South
Dakota
Madison
Prairie Village
Located 2 miles east of Madison, South Dakota is Prairie Village
located on 120 acres. Prairie Village has 40 antique-filled historic buildings
which relive “the days of an active turn-of-the-century main street”. For us,
the highlight was the very rare and excellently restored and maintained circa
1903 steam-driven Herschell-Spillman track carousel with its original #1022
Herschell-Spillman manufactured steam engine. Faron Wahl, Manager of Prairie
Village, believes this is the only steam-driven carousel with its State
certified original steam engine. Although the National Carousel Association
believes the carousel was manufactured circa 1903, Mr. Wahl told us the
carousel may have been manufactured as early as 1896 by the Armitage-Herschell
Company or with parts from the Armitage-Herschell Company and as late as 1905
by the Herschell-Spillman Co.. In 1903, Alan Herschell
with his brother-in-law, Edwaard Spillman, bought the Armitage-Herschell
Company and formed the Herschell-Spillman Company.
The two-row carousel is populated with 28 jumpers and 2 chariots.
The carousel seems to have been purchased by the Catholic Church in
Fargo, North Dakota in circa 1903 where it remained until circa 1916. Sometime
after 1916, the carousel was probably acquired by Art B. Thomas from Lennox,
North Dakota and travelled around the country as part of Thomas Shows. Prior to
the 1950s, Thomas Shows replaced the Herschell-Spillman carousel and placed it
in storage. In the 1950s, the carousel
was restored and re-assembled by Floyd Caryle. Prairie Village acquired the
carousel from Art B. Thomas in 1966. From 2016 to 2018, the carousel was
completely restored by Carousel Works in Madison, Ohio.
The carousel was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in
2016.
The band organ is in restoration.
We thank Faron Wahl, Manager of Prairie Village, for taking the time on
a very busy day to show us this very rare and historic carousel.
For information on operating times call 800-693-3644.
Youtube video of
carousel: Prairie
Village Steam Powered Carousel - YouTube
For further information:
Historic Prairie
Village
National
Carousel Association - Census of Classic Wood Carousels
National Carousel
Association
Ticket Booth
Original Steam
Engine
Rapid City
Storybook Island
In Rapid City
there is beautiful and meticulously groomed and maintained Storybook Island.
This storybook themed park was founded in 1959 by Merle Gunderson and the Rapid
City Rotary Clubs. The park offers activities for children of all ages, is open
in the summer, and admission is always free. What a wonderful concept!! The mission of Storybook Island is to “provide a
free, safe, educational environment for those young in years or young at heart
to experience the power of imagination”.
At Storybook
Island is a beautifully restored and maintained 1940s Alan Herschell 3-row,
wood and metal portable carousel now housed in a gorgeous pavilion. There are
20 jumpers. Two benches have been attached to the platform to be used as
chariots. Although some of the horses are missing, Storybook Island is
searching for replacements. One thing we like about this carousel is that it is
“open” so that one can see how the carousel operates with its motor, gears,
bearings, stay cables, and sweeps. The carousel was placed on the National
Register of Historic Places in 2016.
It is unknown
where the carousel was originally located. It is known that it was at Dougie’s
World in Coombs, British Columbia until it moved to Boondocks Restaurant in
Deadwood, South Dakota where it remained until 2014 when it was acquired by
Storybook Island.
There is no band
organ.
For information on
operating times call 605-342-6357.
For further
information:
storybookisland.org
Storybook Island
National
Carousel Association - Census of Classic Wood Carousels
National Carousel
Association
