Fairmount Park, from Independence Avenue
The third season of Fairmount Park began on Sunday,
May 6, 1894. The mirrors in the Crystal Maze had
been rearranged "making it more puzzling than
ever." The cafe was also open this year
under the management of Mrs. George McClean, a well
known caterer. The Third Regiment Band was again
at the park and gave concerts every day and twice on
Sunday. Fifty acres of picnic and timber land
were added to the park. The boats this year were
under the command of the Thompson brothers and the
bathing beach was opened and was advertised as being
the "best in the west," and probably was.
The seventh season of
Washington Park was the first one with a lot of money
spent on improvements. Until then, it was like a
400 acre zoo with a lake, but in 1894 things
changed. The cars going to Fairmount Park went
by Washington Park and Fairmount Park drew more
patrons. A bathing beach and bath house were
built costing $10,000 and a restaurant was also
added. A wild beast show appeared in June.
Sir Charles Wombell of London brought his performing
leopards, and Miss Mili Nana and her hypnotic lions
thrilled the people as she entered the cage
blindfolded. A parachute leap was also on the
agenda, where a lady, in full evening attire, jumped
5,000 feet from a helium balloon. Washington
Park also emulated Fairmount Park in that the water
from the spring in Washington Park was sold as
Bethsaida Spring Water. It was delivered in a
400 gallon horse-drawn wagon and sold door to
door. "For a free sample call
2536." In addition, the park also featured
Shetland ponies, boats, swings, a bowling alley and a
shooting gallery. It was 15 cents round trip on
the Dummy Line.
The latest style in
ladies' beach wear was very
important. Mohair was the popular material of
the season, replacing flannel, which could drag a
small lady in a big suit under. A rainbow of
colors was now more popular, replacing the traditional
blue of previous summers. Only the face and the
arms, just below the elbows, were exposed to the sun,
long stockings covered the legs and of course they
were color coordinated. Ruffles were in, and the
cap just had to have a bow in front. Sandals
were also a good idea.
Fairmount Park surged
ahead. In early June and going into July,
"the greatest balloon exhibition ever
witnessed" was booked. Two hot air balloons
carried a large cannon to an altitude of 5,000 feet
and blasted an aeronaut into mid-air, where he
descended to the lake with the help of a specially
designed parachute. Chicko, the Brazilian flying
man who acted like a monkey, worked the trapeze gig,
while Professor Kearney P. Speedy, tied in a gunny
sack, jumped off or was pushed into a tank 70 feet
below, with only 6 inches of water to stop him.
The parks, at that
time, were the lungs of the city. People came to
breathe the fresh air and a cop never awoke a sleeping
patron. They were a melting pot, where the rich
and poor came and mingled. Boys flirted with
girls and girls could flirt with boys. Some came
to eat the park food and many brought their lunches in
a picnic basket. Bachelors would wander about
the park looking for a friendly face in hopes of
getting some home cooking. The most common sight
would have been the family group: mom and dad,
with a youngster or two (later to become our
great-grandparents).
There was also the
crime element. Juvenile delinquents strolled in
groups, smoking cigarettes, with their collars turned
up and wearing yachting caps, making grandstand
remarks for the pretty girls to hear. There was
park statuary, too. People stretched out on the
grass or on a park bench away from the crowds. The
young lady with a book who came to the park early in
the afternoon and read until dark hoping to meet
Prince Charming. The old man who sits all day
thinking about the time he shot a prairie chicken
where the lake is now located. Young boys, in
dog drawn carts noisily crisscrossing the park, and
couples in love strolled everywhere, hand in hand.
The 4th of July was better than any celebration in
town. Fairmount Park was really neat and many
new attractions greeted the thousands that
attended. The Toboggan Slide had just opened to
the public and a trapshooting park opened just north
of the springs; all day, 7 days a week, with guns,
shells, and targets all furnished. The people
with the cannon were there again. Speedy jumped
into the lake from a height of 100 feet, a world's
record, and a young lady dove 85 feet into the
lake. The Obertie Brothers were a new act and
worked with a burning ladder. At 9:00 P.M. a
tremendous fireworks display, costing $1,000, took off
and the evening ended with a bang!
Washington Park also
had unique attractions. A troupe of seven
juggling Japanese were there and the lions and
leopards were still there. In the afternoon, two
members of the gun club had a match, using 50 live
birds, with 25 targets a piece (Society for the
Protection of Animals, where were you?)
At 4:00 P.M. on
Sunday, July 14th, "As You Like It,"
Shakespeare's popular comedy, was presented at
Fairmount Park's new open air theater, by the Kemper
Stock Company. A new bridge had been built
across the ravine, located where Northern Blvd. is now
(at Hink Drive), leading north to the newly acquired
50 acres, expanding the park to Kentucky Avenue and
Appleton.
In the shade of the
oak trees, the "Theater in the Woods" made
its debut, with room for 5,000 spectators.
Although interrupted by rain on the first day, the
play was a huge success.
After arriving at the
depot, passengers would detrain and step onto a wooden
platform that was open to the air and roofed
over. It was a two city block walk to the bridge
over the ravine, the lake being on the right, the cafe
and the Crystal Maze on the left. The pretty
white cement bridge over the ravine led north and on
the left was the recently opened shooting range.
The path headed down to where the tickets were
accepted; $1.50 got you a chair on the front couple of
rows, $1 was a bench right behind them, 50 and 75
cents was general admission, standing room only.
Over the entrance was printed, "The entire
world's a stage". Two tents were set up for
the cast as dressing rooms and the stage was grass,
with the trees as the scenery.
There were 75 players
in the Kemper group. Some were local actors, but
many had performed at the Chicago World's Fair in
'93. The costumes were from Hermann's Emporium
in New York City and cost over $2,000. The Third
Regiment Band performed instrumental music, while an octet
from the Apollo Vocal Club added a bit of charm to the
performance. Underbrush was cleared away and
what was left was used by the actors to make their
entrances. The play, written in 1599, was
described as a "rustic comedy" The
original script was set in the woods, so the forest
probably saved some money on back drops. Several
cloudbursts interrupted the performance, but the show
must go on, and it did. Hundreds of umbrellas
popped open and "your umbrella, please," was
repeated many times as they obscured the view.
The play ran one week and was very popular, but there
were no more outdoor productions that year at
Fairmount Park. Washington Park, true to form,
put on a Gilbert & Sullivan production in its own
outdoor theater.
In August, the action
at Fairmount park shifted to the new athletic field
(now R. J. Roper Stadium) northeast of the lake.
On Saturday the 4th, the Kansas City Athletic Club met
for their monthly meet. The number of
contestants was small, but the events were
exciting. Among the events were the 100 yard
dash, 12 lb. shot-put, pole vault, hammer throw, 440
yard dash, and 120 yard hurdle. Bicycle races
were also held; one to ten miles on a 1/4 mile track.
A second rail depot
was opened at 2nd and Walnut to help handle the
masses. Special trains were to run daily, for
Dr. W. F. Carver was coming to town. Champion
shot of the world, decorated by emperors, kings and
presidents. He would perform daily with a rifle,
from horseback and on foot. His high-diving
horse amazed the crowds, jumping from a height of 30
feet into the lake. She swam like a duck and ate
sugar out of ladies' hands. Beginning on the
26th, a $20,000 wild west show was presented by Dr.
Carver; 200 cowboys and Sioux Indians filled the new
field. New bleachers were built and the athletic
field has been in service for over 100 years.
"Methods of
attack and warfare as practiced by the Indians, the
circle of death, the attack ion stage coaches,
burning of the settlers' cabins, rescue by Dr.
Carver and his cowboys, sports on the plains roping
and riding wild broncos and steers, trick and fancy
riding by the greatest horseman on earth, the cowboy
camp and village..."
The show was held
every afternoon at 3 and every evening at 8:00, with a
magnificent grandstand seating thousands of
people. Box seats were $1.00, three reserve rows
were 75 cents, grandstand 50 cents, and 25 cents for
general admission.
The Fairmount and
Washington Parks competitive wars began in earnest in
'94, fueled by money from the Holmes family,
Washington Park's new owners. Kansas City's
Labor Day Parade, which was a huge attraction,
conveniently ended at 2nd and Wyandotte at 10:00 A.M.,
where rail cars were boarded for Fairmount Park and
thousands spent the day. Dr. Carver's show was
still there and everything was free... from boating to
bowling and swimming, for the laboring man and his
family.
Next year, 1895,
would begin the first of two golden eras for Fairmount
Park.
Copyright © 2005 John M. Olinskey
