C. W. Parker
Charles Wallace Parker (1864 – 1932), commonly known as C. W. Parker, was an American manufacturer of carousels (merry-go-rounds). He was self-titled the "Amusement King".[1] He also called himself "Colonel Parker" although he never served in the military.[2]
Early life
[edit]Parker was born in 1864 in Griggsville, Illinois; the family moved to Abilene, Kansas in 1869.[3]
Parker's first venture into the amusement business was purchasing a traveling shooting gallery, a type of carnival game.[3] After touring the area with the gallery, he constructed one of his own, improved, design.[3]
C. W. Parker Amusement Company
[edit]
Parker bought his first carousel, an Armitage–Herschell Company track-style machine in 1892. After operating this machine for two years, he built his own machine and started the Parker Carnival Supply Company in Abilene.[3][4] He began manufacturing jumping carousels, first powered by steam, and later by electricity.[4] The carving on the wooden carousel horses became increasingly elaborate.[4]
The company was renamed the C. W. Parker Amusement Company in 1896.[3] The company also built shooting galleries and Ferris wheels, but its primary business was the production of carousels.[1]
By 1905, Parker was running four full-sized traveling carnivals.[4] In 1911, he moved his company to a bigger factory in Leavenworth, Kansas.[4] He built hundreds of traveling carousels (known as "Carry-Us-Alls")[1] for the carnival circuit, as well as four or five "Superior Park Model" carousels for permanent installation in amusement parks.[4] The Jantzen Beach Carousel ("Superior Park Model #2") in Oregon is the only one of these still in existence.[4] C.W. Parker personally supervised the installation of the carousel at Jantzen Beach Amusement Park in 1928.[5]
Around 1925, the company started producing carousels with aluminum horses rather than wood.[2]
The C. W. Parker Amusement Company produced approximately 1,000 carousels.[6]
Legacy
[edit]C. W.'s son, Paul Parker, also manufactured carousels, running the company from 1930 to 1955.[2][3]
The C.W. Parker Carousel Museum in Leavenworth features a 1912 Parker carousel (#118) and a Parker metal carousel (#834).[7]
In 2019, a 1930s Parker carousel (#600) formerly located at Roaring Rapids Pizza in Eugene, Oregon was donated to the now-defunct International Museum of Carousel Art owned by the Perron family.[8]
See also
[edit]- Lander Park Carousel, built c. 1898-1901, located in Abilene
- City of Waterloo Carousel, a 1911 Parker 2-row portable carousel (#53)
- Pueblo City Park Carousel, built in 1911 (#72)
- Crossroads Village (Michigan), site of a Parker Ferris wheel and 1912 Parker carousel (#108/#234/#332)
- C. W. Parker Carousel No. 119, built in 1912, located in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Chippewa Park, site of a c. 1917-1921 Parker carousel[9]
- C. W. Parker Carousel No. 825, built in 1950, located in Faulkton, South Dakota, United States
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "C.W. Parker Amusement Company records". Hagley Museum and Library. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
- ^ a b c Stagg, Nancy (July 2012). "Celebrating a Century for Burnaby Museum's Precious Parker #119" (PDF). Carousel News and Trader: 22. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "The Amusement King". Abilene Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f g "C.W. Parker Carousel Museum & Gift Shop". Leavenworth Kansas Convention and Visitors Bureau. Retrieved April 2, 2025.
- ^ "Frequently Asked Questions". National Neon Sign Museum. Retrieved April 6, 2025.
- ^ "Finding Aid to the C.W. Parker Amusement Co. Collection, 1896-1956" (PDF). The Strong National Museum of Play. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
- ^ "Index of North American Carousels". National Carousel Association. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
- ^ Dixson, Angelina (May 22, 2019). "Roaring Rapids Pizza to Say One Last Goodbye to Carousel from 1930s". KVAL-TV. Retrieved April 5, 2025.
- ^ "Amusement Park and Carousel History". City of Thunder Bay. Retrieved April 5, 2025.