Washington
Bickleton
Cleveland Park
The
ca. 1900 (maybe 1905) Herschell-Spillman Steam Riding
Gallery (carousel) of Bickleton makes a full operating appearance only during
the second weekend in June at the Alder Creek Pioneer Picnic and Rodeo at
Cleveland Park in Cleveland, Washington. At other times, the carousel is housed
in the Alder Creek Pioneer Association Carousel Museum in Bickleton. The
carousel is a two-row track machine with 24 horses and 4 chariots. The benches
that are on the inside of the carousel are not present. Although the carousel
now is powered by electricity, the original steam engine is on display at the
Picnic and Rodeo.
The
platform, baseboards and some figures could use some restoration.
The
original location of the carousel is unknown, but it resided at Oaks Amusement
Park in Portland, Oregon until 1929 after which it was purchased for $500 and
moved to Bickleton.
There
is no band organ.
Rides
are 50 cents.
For
information on opening times access their web site at www.aldercreekpioneerpicnicrodeo.weebly.com
or call 509-896-2695.
For
Further Information:
Alder
Creek Pioneer Picnic and Rodeo
www.aldercreekpioneerpicnicrodeo.weebly.com
The National
Carousel Association
https://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
`
Original
Steam Engine
Federal Way
Wild Waves Theme
and Water Park
At
Wild Waves Theme and Water Park is a well preserved 1906 portable, 3-row C. W.
Parker with 36 jumpers and 2 chariots. The carousel is in remarkably good
condition especially when considering it is only covered by a canopy.
The
original location of the carousel is unknown, but it resided in Redondo Beach,
Washington from 1920 to 1953 after which it was located at Woodland Park in
Seattle where it remained until 1957. From 1963 to 1968, the carousel was at
the Seattle Center but moved to Point Defiance Park in Takoma, Washington where
it remained from 1970 to about 1978. Wild Waves has been the carousel’s home since
1980.
For information on
operating times access their web site at www.wildwaves.com
or call 253-661-8000.
The National
Carousel Association
https://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
Puyallup
Washington State Fairgrounds
The
Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup is home to Philadelphia Toboggan
Company #43. The carousel was manufactured in 1917 and has been at the
Washington State Fairgrounds for many years. The original location of the
carousel is unknown. The Philadelphia Toboggan Company built 8 wagon mounted
portable carousels, only 3 of which are still intact. Philadelphia Toboggan
Company #43 is the only one still operating.
The
carousel is a 3-row with 42 jumpers, 2 standers and 2 chariots.
The
band organ is a ca. 1916 Wurlitzer 145.
Seniors
ride the carousel for free!
The
carousel was originally purchased by William Glick who eventually sold it to
Pollacks Shows. The Lusse Brothers (Joseph C. and
Robert [Ray] J.), machine shop owners from Philadelphia who started the Lusse Auto Skooter Company
(bumper cars), purchased the carousel from Pollack Shows. About 1923, #43 was
purchased by Bud and Earl Douglas, owners of Levitt, Brown & Higgins Shows.
Starting in 1923, Earl Douglas would bring the steam powered carousel and its
Wurlitzer band organ to the Western Washington Fair every year. In 1932, Edward
and Robert Bollinger purchased the carousel for their Burback
and Bollinger Traveling Shows. In 1966, Bob Bollinger, owner of Bollinger Funtastic Traveling Shows, donated the carousel and the
band organ to the fair.
On
our recent trip to Oregon, Washington and Idaho, this was one of our favorite
carousels.
We
wish the thank Ms. Stacy Van Horne for her hospitality
and for taking the time to show us this classic carousel.
For
information on operating times, access their web site at www.thefair.com or call 235-845-1771.
For
Further Information:
http://www.lusseautoscooters.com/html/legend_history.html
The
Carousel News and Trader
The National
Carousel Association
https://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
The Washington
State Fair
Wagon
Mount. The wagon can be seen in many of the photographs below.
Rounding
Boards
Band
Organ
Republic
Ferry County Fair
Park
Ferry County
Merry-Go-Round
In Ferry County Fair
Park resides our favorite carousel we visited on our Idaho, Oregon and
Washington trip. The carousel is 2-row, portable, meticulously maintained
1895-1900 Armitage-Herschell carousel with 22 country
style Armitage-Herschell and 2 country style Dare jumpers.
Although the carousel was originally a track machine, the horses are now
mounted on a 1935 Hatfield Engineering jumping mechanism frame. Thanks to
fund-raisers, public and private funds, a restoration project began in 1993 by
local artisans who beautifully restored the horses and painted the rounding
boards and scenery panels.
Although the
original location of the carousel is unknown, it did reside in Tacoma,
Washington until 1958 when it was purchased by the Ferry County Fair for $2000.
The building in
which the carousel is housed is beautiful and built with public and donated
funds and labor.
The building
housing the carousel and the surrounding fairgrounds are beautifully and
meticulously groomed and maintained.
The carousel and
building with full kitchen facilities are available for rental.
For information on
operating times and/or rentals access their web site at
https://www.republicwa.org/event/ferry-county-fair-2/ or call 509-775-3146.
We wish to thank
Marcus Johnston and Vera Johnston, Fair and Fairgrounds Managers, for taking
valuable time from their day to show us the carousel and relate some of its
history. Republic and Ferry County are lucky to have such dedicated custodians
of this historic and classic carousel.
For Further
Information:
Ferry County Fair
http://ferrycountyfair.com/historic-carousel
http://www.ferrycounty.com/ferry-county-fair-carousel/
The National
Carousel Association
https://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
Rounding
Boards
Scenery
Panels
Seattle
Woodland Park Zoo
Philadelphia
Toboggan Company’s 1918 carousel #45 lives at Seattle’s Woodland Park Zoo. The
carousel is a 3-row with 28 jumpers, 20 standers and 2 chariots. Most, if not
all, of the horses were carved by John Zalar. The
horses have elaborate trappings and many secondary carvings. The carousel is
meticulously maintained and housed in a beautiful solar pavilion.
John
Zalar
The carousel resided
at the Cincinnati Zoological Society in Ohio from 1918 until 1975 when it moved
to Paramount’s Great America in Santa Clara, California where it remained until
1995. The carousel was in storage until 2006 when it was purchased by Tom and
Linda Allen of the Alleniana Foundation and donated
to Woodland Park Zoo.
There is no band
organ.
For information on
operating times access their web site at www.zoo.org/exhibits/carousel
or call 206-548-2500.
For Further
Information:
The National
Carousel Association
https://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
Woodland Park Zoo
https://www.zoo.org/document.doc?id=153
Scenery
Panels
Rounding
Boards
Spokane
Riverfront Park
This carousel is a
beautiful 1909 Looff, park model, 3-row with 54
jumpers, one giraffe, one tiger and 2 chariots. Four of the horses are armored
and the tiger is “sneaky”. There are many secondary carvings, and the trappings
are beautiful and elaborate. It has an operational ring arm which uses plastic
rings. The carousel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.
The carousel was
originally in Natatorium Park in Spokane until 1967 when the park closed. When
the owner of Natatorium Park, Lloyd Vogel, died in 1965, the park was inherited
by William Oliver, the park’s electrician and handyman. He offered to sell the
carousel to the county for $40,000, but the county refused. Spokane’s Parks and
Recreation Department’s director, Bill Fearn,
convinced the department to purchase the carousel which became known as “Fearn’s Folly”.
After being in storage for several years, the carousel operated in
Riverfront Park’s Bavarian Beer Garden left over from Expo ’74 until 2018 when
a beautiful glass rotunda was built.
The band organ is
a 1900 Ruth and Sohn.
For information on
operating times access their web site at www.spokanecarrousel.org or call 509-625-6600.
For Further
Information:
http://discoveryrobots.org/spokanehistory/natatorium.html
The Spoksman-Review
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/aug/25/50-years-on-remembering-spokanes-natatorium-park/
The National
Carousel Association
https://carousels.org/USACensus/stdqueries/census-CLA.html
The
“Sneaky” Tiger
Secondary
Carvings
