THE BEGINNINGS
- Of Bavarian Brewery
THE BEGINNINGS
- Of Bavarian Brewery
ADS - From Newspapers
4E. LAGOON PARK (1895 - 1917)
THE LAGOON AMUSEMENT PARK
At the turn of the 20th Century, decades before the establishment of Disneyland and Kings Island, one of the nation's largest amusement parks operated in the Kenton County city of Ludlow, Kentucky. This significant entertainment venue was known by a few names that reflected either its physical feature, location or ownership. The facility was most commonly referred to as "Lagoon Park" or simply "the Lagoon." Due to its geographic location, it was also known as the "Ludlow Lagoon." Following its acquisition by William Riedlin, proprietor of the Bavarian Brewing Company, some individuals referred to it as the "Riedlin Lagoon Park." This historical entertainment complex represented an important early development in America's amusement industry, placing it within what historians consider the golden age of American amusement parks.
Just a year after the Chicago World's Fair was held in 1893, development on the Ludlow Lagoon Park began and it was opened in 1895. It was situated on a site of about 100 acres containing a lake of about 85 acres in its center. The lake, or lagoon, was formed by a 400-foot-wide damn on Pleasant Run Creek next to the Ohio River. The lake had depths of 18 to 45 feet deep and five islands.
The park featured attractions that were innovative and some of the first of their kind. These included the Shooting Chute ride that splashed into the Lagoon, the Scenic Railway (Roller Coaster) with a two-level corkscrew, an Aerial Roadway (starting in 1908) featuring Buick cars and a Motor Drome with motorcycles racing on a 0 to 60 degree banked track at speeds up to 90 mph. Besides the rides mentioned, there was a Circle Swing, an Electric Carousel, a 100-foot Ferris Wheel and a Merry-Go-Round. Some of the structures in the Park included a Dancing Pavilion that could accommodate hundreds of dancers featuring large orchestras, a Boat House, one of the first Motion Pictures Building with air conditioning, a Theater, a Vaudeville stage and a Club House on a hill with panoramic views of the park. Initially, exhibits included one featuring Edison's inventions and a German Village. A later exhibit was a Japanese Pavilion featuring an authentic teahouse. Japanese women served tea while Jujitsu instructors gave lessons. Further, there was an Amphitheater for 2,500 people, a Midway / Novelty Arcade, a Shooting Gallery, a Bathing Beach, refreshment stands, picnic grounds, miles of walking trails and a baseball field. The Midway included games of chance, acrobats, musicians, high-dive aerialists, and other performers. The lake offered boat rides and provided excellent fishing. The park boasted frequent fireworks, concerts and on occasion, special productions. The park appealed to many large groups with some that would number in the tens of thousands. To continue to attract visitors, the park often added attractions and removed those that were not as popular. A photo of the park c. 1900 is below, accompanied by a 3D image created by the Ludlow Historic Society (at a different angel), which identifies most of the features in the park. As shown in the 3D image, only two edifices remain; the former Club House and the Caretakers Cottage.
Ownership & Management
Railroads and a trolley line that serviced Ludlow influenced the creation of the lagoon and it became owned by the Ludlow Lagoon Co. Wm. Riedlin, the President of the Bavarian Brewing Co., became a major shareholder of this entity by 1896. At this same time, John J. Noonan became the General Manager (GM) of the Park. Riedlin and Noonan held nearly all the stock in the concern. They served on the Board of Directors and were joined by an officer of the brewery who resided in Ludlow, H. J. Kruse, as well as (State) Senator William Goebel (who became Kentucky's Governor in 1900 - and assassinated four days after taking office) and William A. Ficks. The name of Noonan can be viewed on the park passes below. However, by 1902 it seems Riedlin owned all the shares of the Ludlow Lagoon Co. as apparently Noonan had outstanding debts and sold all his shares to Riedlin. Shortly thereafter, a legal dispute between the two men ensued, which apparently was resolved in favor of Riedlin. As previously mentioned, the park was commonly referred to as the Lagoon or the Lagoon Park (as depicted in the Park passes below and on many of the postcards), but was also referred to by its location as the Ludlow Lagoon Park. However, from an ownership perspective, it was called the Riedlin Lagoon Park.
Undoubtedly, a motivating reason for Riedlin to became involved in the Ludlow Lagoon Co. was to have his brewery's Standard Bavarian Beer and Riedlin's Select Beer available exclusively at the park. In addition, the Bavarian Brewing Co. had an ice plant in conjunction with its brewery, and may have supplied most of the ice to the food vendors and the ice cream stand in the park as well.
It appears J.J. Weaver became the park's GM after Riedlin had a falling out with Noonan in 1902. Weaver was Ludlow's City Engineer and had previously been on the Board with Noonan. So, it was an easy transition for Weaver to assume total management and increase his responsibilities, including adding or changing rides and exhibits in the park. Weaver remained the GM Before the park closed in 1918, and it appears he ultimately obtained controlling ownership in it.
Shown are passes after Wm. Riedlin acquired ownership interests in the Lagoon. The 1896 pass shows a main attraction to the park known as Shooting the Chutes, which was a ride that splashed into the lake. The 1898 and 1899 passes have the same image, but the 1899 pass has an additional color.
To provide access to the park from other cities in Ohio and Kentucky, railroads offered special fares of only $1.25 to $1.50 round trip from places like Lexington, KY and Zanesville, OH. When people arrived by train in Ludlow, they could take a Trolley known as the Dingy to the entrance of the Lagoon. For visitors from Cincinnati, they could take a trolley from Fountain Square that operated from 4 AM to 10:30 PM. A photo of the Dinky, at the end of the line at W. Oak and Lake streets, along with a ticket allowing a passenger to travel to the Ludlow Lagoon, are below.
The tickets above have the same date. One was used for the Dinky trolley and the other to attend a debate that evening.
MAJOR ATTRACTIONS
During its existence over two decades, the Ludlow Lagoon Park had several major attractions, some of which were added and/or removed. These are shown in the following photos along with accompanying descriptions.
Scenic Railway (Roller Coaster)
This ride was opened in 1895 and operated until the park closed at the end of the 1917 season. It was the invention of LaMarcus Adna Thompson, known as the Father of the American Roller Coaster. It featured gravity-powered rides with a switchback, and is the precursor to modern roller coasters. Thompson's first scenic railway occurred in 1894 at Coney Island, West Brighton, NY - only a year earlier than the ride in the Lagoon. Thompson owned the ride as a concession in the park and went on to have dozens of these rides throughout the world. They were "scenic" because besides being elevated to take in surrounding scenery, they would also simulate trips through foreign landscapes. Since there were no tall buildings at that time, and it was too expensive for most people to vacation abroad, this became a major attraction. Shown below in the first photo is a view of this Scenic Railway lying between the train trestle and the lake and extending for two-miles. The entrance to the ride had various scenic grottoes that varied from time to time, as did the building at its far side that had a two level turnaround that is shown in the second photo. Since the cars would enter in the top of this building and then twist down exiting at the bottom, this feature became known as the "corkscrew."
Shooting the Chutes
The invention of this water based amusement ride, also known as Shoot the Chute, is attributed to J.P. Newburg of Rock Island, IL in 1884. A decade later, Paul Boyton built another example in Chicago. In 1895, Boyton teamed up with Thomas Polk to build a similar ride at Coney Island, NY. Just a year later, this ride became a major attraction at the Lagoon Park and is indicated on the 1896 season pass displayed above. The ride consisted of a flat-bottomed boat pulled up the ramp by a cable. The boat would then slide down a ramp at speeds up to 40 miles per hour inside a flume that was curved upward at the bottom causing the boat to skip across the water. Once the boat came to a stop, it was guided to a landing by a boatman on board. Passengers arrived to the top of the ride by an incline elevator, as shown by the illustration below. A photo of this ride shows it was next to the Dancing Pavilion. Even though the ride was popular, the entrance into the water provided a significant jolt at times, and resullted in occasional injuries. The ride was removed before the 1903 season and rebuilt on the exposition grounds of the St. Louis World's Fair in 1904 by J.J. Weaver. This type of ride is still in use at some amusement parks today.
The Lagoon Club House
Not far from the Park's entrance was the Club House for fine dining, which had large open air decks, as shown below. It also had a billiard room on the second floor. President William Howard Taft and other dignitaries visited this establishment. The front of the building with access to and from the park was through a flight of stairs. About a decade before the park closed, the General Manager of the park, J.J. Weaver, used the Club House for a few years as his residence during the winter months.
The Dance Hall
The Dance hall is shown in the Center of the first photo below, between the Theatre on the left and the Scenic Railway on the right. It was also next to the Shooting the Chute as shown in the second photo, and could accommodate around 2,000 people.
The Boat House & Theatre
To access the rides, there was a walkway or promenade past the Boat House and Theatre, which were located on the lake, as shown in the accompanying images.
Fishing & Bathing
From the beginnings of the park there was an effort to stock the lagoon for recreational fishing. Hundreds of thousand of hatchlings including various types of bass and crappie. There was also a hatchery added to one of the Lagoon island. Shown are a couple anglers in a boat having a successful day fishing. Also below is an image of a bathing beach, which reportedly contained about an acre.
This organization was instrumental in providing medical and other benefits to veterans and is credited with establishing the "Memorial Day" holiday. It was also important politically as five U.S. Presidents were members of the GAR. Over 100,000 people attended the aforesaid convention that was held September 5th - 10th. The Lagoon Park had several activities planned during the convention, as mentioned on the back of the Admission Pass shown below. They involved recreations of two Spanish - American War naval battles. The first involved a replication of the naval Battle of Manila and the second was the Battle of Santiago. A photo of some of the miniature ships used in these naval battles is shown on the accompanying photo.
Miniature Naval Battles at The Lagoon
A novel attraction on the Lagoon were miniature naval battles. In 1898, Cincinnati hosted the 32nd Annual Convention of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR), which was an organization that once had over 400,000 members who had served with the Union Army during the Civil War.
Automobile Aerial Road
Automobiles were transforming the country beginning in the early 1900s. Their cost was out of the reach of most people and a novelty. However, that started to change in 1908 with the introduction of the Ford Model T and the Buick Model 10. There were also various models a few years before then. A unique ride at the Lagoon Park that enabled many women and people who would not ordinarily drive a vehicle at that time, was the Automobile Aerial Road beginning in 1909 that had a center divider to keep the car on elevated tracks. Because the ride was elevated and among trees, it was billed as autoing above and/or through the treetops. It is believed that a Buick Touring Car, possibly a Model F, was used for this attraction. Interestingly, an antique car that resided with the Bavarian Brewing Co. for promotional purposes into the 1950s was a 1908 Buick, likely a Model 10. An advertising sign showing this miniature 1908 Buick was distributed for Bavarian's Old Style Beer around 1950. (See Non-Lit Signs.)
The Motor Drome
Just as the public was fascinated with the invention of the automobile around the time the Lagoon Park opened, they were also intrigued with motorcycle racing. Motorcycles could achieve speeds up to 90 mph, which was considered astounding at that time. In 1913, a quarter-mile wood track was constructed for motorcycle ranking and banked from 0 to 60 degrees. Seating for 8,000 people surround the track and lighting was provided for evening races. It was independently built and owned by the Cincinnati Motordrome and Amusement Co. Even though this attraction was inside the park, by having it separately built and owned as a concession, similar to the Scenic Railway, it limited costs and liability to the park. When there was a tragic accident at the Motor Drome (see below), litigation against the company that owned the track forced it into bankruptcy, but the Lagoon Park Co. was not liable. Despite a movement to close the track, it was rebuilt somewhat safer by another company and operated a few more years until the park closed. The photos below show this track, also called the saucer, from both the outside and inside.
A 1913 Motorcycle Accident
& the 1915 Tornado
The demise of the park was attributable in part to a flood in early 1913 that did significant damage. It was followed that same year, on July 30th, with a horrific motorcycle accident on the Motordrome causing the death of at least 10 people and injuring about 100. A couple years later, a tornado caused significant damage to many attractions at the park on July 7th, 1915. Please see the photos below that illustrate the damages incurred by this Tornado.
THE DEMISE OF THE PARK
There were several events that contributed to the closing of the park. They included the Motor Drome tragedy in 1913 and the devastating tornado in 1915, as described above. There had also been prior challenges in operating the park with a flood in 1905, a leak in the damn that caused low water levels in the lagoon in 1907, another flood in 1913 and difficulty in obtaining reliable Trolley service. However, the most significant factor impacting the park was WWI, which began in Europe in 1914. By 1917 the war had created sky rocketing inflation and restrictions on grains and materials in the U.S. It became financially difficult for many people to travel to the park and spend money on rides and food. As an example, in just one year, the cost to produce Bavarian Beer, which was served throughout the Park, increased 48.5% between 1916 and 1917. With the prospects of having insufficient quantities of beer and then being able to sell it due to the advent of Prohibition, the Park was closed before the season began in 1918, never to reopen.
Perhaps there may have been an opportunity to rebuild the park after WWI. However, the owner of Lagoon Park, William Riedlin, passed away in February of 1919. It appears after his death if not somewhat earlier, J.J. Weaver acquired the Lagoon property. He previously found it lucrative to develop cottages in Ludlow. After the park incurred some deterioration and damages, Weaver began to develop a portion of the park with more homes in 1925 rather than try to reopen it. Coincidentally, in that same year, a local recreational venue in Cincinnati known as Coney Island expanded its operations. It added a dance pavilion known as Moonlite Gardens and Sunlite Pool - the world's largest recirculating pool. A year later, in 1926, a roller coaster at Coney Island opened, and subsequent rides followed establishing it as a major amusement park into the 1970s.
A VIDEO PRESENTATION
of the Park
A 2019 Then Again Productions produced a video documentary about the Ludlow Lagoon Amusement Park in Ludlow, KY. Presenters included: Dave Schroeder, Executive Director of the Kenton Co. Public Library; Mark Mitchell, President of the Ludlow Heritage Museum; Yolanda Mitchell, Secretary of the Ludlow Heritage Museum; and Andy Corn, Member of the Ludlow Historic Society.
A Ludlow Lagoon Park Video
(Approx. 40 minutes)
WHAT REMAINS OF THE PARK
Even though nearly all the park buildings were demolished, the lake was occasionally used for ice skating in the winter - until the 1960s. At that time, the property was used by new owners to deposit fill. As shown in the accompanying photo, the lake no longer exists. The only previous attractions that remain are the Club House and a Caretakers Cottage, as shown in the photos below. These two remaining structures are privately owned, and are also shown in a medium green on the 3D diagram above.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:
Special recognition for his research on Lagoon Park is given to Dave Schroeder - Executive Director of the Kenton County Library Public Library. Postcards, photos and images provided herein are courtesy of the Kenton County Public Library, the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Libraries, Newspapers.com, Cincinnati Refined, John Purnell, the Ludlow Heritage Museum, Ludlow Historic Society and information provided by several individuals in a video about the Lagoon Park as presented above. The quality of most of the postcards and photos were restored by L.R. Schott using Adobe Elements. In keeping with the protocol throughout this website, all black and white photos before Prohibition were tinted brown.
The background photo of this page is a view of the Ludlow Lagoon Amusement Park c. 1900.
