Wonderland Amusement Park (Indianapolis)
Encyclopedia
For other parks of the same name, see Wonderland Amusement Park
Wonderland Amusement Park (usually simply called Wonderland) was a trolley park
that operated on the east side of Indianapolis, Indiana
, USA, from 1906 to 1911. The park, near the intersection of East Washington Street
and Gray Street, surrounded a lake and featured a Shoot-the-Chutes
ride, a scenic railway ride, the signature 125 feet (38.1 m)-tall Electric Tower, a ride that simulated the Johnstown Flood
, a dirigible ("Kann's War Air-Ship"), a funhouse
, a dance pavilion
, and other exhibits and games in its 24 buildings. In addition to the standing attractions, the park also offered live exhibits and performances from bands, acrobats, animal acts, vaudeville acts, and members of a "Filipino
tribe", the "Igorrote
."
Throughout its existence, Wonderland competed against the nearby Riverside Amusement Park
to the west (in Riverside
) and White City
to the north (in Broad Ripple Park), with each park trying to top the other two with new attractions and activities each year. In 1909, Wonderland met local resistance when it announced its intentions to add a beer garden
; when Wonderland management applied for a beer license, the Indianapolis Brewers Exchange was instrumental in obtaining the park's withdrawal of the application. In 1911, the park management started to operate a "Blind Tiger" establishment (one that illegally sells alcohol without a license to do so); it was raided by the local police. On 27 August 1911, Wonderland burned to the ground; the park was never rebuilt.
in Indianapolis
(1903), local residents Edward H. Rentsch and Minnie E. Wilson joined Milwaukee
resident Richard Kann in a partnership that submitted corporation papers for the Wonderland Construction Company in November 1905. Their stated mission was to "organize, promote and carry on pleasure resorts..." and to build and maintain "buildings, structures, appliances, machinery, and lawful devices adapted thereto, and to carry on and furnish lawful amusement at such resorts." By the spring of 1906, construction of a park was started at the eastern edge of Indianapolis, near Irvington (which was later annex
ed by Indianapolis). The site, at the corner of East Washington and Gray Streets, covered two city blocks that once contained a baseball
field.
The park had its grand opening
on a rainy 19 May 1906, with 8000 customers braving the elements (it took two hours to admit the crowd). Admission cost ten cents per adult, five for each child. The park's signature 125 feet (38.1 m)-tall Electric Tower and scenic railroad greeted the crowds a week before the season's opening of Riverside Amusement Park and the grand opening of another nearby trolley park
, White City
, at a time in which the amusement park business was booming in the United States. Following the leads of the earliest Luna Parks (Coney Island
, Pittsburgh
, and Cleveland
), Wonderland's grounds were bathed in the light of about 50,000 light bulbs. The park also employed a 100,000 watt searchlight
.
Customers passed through an arch (similar to that of the Luna Parks of the era) on which the park's name - "Wonderland" - was engraved (the park's offices were located on each end of the arch). Inside the grounds, the park's buildings were painted white with yellow trim, a nod to the original White City of the World's Columbian Exposition
of 1893.
ride similar to that of the park's rivals proved popular, as did a funhouse
("The Third Degree"), a circle swing ride,, a giant slide
("Bump the Bump") that entertained adults and children alike, a Whip ride
, and an exhibit that simulated the Johnstown Flood
. A skating
rink also proved popular, as did the arcade
and the restaurants.
Live entertainment quickly became Wonderland's chief drawing card, from the trick motorcyclists
to bands, acrobat
s, vaudeville
acts, to a display of Igorot
people from the Philippines
(advertised as "a visit from the Igorrote tribe"). The park's elephant mascot bathed in the Shoot-the-Chutes lagoon, delighting many patrons.
The exhibits and attractions changed almost constantly, even in Wonderland's first year of operation. The week of 10 June 1906 saw the arrival of Kann's War Airship (named after one of the park owners, Richard Kann), built in Indianapolis and temporarily moored at the park. Visitors viewed it for free in its aerodrome
; it took brief flights, once in the morning, one in the evening, over the park each day while it was on exhibit.
acts and King Bill, touted as "the greatest trained bull in the world". King Bill made headlines when it was spooked by a blown band instrument, jumped off the platform upon which it was performing, and landed in the crowd. A new band shell adorned the park in Wonderland's second season, and a monkey house was built for 48 new simian
acquisitions (following suit, Riverside Amusement Park added their own monkeys later that year). The acrobats and aerialist
s returned to Wonderland in 1907, including an albino aerialist (White City had another albino aerialist perform on it grounds shortly afterwards). Stunt bicyclists (which became a popular sensation at the time) replaced stunt motorcyclists on the performing stage.
In addition to the acrobats, live entertainment at Wonderland frequently included animal acts. The aforementioned monkeys, horses, and Big Bill were augmented by trained lion
s, ostrich
es, alligator
s, and elephants in 1907.
As the competition among the three Indianapolis parks continued to heat up, Riverside Amusement Park reduced its advertising and reduced its expenditures of constantly updating the park and White City started emphasizing its natural features at Broad Ripple Park to try to maintain its customer base in the light of Indianapolis' slow decrease in entertainment dollars. Wonderland, the only major Indianapolis park not to have water access was forced to maintain its costly routine of renovating and upgrading itself and introducing new rides and attractions, making its continuing existence more and more problematic. The three parks had drawn a combined one million patrons in 1906-1907.
Increasing costs of construction of new rides and attractions, coupled with an increasing need to advertise, eventually forced a change of ownership of Wonderland. The Wonderland Construction Company gave way to a new publicly-owned corporation, the Wonderland Amusement Company; the officers include Indianapolis resident E. I. Fisher (also the president of Capital Paper Company) as president of Wonderland, Frank M. Talbott (Indianapolis Basket Company), A. Lehman (Indianapolis Paper Box Company), and park general manager Frank M. Wicks. Capital stock was issued in an effort to maintain profitability.
" (inspired by the popular novel by George Barr McCutcheon
), "Ray's Manikans", "The Tickler," "Battle Royal
" and the "Old Swimmin' Hole."
The restaurant patrons enjoyed their sodas as they enjoyed the live entertainment that was a mainstay of the park. Vaudeville
shows were the primary source of entertainment, augmented with performances of Sleight's Military Band. In June 1908, Millie Spellman brought her drinking and cigarette-smoking bears to Wonderland as the Teddy bear
craze was beginning to take hold in the United States.
The initial reaction to the new attractions kept the park's precarious finances hidden as rival parks found new ways to preserve the bottom line. White City also introduced new attractions and finished its construction of a huge swimming pool (covering two acres, it was scheduled to open June 27); Riverside Amusement Park sharply reduced its construction and advertising costs, opting to rely upon the rides it had the previous year and showcasing "the world's largest steer."
The night of June 26, 1908, Wonderland's competition lessened as White City was destroyed by fire. Only the swimming pool, scheduled to open the following morning, was left: it had its grand opening the following week (4 July 1908). The same day, Wonderland had its largest attendance in its history for its annual Independence Day
festivities.
Such a turnout encouraged the ownership to develop expansion plans, some of which were leak
ed to the public in the latter months of 1908... including that of building a beer garden
. When the plans were officially announced (March 1909), Wonderland was embroiled in controversy unlike any it had enountered before.
, an Indianapolis suburb (since merged into the larger city) that prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages within its city limits. By mid-March, the already-wary neighbors became alarmed when the rumor
ed plans for a new beer garden
on the newly-extended park property were confirmed. On 23 March, a petition drive by a coalition
of area mother's groups
("Send a Petition to Wonderland") was reported by the Indianapolis News
. The mother's groups, assisted by members of various regional temperance groups
, requested that Wonderland withdraw its application for a liquor license and asserted that the detrimental effects of liquor would not only adversely affect those who would attend the park but also those who "would no longer patronize the resort."
The next day, the application was withdrawn. Instead of a German beer garden, a German Village
would be installed instead. While the park announcement publicly acknowledge the petitions, the deciding point was made by the Indianapolis Brewers Exchange, whose truckers started boycott
ing the park once the controversy arose. The brewers, fearful of the brouhaha spreading to them, united behind the truckers and the mother's groups.
The contretemps did not help the park's attempt to battle a national trend of declining amusement park traffic. By the middle of the 1909 season, attendance had become so poor that the park no longer maintained a full-time operating schedule. Eventually, the park would open only for "special events" in which various organizations would rent the grounds and equipment for private parties.
In 1909-1911, the primary patron was the International Interdenominational County Fair, with the proceeds of the festivities benefitting the Summer Mission for Sick Children, a local charity. The fair's organizers were responsible for promotion, stating in its ads for the 1911 fair that Wonderland had newly renovated its Shoot-the-Chutes and scenic railway rides.
chasers and then mopped their lips. After finding insufficient evidence to arrest anybody in the facility, the police promised an additional raid should the "Blind Tiger" remain in business.
The County Fair completed its 1911 run at Wonderland the next day without further incident. It was the penultimate engagement for Wonderland as the end of the season (the last week in August) was in sight.
) also proved to be their last. After a week in which the park was set aside for the exclusive use of the Colored Pythians, the ad announced that the following day was the last of the 1911 season and (contrary to attendance policies of any of the Indianapolis amusement parks) Wonderland would be "open exclusively for colored people." The day was a success, and the Colored Pythians held a celebration and left the park before the gates had closed at 11:00 p.m.
Less than two hours later, the park's night watchman
observed flames and notified the local fire department
. One half hour later, the first fire truck arrived as the merry-go-round and the Shoot-the-Chutes were already burning. By 3:00 a.m. the park was completely involved in flames. By dawn, the firemen had put out the last of the fire, but virtually everything in the park was destroyed, and Wonderland would never reopen. Authorities assumed that the fire was sparked by a discarded cigarette
.
Wonderland Amusement Park
The Wonderland Amusement Park operated from 1906 to 1911 in Revere, Massachusetts. It included roller coasters, a reenactment of an urban conflagration, and various ethnic and technological attractions and is cited as a possible inspiration for Disneyland...
Wonderland Amusement Park (usually simply called Wonderland) was a trolley park
Trolley park
In the United States, trolley parks, which started in the 19th century, were picnic and recreation areas along or at the ends of streetcar lines in most of the larger cities. These were precursors to amusement parks. These trolley parks were created by the streetcar companies to give people a...
that operated on the east side of Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis, Indiana
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
, USA, from 1906 to 1911. The park, near the intersection of East Washington Street
Washington Street (Indianapolis)
Washington Street is the primary east-west street in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The street follows the route of the National Road for almost all of its length in the city of Indianapolis. For a time, its entire length was designated as U.S...
and Gray Street, surrounded a lake and featured a Shoot-the-Chutes
Shoot-the-Chutes
Shoot-the-Chutes is an amusement ride consisting of a flat-bottomed boat that slides down a ramp or inside a flume into a lagoon. Unlike a log flume, a Shoot-the-Chutes generally has larger boats and one single drop....
ride, a scenic railway ride, the signature 125 feet (38.1 m)-tall Electric Tower, a ride that simulated the Johnstown Flood
Johnstown Flood
The Johnstown Flood occurred on May 31, 1889. It was the result of the catastrophic failure of the South Fork Dam situated upstream of the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA, made worse by several days of extremely heavy rainfall...
, a dirigible ("Kann's War Air-Ship"), a funhouse
Funhouse
A funhouse or fun house is an amusement facility found on amusement park and funfair midways in which patrons encounter and actively interact with various devices designed to surprise, challenge, and amuse the visitor. Unlike thrill rides, funhouses are participatory attractions, where visitors...
, a dance pavilion
Pavilion
In architecture a pavilion has two main meanings.-Free-standing structure:Pavilion may refer to a free-standing structure sited a short distance from a main residence, whose architecture makes it an object of pleasure. Large or small, there is usually a connection with relaxation and pleasure in...
, and other exhibits and games in its 24 buildings. In addition to the standing attractions, the park also offered live exhibits and performances from bands, acrobats, animal acts, vaudeville acts, and members of a "Filipino
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
tribe", the "Igorrote
Igorot
Cordillerans are the people of the Cordillera region, in the Philippines island of Luzon. The word, Igorot is a misnomer term invented by the Spaniards in mockery against the Nortnern Luzon tribes. The word ‘Igorot’ also as coined and applied by the Spaniards means a savage, head-hunting and...
."
Throughout its existence, Wonderland competed against the nearby Riverside Amusement Park
Riverside Amusement Park (Indianapolis)
For other parks with the same name, see Riverside Amusement Park Not to be confused with Riverside Park , which is also known as "Riverside City Park"...
to the west (in Riverside
Riverside, Indianapolis
The Riverside neighborhood is a historical neighborhood on the near west side of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The housing consists mainly of American foursquare-type homes and bungalows built in the 1910s to 1920s. Seventy-five percent of the homes in the area were built before 1939...
) and White City
White City (Indianapolis)
For other parks of the same name, see White City White City was an amusement park in Indianapolis, Indiana's Broad Ripple Park that was in operation from 26 May 1906 until 26 June 1908. The trolley park was constructed and owned by the Broad Ripple Transit Company...
to the north (in Broad Ripple Park), with each park trying to top the other two with new attractions and activities each year. In 1909, Wonderland met local resistance when it announced its intentions to add a beer garden
Beer garden
Beer garden is an open-air area where beer, other drinks and local food are served. The concept originates from and is most common in Southern Germany...
; when Wonderland management applied for a beer license, the Indianapolis Brewers Exchange was instrumental in obtaining the park's withdrawal of the application. In 1911, the park management started to operate a "Blind Tiger" establishment (one that illegally sells alcohol without a license to do so); it was raided by the local police. On 27 August 1911, Wonderland burned to the ground; the park was never rebuilt.
Origin and grand opening
In the wake of the successful grand opening of Riverside Amusement ParkRiverside Amusement Park (Indianapolis)
For other parks with the same name, see Riverside Amusement Park Not to be confused with Riverside Park , which is also known as "Riverside City Park"...
in Indianapolis
Indianapolis
Indianapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Indiana, and the county seat of Marion County, Indiana. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city's population is 839,489. It is by far Indiana's largest city and, as of the 2010 U.S...
(1903), local residents Edward H. Rentsch and Minnie E. Wilson joined Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
resident Richard Kann in a partnership that submitted corporation papers for the Wonderland Construction Company in November 1905. Their stated mission was to "organize, promote and carry on pleasure resorts..." and to build and maintain "buildings, structures, appliances, machinery, and lawful devices adapted thereto, and to carry on and furnish lawful amusement at such resorts." By the spring of 1906, construction of a park was started at the eastern edge of Indianapolis, near Irvington (which was later annex
Annex
Annex or Annexe may refer to:* Annex , a Marvel Comics character* Annex, an early name for the Bangkok Adventist Hospital* Annex, addendum or appendix at the end of a book or report* Annex, an addition or extension...
ed by Indianapolis). The site, at the corner of East Washington and Gray Streets, covered two city blocks that once contained a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
field.
The park had its grand opening
Grand opening
Grand opening is a term used when a business, public office, or private association wishes to announce the official opening of a new location. This differs from just opening the doors on the first day, in that a grand opening is more of a celebration event, not just the first day having the doors...
on a rainy 19 May 1906, with 8000 customers braving the elements (it took two hours to admit the crowd). Admission cost ten cents per adult, five for each child. The park's signature 125 feet (38.1 m)-tall Electric Tower and scenic railroad greeted the crowds a week before the season's opening of Riverside Amusement Park and the grand opening of another nearby trolley park
Trolley park
In the United States, trolley parks, which started in the 19th century, were picnic and recreation areas along or at the ends of streetcar lines in most of the larger cities. These were precursors to amusement parks. These trolley parks were created by the streetcar companies to give people a...
, White City
White City (Indianapolis)
For other parks of the same name, see White City White City was an amusement park in Indianapolis, Indiana's Broad Ripple Park that was in operation from 26 May 1906 until 26 June 1908. The trolley park was constructed and owned by the Broad Ripple Transit Company...
, at a time in which the amusement park business was booming in the United States. Following the leads of the earliest Luna Parks (Coney Island
Luna Park, Coney Island
Luna Park was an amusement park at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City from 1903 to 1944. A second Luna Park was opened on the former site of the nearby Astroland amusement park...
, Pittsburgh
Luna Park, Pittsburgh
Luna Park was an amusement park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA, from 1905 to 1909. Constructed and owned by Frederick Ingersoll, the park occupied a 16 acre hilly site bounded by Baum Boulevard, North Craig Street, and Centre Avenue, and included roller coasters, picnic pavilions, carousels, a...
, and Cleveland
Luna Park, Cleveland
Luna Park was an amusement park in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, from 1905 to 1929. Constructed by Frederick Ingersoll, the park occupied a hilly site bounded by Woodland Avenue, Woodhill, Mt...
), Wonderland's grounds were bathed in the light of about 50,000 light bulbs. The park also employed a 100,000 watt searchlight
Searchlight
A searchlight is an apparatus that combines a bright light source with some form of curved reflector or other optics to project a powerful beam of light of approximately parallel rays in a particular direction, usually constructed so that it can be swiveled about.-Military use:The Royal Navy used...
.
Customers passed through an arch (similar to that of the Luna Parks of the era) on which the park's name - "Wonderland" - was engraved (the park's offices were located on each end of the arch). Inside the grounds, the park's buildings were painted white with yellow trim, a nod to the original White City of the World's Columbian Exposition
World's Columbian Exposition
The World's Columbian Exposition was a World's Fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. Chicago bested New York City; Washington, D.C.; and St...
of 1893.
Rides and attractions in 1906
In addition to the Electric Tower (which people were encouraged to climb) and the one-quarter-mile-long scenic railroad (constructed by the L. A. Thompson Scenic Railway Company) featuring four elevated, intertwining, tracks, the crowds were treated to even more attractions. A Shoot-the-ChutesShoot-the-Chutes
Shoot-the-Chutes is an amusement ride consisting of a flat-bottomed boat that slides down a ramp or inside a flume into a lagoon. Unlike a log flume, a Shoot-the-Chutes generally has larger boats and one single drop....
ride similar to that of the park's rivals proved popular, as did a funhouse
Funhouse
A funhouse or fun house is an amusement facility found on amusement park and funfair midways in which patrons encounter and actively interact with various devices designed to surprise, challenge, and amuse the visitor. Unlike thrill rides, funhouses are participatory attractions, where visitors...
("The Third Degree"), a circle swing ride,, a giant slide
Slide
-Fiction:*Slide, a fictional creature in the Sword of Truth book series-Music:*Slides , an album by Richard Harris *Slide , an album by Lisa Germano*Slide , a single by the Goo Goo Dolls...
("Bump the Bump") that entertained adults and children alike, a Whip ride
The Whip (ride)
The Whip was a ride originally designed and built by W.F. Mangels Company of Coney Island, New York, USA. William F. Mangels patented the ride in 1914 and it soon became an extremely popular ride....
, and an exhibit that simulated the Johnstown Flood
Johnstown Flood
The Johnstown Flood occurred on May 31, 1889. It was the result of the catastrophic failure of the South Fork Dam situated upstream of the town of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, USA, made worse by several days of extremely heavy rainfall...
. A skating
Skating
Skating may refer to:*Freestyle slalom skating*Ice skating and various sub-forms:**Figure skating**Speed skating**Tour skating*Inline skating and sub-forms:**Aggressive inline skating**Inline speed skating*Road skating*Roller skating...
rink also proved popular, as did the arcade
Video arcade
An amusement arcade or video arcade is a venue where people play arcade games such as video games, pinball machines, electro-mechanical games, redemption games, merchandisers , or coin-operated billiards or air hockey tables...
and the restaurants.
Live entertainment quickly became Wonderland's chief drawing card, from the trick motorcyclists
Motorcycling
Motorcycling is the act of riding a motorcycle. A variety of subcultures and lifestyles have been built up around motorcycling.-Benefits:Robert M. Pirsig's book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance was a paean celebrating motorcycling...
to bands, acrobat
Acrobatics
Acrobatics is the performance of extraordinary feats of balance, agility and motor coordination. It can be found in many of the performing arts, as well as many sports...
s, vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
acts, to a display of Igorot
Igorot
Cordillerans are the people of the Cordillera region, in the Philippines island of Luzon. The word, Igorot is a misnomer term invented by the Spaniards in mockery against the Nortnern Luzon tribes. The word ‘Igorot’ also as coined and applied by the Spaniards means a savage, head-hunting and...
people from the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
(advertised as "a visit from the Igorrote tribe"). The park's elephant mascot bathed in the Shoot-the-Chutes lagoon, delighting many patrons.
The exhibits and attractions changed almost constantly, even in Wonderland's first year of operation. The week of 10 June 1906 saw the arrival of Kann's War Airship (named after one of the park owners, Richard Kann), built in Indianapolis and temporarily moored at the park. Visitors viewed it for free in its aerodrome
Aerodrome
An aerodrome, airdrome or airfield is a term for any location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve cargo, passengers or neither...
; it took brief flights, once in the morning, one in the evening, over the park each day while it was on exhibit.
1907
The year 1907 saw the arrival of equestrianEquestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
acts and King Bill, touted as "the greatest trained bull in the world". King Bill made headlines when it was spooked by a blown band instrument, jumped off the platform upon which it was performing, and landed in the crowd. A new band shell adorned the park in Wonderland's second season, and a monkey house was built for 48 new simian
Simian
The simians are the "higher primates" familiar to most people: the Old World monkeys and apes, including humans, , and the New World monkeys or platyrrhines. Simians tend to be larger than the "lower primates" or prosimians.- Classification and evolution :The simians are split into three groups...
acquisitions (following suit, Riverside Amusement Park added their own monkeys later that year). The acrobats and aerialist
Aerialist
An aerialist is an acrobat who performs in the air, on a suspended apparatus such as a trapeze, rope, cloud swing, aerial cradle, aerial silk or aerial hoop....
s returned to Wonderland in 1907, including an albino aerialist (White City had another albino aerialist perform on it grounds shortly afterwards). Stunt bicyclists (which became a popular sensation at the time) replaced stunt motorcyclists on the performing stage.
In addition to the acrobats, live entertainment at Wonderland frequently included animal acts. The aforementioned monkeys, horses, and Big Bill were augmented by trained lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
s, ostrich
Ostrich
The Ostrich is one or two species of large flightless birds native to Africa, the only living member of the genus Struthio. Some analyses indicate that the Somali Ostrich may be better considered a full species apart from the Common Ostrich, but most taxonomists consider it to be a...
es, alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
s, and elephants in 1907.
As the competition among the three Indianapolis parks continued to heat up, Riverside Amusement Park reduced its advertising and reduced its expenditures of constantly updating the park and White City started emphasizing its natural features at Broad Ripple Park to try to maintain its customer base in the light of Indianapolis' slow decrease in entertainment dollars. Wonderland, the only major Indianapolis park not to have water access was forced to maintain its costly routine of renovating and upgrading itself and introducing new rides and attractions, making its continuing existence more and more problematic. The three parks had drawn a combined one million patrons in 1906-1907.
Increasing costs of construction of new rides and attractions, coupled with an increasing need to advertise, eventually forced a change of ownership of Wonderland. The Wonderland Construction Company gave way to a new publicly-owned corporation, the Wonderland Amusement Company; the officers include Indianapolis resident E. I. Fisher (also the president of Capital Paper Company) as president of Wonderland, Frank M. Talbott (Indianapolis Basket Company), A. Lehman (Indianapolis Paper Box Company), and park general manager Frank M. Wicks. Capital stock was issued in an effort to maintain profitability.
1908
The new ownership wasted no time in upgrading Wonderland, adding eight attractions in 1908. In addition to a new restaurant, the "Flatiron" proved to be an instant success as the new building offered "human squirrel cake", and trick floors, carpets, and ceilings (the Flatiron was advertised as a "show" geared to those who wished "harmless excitement with a touch of terror." New features include "Brewster's MillionsBrewster's Millions
Brewster's Millions is a novel written by George Barr McCutcheon in 1902, originally under the pseudonym of Richard Greaves. It was adapted into a play in 1906, which opened at the New Amsterdam Theatre, and the novel or play has been made into a film nine times .-Plot introduction:The novel's...
" (inspired by the popular novel by George Barr McCutcheon
George Barr McCutcheon
George Barr McCutcheon was an American popular novelist and playwright. His best known works include the series of novels set in Graustark, a fictional East European country, Brewster's Millions, a play and several films....
), "Ray's Manikans", "The Tickler," "Battle Royal
Battle royal
Battle royal traditionally refers to a fight involving three or more combatants that is fought until only one fighter remains standing. In recent times the term has been used in a more general sense to refer to any fight involving large numbers of people that are not organized into factions...
" and the "Old Swimmin' Hole."
The restaurant patrons enjoyed their sodas as they enjoyed the live entertainment that was a mainstay of the park. Vaudeville
Vaudeville
Vaudeville was a theatrical genre of variety entertainment in the United States and Canada from the early 1880s until the early 1930s. Each performance was made up of a series of separate, unrelated acts grouped together on a common bill...
shows were the primary source of entertainment, augmented with performances of Sleight's Military Band. In June 1908, Millie Spellman brought her drinking and cigarette-smoking bears to Wonderland as the Teddy bear
Teddy bear
The teddy bear is a stuffed toy bear. They are usually stuffed with soft, white cotton and have smooth and soft fur. It is an enduring form of a stuffed animal in many countries, often serving the purpose of entertaining children. In recent times, some teddy bears have become collector's items...
craze was beginning to take hold in the United States.
The initial reaction to the new attractions kept the park's precarious finances hidden as rival parks found new ways to preserve the bottom line. White City also introduced new attractions and finished its construction of a huge swimming pool (covering two acres, it was scheduled to open June 27); Riverside Amusement Park sharply reduced its construction and advertising costs, opting to rely upon the rides it had the previous year and showcasing "the world's largest steer."
The night of June 26, 1908, Wonderland's competition lessened as White City was destroyed by fire. Only the swimming pool, scheduled to open the following morning, was left: it had its grand opening the following week (4 July 1908). The same day, Wonderland had its largest attendance in its history for its annual Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
festivities.
Such a turnout encouraged the ownership to develop expansion plans, some of which were leak
Leak
A leak is a hole or other opening, usually unintended and therefore undesired, in a container or fluid-containing system, such as a tank or a ship's hull, through which the contents of the container can escape or outside matter can enter the container...
ed to the public in the latter months of 1908... including that of building a beer garden
Beer garden
Beer garden is an open-air area where beer, other drinks and local food are served. The concept originates from and is most common in Southern Germany...
. When the plans were officially announced (March 1909), Wonderland was embroiled in controversy unlike any it had enountered before.
1909-1911
Flush with the success of 1908, ownership moved forward with expansion plans for Wonderland, moving eastward toward IrvingtonIrvington Historic District
The neighborhood of Irvington overlaps Irvington Historic District, a historic district in Indianapolis, Indiana. Both are in Indianapolis, Indiana. The historic district is a area that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987...
, an Indianapolis suburb (since merged into the larger city) that prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages within its city limits. By mid-March, the already-wary neighbors became alarmed when the rumor
Rumor
A rumor or rumour is often viewed as "an unverified account or explanation of events circulating from person to person and pertaining to an object, event, or issue in public concern" However, a review of the research on rumor conducted by Pendleton in 1998 found that research across sociology,...
ed plans for a new beer garden
Beer garden
Beer garden is an open-air area where beer, other drinks and local food are served. The concept originates from and is most common in Southern Germany...
on the newly-extended park property were confirmed. On 23 March, a petition drive by a coalition
Coalition
A coalition is a pact or treaty among individuals or groups, during which they cooperate in joint action, each in their own self-interest, joining forces together for a common cause. This alliance may be temporary or a matter of convenience. A coalition thus differs from a more formal covenant...
of area mother's groups
Parent-Teacher Association
In the U.S. a parent-teacher association or Parent-Teacher-Student Association is a formal organization composed of parents, teachers and staff that is intended to facilitate parental participation in a public or private school. Most public and private K-8 schools in the U.S. have a PTA, a...
("Send a Petition to Wonderland") was reported by the Indianapolis News
Indianapolis News
The Indianapolis News was an evening newspaper published for 130 years, beginning December 7, 1869, and ending on October 1, 1999. At one time it had the largest circulation in the state of Indiana, and was the oldest Indianapolis newspaper in existence....
. The mother's groups, assisted by members of various regional temperance groups
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
, requested that Wonderland withdraw its application for a liquor license and asserted that the detrimental effects of liquor would not only adversely affect those who would attend the park but also those who "would no longer patronize the resort."
The next day, the application was withdrawn. Instead of a German beer garden, a German Village
German Village
German Village is a historic neighborhood just south of downtown Columbus. It was settled by a large number of German immigrants in the early-to-mid-19th century, who at one time comprised as much as a third of the population of the entire city...
would be installed instead. While the park announcement publicly acknowledge the petitions, the deciding point was made by the Indianapolis Brewers Exchange, whose truckers started boycott
Boycott
A boycott is an act of voluntarily abstaining from using, buying, or dealing with a person, organization, or country as an expression of protest, usually for political reasons...
ing the park once the controversy arose. The brewers, fearful of the brouhaha spreading to them, united behind the truckers and the mother's groups.
The contretemps did not help the park's attempt to battle a national trend of declining amusement park traffic. By the middle of the 1909 season, attendance had become so poor that the park no longer maintained a full-time operating schedule. Eventually, the park would open only for "special events" in which various organizations would rent the grounds and equipment for private parties.
In 1909-1911, the primary patron was the International Interdenominational County Fair, with the proceeds of the festivities benefitting the Summer Mission for Sick Children, a local charity. The fair's organizers were responsible for promotion, stating in its ads for the 1911 fair that Wonderland had newly renovated its Shoot-the-Chutes and scenic railway rides.
1911 police raid
The 1911 International Interdenominational County Fair started positively, drawing the park's largest crowds since 1908 for the first three days. The sixth day of the fair was overshadowed by a police raid of the German Village. The park had been "teasing" the public about a new attraction, the "Blind Tiger," for weeks. Peter B. Trone, manager of the about-to-be-opened attraction, stated to the local media that his establishment would be the only "wet" place in the park (despite not having a licence to sell alcoholic beverages). Knowing that "blind tiger" was code for an establishment that sold alcohol illegally, the Indianapolis Police Department conducted a raid of the premises on its opening day, 17 August 1911. Trone thwarted the raid as he delayed the police entry as the bartenders hid the illicit beverages as the customers drank ginger aleGinger ale
Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavored with ginger. Dr. Thomas Cantrell, an American apothecary and surgeon, claimed to have invented ginger ale and marketed it with beverage manufacturer Grattan and Company. Grattan embossed the slogan "The Original Makers of Ginger Ale" on its bottles...
chasers and then mopped their lips. After finding insufficient evidence to arrest anybody in the facility, the police promised an additional raid should the "Blind Tiger" remain in business.
The County Fair completed its 1911 run at Wonderland the next day without further incident. It was the penultimate engagement for Wonderland as the end of the season (the last week in August) was in sight.
Demise of Wonderland
The first time that Wonderland advertised in media geared toward African Americans (in the 26 August 1911 Indianapolis RecorderIndianapolis Recorder
The Indianapolis Recorder is a weekly newspaper which began publishing in 1896. The newspaper was established by George E Stewart and William H. Porter...
) also proved to be their last. After a week in which the park was set aside for the exclusive use of the Colored Pythians, the ad announced that the following day was the last of the 1911 season and (contrary to attendance policies of any of the Indianapolis amusement parks) Wonderland would be "open exclusively for colored people." The day was a success, and the Colored Pythians held a celebration and left the park before the gates had closed at 11:00 p.m.
Less than two hours later, the park's night watchman
Security guard
A security guard is a person who is paid to protect property, assets, or people. Security guards are usually privately and formally employed personnel...
observed flames and notified the local fire department
Fire department
A fire department or fire brigade is a public or private organization that provides fire protection for a certain jurisdiction, which typically is a municipality, county, or fire protection district...
. One half hour later, the first fire truck arrived as the merry-go-round and the Shoot-the-Chutes were already burning. By 3:00 a.m. the park was completely involved in flames. By dawn, the firemen had put out the last of the fire, but virtually everything in the park was destroyed, and Wonderland would never reopen. Authorities assumed that the fire was sparked by a discarded cigarette
Cigarette
A cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
.