Kansas
Abilene
Abilene Parker
Heritage Center
Dickinson County
The Heritage Center is the proud home of a 1901 Abilene-made Parker
portable, 2-row, track carousel (Carry-Us-All) with 24 jumpers (actually,
rocking) and 4 chariots. The carousel was originally steam-driven, but it has
now been converted to electricity. The carousel is listed in the National
Register of Historic Places.
The carousel traveled in one of Parker’s carnivals for many years after
which it was purchased in 1928 by Jimmy Weisner who
took the carousel around the country. In 1959, the carousel was purchased by
Tom Knight who moved it to Riverton, Wyoming to set up at his drive-in theatre.
In 1976, the Heritage Center purchased the carousel from Tom Knight’s widow.
The band organ is a de Kleist converted to run Wurlitzer 125 rolls.
The Heritage Center has more than the carousel. It has several historic
buildings which have been moved to the site as well as a collection of other
memorabilia from the Dickinson County area.
For information about operating times, access their web site at http://www.kansastravel.org/abileneheritagecenter.htm
or call 785-263-2681.
For further information:
The National Carousel Association
https://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
Notice the track
and wheels
Original Steam
Engine
Leavenworth
Parker Carousel
Museum
The Parker Carousel
Museum has a 1913 all wood, hand carved carousel and a 1950 Parker aluminum
carousel (not shown here) as well as a circa 1850-1865 primitive carousel which
is owned by the National Carousel Association, and a “health” playground-type
carousel (see “History of the Carousel”).
1913 Parker #118
Carousel
This carousel is a
2-row portable with 27 jumpers, 2 racing rabbits, 1 chariot and 1 spinning tub.
The carousel is wonderfully restored and maintained.
The carousel has
been at the Parker Carousel Museum since 1997. Previously, it was in the Fred
Shew Carnival from Grandview, Iowa from 1913 to 1957 after which it was at
Ce-Mar Amusement Park in Cedar Rapids, Iowa from 1957 to 1968. From 1968 to
1989, the carousel was in storage at several locations until it was purchased
by Jerry Frese of North Liberty, Iowa in 1989 who
owned it until 1997.
The band organ is
an Artizan A-X-1 using Wurlitzer 125 rolls.
For information on operating times, access
their web site at http://www.firstcitymuseums.org/
of call 913-682-1331.
For further information:
The National Carousel Association
https://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
(L) Note the
painting of C. W. Parker on the scenery panel. (R) Racing rabbits
Some scenery
panels
Parker was well known for his carvings
behind the saddle. Corn was the most common as can be seen on the horse below.
Artizan A-X-1 Band Organ
This photo looks
down on the ring gear to which are attached the craning mechanism that raises
and lowers the jumpers.
Circa 1850-1865 Primitive Carousel
This carousel is a
hand-cranked carousel owned by the National Carousel Association. Not much is
known about this carousel other than it was at Gwynn Oak Park in Baltimore at
some date before 1900 until 1979 when it was acquired by Sands Point Preserve
in Port Washington, New York. The National Carousel Association rescued the
carousel in 1997, and it is now on permanent loan and displayed at the Parker
Carousel Museum in Leavenworth, Kansas.
There are 12
horses and 2 chariots.
For further information:
The National Carousel Association
https://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
The
Crank Mechanism
Topeka
Carousel in the
Park
Gage Park
In Gage Park
resides a 1908 Herschell-Spillman 3-row carousel with
23 jumpers, 2 roosters, 2 rabbits, 1 deer (looks like a reindeer, Rudolph with
is red nose), 2 pigs, 1 goat, 2 dogs, 1 camel, 2 zebras, and 2 chariots. The
jumping mechanism is the grasshopper style.
The carousel was
originally in Philadelphia but by 1947 it had moved to Longview Amus Park in Longview, Texas where it remained until 1957.
It was in Boyles Joyland in Topeka from 1957 to 1987
when it moved to Gage Park.
The band organ is
a Wurlitzer 125.
For information about operating times, access their web site at http://parks.snco.us/facilities/Facility/Details/109
or call 785-368-3838.
For further information:
The National Carousel Association
https://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
Rounding Boards
Scenery Panels