village Bowling Lanes” ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' Home Final Edition: 27 Oct 1980. News Section. Pg. 1.] The park's "castle gate" and theatre remained until 1940. Both were destroyed by fires. The only remaining building is the park's office and zoo keeper's quarters. The stone building is located at the curve of North Street. It has been divided into six apartments.
Some of the Park's original wrought iron fencing can still be seen along the northern side of North Street from High Street to the curve at the stone office house. This fencing, with its distinctive "O" pattern, was duplicated in the 1950s along North High Street. The same portion of North Street was the Park's original walk up entrance.
The foundation of the Park's "Canoe Club" and the steps that once led up to the Park's theatre are partly hidden in the banks of the Olentangy River, north of Ackerman Road. The concrete foundations of the wooden walking bridges crossing the picnic ravines are visible on either side of the ravine's streams. The former picnic ravine itself is located behind a tanning salon on North High Street. It is overgrown and filled with garbage.
The 1914 Mangels-Illions carousel
Olentangy Park's 1914 Mangels-Illions carousel was moved in the 1930s to Scioto Ranch Park, the location that later became part of
Wyandot Lake Amusement Park near the Columbus Zoo.
[Switzer, John. “Changes Destroy Stadium’s Look.” ''The Columbus Dispatch.'' Home Final Edition: 18 Feb 2000. News Section. Pg. 12D.] It continued to operate, though in deteriorating condition. In 1999 it was removed from Wyandot Lake and Carousel Works Inc. was commissioned to undertake a costly restoration. The carousel resumed operation in spring 2000, housed in a climate controlled building at the
Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium is a non-profit zoo located near Powell in Liberty Township, Delaware County, Ohio, United States, north of the city of Columbus. The land lies along the eastern banks of the O'Shaughnessy Reservoir on the Sciot ...
.
There, in the first month of operation, 42,000 customers paid $1 each to ride it.
On July 28, 2004, the carousel celebrated its one millionth rider since being restored and moved to the zoo.
"The Columbus Zoo Carousel Spins its One Millionth Rider"
Swimming pool
The Olentangy Park swimming pool added in 1917 survived for decades even after the closure of the park as a functioning part of the Olentangy Village apartment complex. In 1996, the pool was reduced to half its former size to make room for new apartment buildings, and finally, in 2002, the remainder of the pool was filled in to create new village space.
See also
*Indianola Park
Indianola Park was a trolley park that operated in Columbus, Ohio's University District from 1905 to 1937. The amusement park was created by Charles Miles and Frederick Ingersoll, and peaked in popularity in the 1910s, entertaining crowds of up to ...
*Minerva Park
Minerva Park is a village in Franklin County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,009 at the 2020 census.
The communities of Minerva Park, Bexley, Whitehall, and Valleyview are enclaves
An enclave is a territory (or a small territory ...
References
External links
*{{RCDB, 5764
Defunct amusement parks in Ohio
Demolished buildings and structures in Columbus, Ohio
19th century in Columbus, Ohio
1880 establishments in Ohio
1937 disestablishments in Ohio
20th century in Columbus, Ohio
Clintonville (Columbus, Ohio)