Dear Old Coney Island
| Other Name(s) | Coney Island |
|---|---|
| Type | Exhibition |
| Park Section | Midway |
| Built | 1910 |
| Opened | May 1, 1910 |
| Closed | 1911 (fire) |
| Fires | May 1911 July 1911 |
| Frame | Wood |
Dear Old Coney Island, mostly known as Coney Island, was a "mechanical show" built and opened on May 1, 1910, at Olentangy Park and burned down the following summer in the Midway Fire of 1911.[1][2][3][4][5]. Sharing space with The Destruction of Johnstown, north of the Ye Olde Mill,[6] it was located in a wood-frame building with burlap lining.[2][3][7]
According to an ad in June 1911, the attraction showed Dreamland, Luna Park, and Surf Avenue. Emanual Andrews placed the ad on behalf of the park, so the attraction was temporary.[8]
Fires
Coney Island was affected by multiple fires in its short existence. The structure caught fire on May 28 due to faulty wiring. Duke, a performing dog from the neighboring Destruction of Johnstown exhibit, found the fire and alerted attaches, who extinguished the fires with a few buckets of water.[6][2] Later, in July 1911, a fire that began in the Old Mill ride spread to other attractions, destroying a total of five buildings.[3] Manager J. W. Dusenbury said the buildings were uninsured.
References
- ↑ "Fire at Olentangy Park." The News-Herald (Hillsboro, Ohio), July 27, 1911. Page 1. Accessed through Newspapers.com https://www.newspapers.com/clip/1634174/fire-at-olentangy-park/
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Local Coney Island is Also Visited by Fire." Columbus Evening Dispatch, May 29, 1911. Page 3.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Suspect Arson in Destructive Fire at Olentangy Park." Columbus Evening Dispatch, July 17, 1911. Page 1.
- ↑ Photographs, The Columbus Evening Dispatch, July 17, 1911. Page 1.
- ↑ "Suspect Arson in Destructive Fire at Olentangy Park." The Columbus Evening Dispatch, July 17, 1911. Page 1.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Blaze in Olentangy Attraction and Gives Alarm." The Columbus Evening Dispatch, May 29, 1911. Page 3.
- ↑ "Olentangy Park." The Columbus Sunday Dispatch, April 3, 1910. Page 5.
- ↑ Advertisement, The Billboard, 23 (24): 47. June 17, 1911. Accessed through the Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/sim_billboard_1911-06-17_23_24/page/46/