P.O Box 19535, Cleveland, Ohio 44119-0535 United States
Armitage Herschell Company
On Saturday, June 22, 1895 a new summer resort opened eight miles east of Cleveland's Public Square. Greeting patrons: Pier, German Village, Theater, Dance Pavilion, and Bath House. The name of this new summer resort Euclid Beach Park. The parks second season, 1895, saw the addition of amusement rides; Ferris Wheel, Swings, Switchback Railway and a Merry-Go-Round. This first carousel was a "track" machine, movement of the figures was generated from underneath the platform. This carousel was built by the Armitage Herschell Company of North Tonawanda, New York, approximately 15 miles north of Buffalo.
Note: Armitage Herschell Company invested much of it money in real estate. The land boom bubble burst in 1899, forcing the company into receivership. Allen Herschell with his brother-in-law, Edward Spillman, formed a new company, the Herschell-Spillman Company.
Herschell Spillman Company
In 1903, another carousel was erected at Euclid Beach Park. This one was manufactured by the Herschell Spillman Company and was called the Flying Ponies, the figures being suspended from above, thus allowing them to swing out as the carousel turned. A unique feature of this particular carousel was that the entire machine was installed at a 10 degree angle, making the ride a bit more exciting as it revolved. This unique carousel operated at Euclid Beach Park until 1949.
Picture is from an early Euclid Beach Park postcard. The towers on left are on the structure housing the loading platform for the SCENIC RAILWAY
The horse pictured here is from the Flying Ponies. In the memorabilia collection of Euclid Beach Park Now.
Postcard of PTC#35 at Cleveland, Ohio's Luna Park. The sign mounted to the pavilion says: RIDE THE HORSES, CARROUSEL.
Postcard from the collection of Fred Fried
Note: Other American carousel manufacturers contributing to the 3,000 carousels made.
- Allen Herschell Company Inc.
- Charles Carmel
- Cincinnati Merry-Go-Round Company
- Dare
- D. C. Muller
- Gem Novelty Company
- Herschell Spillman
- Landow-Newman
- M. C. Illions
- Norman & Evans
- Prior & Church
- Spillman Engineering
- Stein & Goldstein
- T. M. Harton
- Wm. F. Mangels
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The PTC#35 from inside the pavilion.
Photo from the collection of Fred Fried
At the beginning of this section the "Golden Age" of carousels is mentioned. Doing the math, between 1905 (PTC#9) & 1910 (PTC#19), 5 years, the Philadelphia Toboggan Company produced 10 carousels. Between 1910 (PTC#19) and 1915 (PTC#35), also 5 years, the company produced 25 carousels.
The purpose of the NCA shall be to promote conservation, appreciation, knowledge, and enjoyment of the art of the classic wooden carousel and especially the preservation of complete wooden carousels.
PTC#9
Yesterday as today, there was competition in the amusement park industry. Other parks were operating in an around Cleveland. Puritas Springs Park opened in 1898, Luna Park and White City opened in 1905, Lincoln Park opened in 1906, and Willoughbeach park in 1907. One of Luna Park’s first rides was a carousel, a menagerie machine, mixture of horses and other animals. This carousel made by the T. M. Harton Company of Pittsburgh, PA. A coincidence or to be competitive, in 1906 Euclid Beach Park obtained a new carousel, also a menagerie machine. Three rows of stationary figures or standers, no jumping figures, the ninth carousel manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) of Philadelphia, PA.
PTC Factory Photo Gallery #9
PTC Factory Archive Photo #9, circa 1925 Courtesy of Company President Tom Rebbie. Seen in the Carousel News & Trader.
PTC Factory Archive Photo #9, circa 1925 Detail Rounding Board, Courtesy of Company President Tom Rebbie. Seen in the Carousel News & Trader.
PTC Factory Archive Photo #9, circa 1925 Detail Inner Housing, Courtesy of Company President Tom Rebbie. Seen in the Carousel News & Trader.
PTC#9 Photo Gallery, 1980 Twin Grove Park
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PTC#19
Four years after purchasing PTC#9, Euclid Beach Park approached the Philadelphia Toboggan Company for a new, larger, grandeur carousel. This carousel was installed in 1910, had a 50 foot platform with 4 rows of horses, 3 inside rows of 44 jumping horses and an outside row of 14 nearly life size stationary horses and 2 chariots. Into its center pole was carved "No 19". Euclid Beach park advertised the new ride as, The Finest Carousal ever made, Euclid Beach, Cleveland, Ohio as seen in the early postcard to the left.
PTC #19 had an initial purchase price of $7,734.04. A new 90 foot diameter building was erected to house the carousel with an initial cost of $9,713.94. PTC #19 was larger than PTC #9 plus it had 3 rows of jumping figures. All the figures on PTC #9 were stationary as were the figures on Luna Park's carousel at that time. In 1915 Luna Park installed a new PTC carousel #35. This one also had 4 rows of horses, 3 rows of 58 jumpers, 1 row of 10 standers and 2 chariots. PTC#19 was the last large park carousel purchased by Euclid Beach Park. It would remain the centerpiece of the park until Euclid Beach Park closed on September 28, 1969.
Prior and Church
In 1921, Euclid Beach purchased and had installed a racing derby manufactured by the firm of Prior and Church. It was installed next to PTC #19 and given the name The Great American Racing Derby. The ride featured rows of four horses that not only moved up and down but forward and backward. The platform would begin to revolve and pick up speed, at a certain rpm a large bell would sound signally the start of the race for each row of four horses. As the platform revolved one could hear a deep rumble.
Image to the left is of The Great American Racing Derby from a Euclid Beach Park postcard
At a given point the horses would stop moving forward and backward and the ride would slow down to a stop, Many seasons saw a ride attendant place a small American flag in a hole behind the ear of the row's winning horse, awarding the winning rider with a free ride. Besides watching the park whiz by riders also watched the ride attendants as they stepped on and stepped off the revolving platform. A short lived idea had bicycles replace a row of horses.
Image to the right is the Great American Racing Derby building.
Kiddieland Carousel
The park had two other carousels built for the smaller amusement park visitor and were located in the Colonnade where the kiddie rides operated. Shown in these photos is the kiddie carousel manufactured by the Wm. F. Mangels Company Carousal Works of Brooklyn, New York.
The photo above courtesy of Jim Wise, taken at Euclid Beach Park
Euclid Beach Park's original kiddieland carousel (no photo available) was made by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. It appears that the horses and other animals on this carousel were stationary, simply revolving with the platform. A puppet theater seams to have been in the center of the ride.
The photo above courtesy of Richard Wickens, taken when the small carousel was at Shady Lake Park
Art Deco
Euclid Beach Park Postcard With Art Deco Style
Around the 1930's Euclid Beach Park made alterations to the facades of the three main roller coasters, Racing Coaster, Thriller, Flying Turns, and to the band stand in the dance pavilion, incorporating an "Art Deco" design style. The carousel was also altered to reflect this style that flourished in the 1920's, 1930's and 1940's. Refer to the image of the colorized carousel postcard above, with the "Art Deco" style and the postcard image on the right at installation in 1910. Most of the original Baroque details were removed or altered. Each rounding board section had two cherubs holding a swag between them with a row of beveled mirrors below.
Colorized Photo at Installation, 1910
It appears they were removed and replaced. New shields, between the rounding board sections were made. The interior upper surrounds were replaced or altered with most of the intricate decorative carvings in between removed. There may also have been alterations made to the lower scenery panels. The 58 horses received a makeover. All of the horses were painted white with just the trappings and saddles receiving color. It was also at this time that the park no longer called it the "CAROUSSAL" but "CARROUSEL."
Note: No photos of the individual figures showing original factory paint have ever surfaced. The following were photographed by Harry Christiansen in 1969. Used with permission from D&D Productions.
Photo Gallery
Photographed by Harry Christiansen in 1969. Used with permission from D&D Productions.
Photographed by Harry Christiansen in 1969. Used with permission from D&D Productions.
Photographed by Harry Christiansen in 1969. Used with permission from D&D Productions.
Photographed by Harry Christiansen in 1969. Used with permission from D&D Productions.
Photographed by Harry Christiansen in 1969. Used with permission from D&D Productions.
Photographed by Harry Christiansen in 1969. Used with permission from D&D Productions.
Photographed by Harry Christiansen in 1969. Used with permission from D&D Productions.
Photographed by Harry Christiansen in 1969. Used with permission from D&D Productions.
Photographed by Harry Christiansen in 1969. Used with permission from D&D Productions.
Photographed by Harry Christiansen in 1969. Used with permission from D&D Productions.
Photographed by Harry Christiansen in 1969. Used with permission from D&D Productions.