Bathing Beach at Fairmount Park, Kansas City, Mo.
1895 was a year of business upturn and the new
attractions at Fairmount Park just kept on
coming. The park opened on Sunday, May 12th this
year and the Third Regiment Band was again on
board. Concerts were given every day and twice
on Sunday. On Saturdays, children were treated
to a free concert at the Pavilion and on Thursday afternoons there were concerts at the cafe.
Washington Park's
main attraction this year was "Takazawa's Troupe
of Japanese," billed the best acrobats in the
world. Fairmount Park featured Paul Alexander
Johnstone, the great mind reader. At 3:30 PM,
on Sunday May 19th, Mr. Johnstone ran a train
blindfolded, from the downtown depot at 2nd and Walnut
to Fairmount, a distance of 7 miles. Another of
his many feats was finding a needle on the bottom of
the lake (Sure!).
At 8:15 P.M. Saturday
night, June 1st, the new Fairmount Auditorium
opened. It was located just west of what is now
Northern Blvd. and Hink Drive. Gilbert &
Sullivan's "Mikado" was presented and the
players, just for this performance, were transported
by train from New York City. Many international actors were among the 42 in the cast,
35 in the chorus, and their 10 piece orchestra, along
with many pretty girls. $6000 was spent on a
building that today would cost a hundred times more,
with seating for over 1,000 and a wood interior that
was beautiful.
"The
Mikado," with British humor, Japanese costumes
and American actors, most from the "Big
Apple," was written halfway through Gilbert &
Sullivan's partnership in 1881. It was
considered their masterpiece, a satirical comic opera
that managed to slam both Victorian England and the
Japanese Empire. At the appointed hour, the
Honorable E. H. Allen, former president of the Kansas
City Board of Trade, delivered a speech and at 8:15
the play began. A theatrical tradition of the
time was to bring a baby on stage, so in the first
act, George Paxton, who played the title role of
Mikado, brought out of the audience Theodore, 6 month
old son of Herman Brumbach, a well known attorney of
local note.
In the second act a
most unusual and wonderful thing happened. The
entire rear of the stage area was thrown open,
exposing the natural scenery of the park, decorated
with Japanese arches, pagodas, and hundreds of Chinese
lanterns. The opera played for one week and was
critically acclaimed. Ticket prices were 25, 30,
and 50 cents.
A new and improved
Electric Fountain had been built, at great expense, in
the lake. The Cascade Glen now had a small lake
with a jet of water that shot 40 feet in the air and
on sunny days created a rainbow. Another first
was the Electric Theatre, which opened on Sunday, June
2nd and was similar to the one at the World's
Fair. It was located by the bowling alley which
was where Northern Blvd. runs one block north of 24
Highway now. It featured "A Day in an
Alpine Village" which included sunrise, sunset,
storm clouds, and other events of the day. The
price of admittance was 10 cents and it had to be one
of the first commercial ventures of its kind in the
world.
A greenhouse had been
built east of the lake where now Carlisle Drive
is. It had its own water tower and was
responsible for the miles of sweet pea vine, thousands
of roses of different colors, geraniums, pansies, and
other varieties which decorated the park. Where
the shelter house now stands in left field of R. J.
Roper Stadium there was an ice house. In the
winter, when the lake froze, men working with saws cut
and stored tons of ice for use in the summer.
If the new things didn't
appeal to you there were always the established
attractions like boating, bathing, outdoor gymnasium,
fishing, bears, a dance pavilion, the Crystal Maze,
bowling, swings, shooting, a photograph gallery, and a
merry-go-round.
On June 9th,
Professor F. A Squires, aeronaut, released 25 small
parachutes from 2,000 feet, each containing a prize,
such as a pair of gents fancy garters from Wolf
Brothers, umbrellas and a ton of coal from Central
Coal and Coke Company.
The big attraction
for June was the good Rev. Sam Jones who, on the 23rd,
brought Southern style evangelism to the park.
For several days in late June and 25 cents you could
hear the great orator speak on "sawciety,"
the world as it was and the world as it should be,
according to him.
The warm summer sun
had finally warmed the water in the lake and 500 new
bathing suits had been purchased, but remember,
Washington Park was just up the road and had such acts
as the Flying Jordans and the Four Nelson Sisters.
The nation's birthday
in the 1890s was much more patriotic that today and
much louder. Bulldogs (fireworks), pistols with
blanks and a small bore cannon could constantly be
heard from early morn till late at night.
Orators praised grandfathers who fought and died at
places like Valley Forge. The 4th of July was on
a Thursday that year and the weatherman promised a
sunny warm day, so of course it rained most of the
day.
The people at
Washington Park did not let the weather interfere with
the celebration. A hot, humid morning was
interrupted by a strong cool front that passed through
about noon, dropping the temperature 10 degrees,
bringing thunder, lightning, and rain. Mother
nature let go with a big bang and hundreds of smaller
ones were followed by rebel yells and other verbal
responses. After less than half left the park,
many stored their clothes at the bath house, put on
swimming suits and took boats out on the lake, armed
with cannons, men rowing while the ladies fired.
Soon the lake was obscured by smoke from the mock fire
fights.
Mayor Webster Davis
of Kansas City was the keynote speaker, followed by D.
E. Stoner of the City Council, who recited the
Declaration of Independence. Professor
Zimmerchied's band played patriotic tunes such as
"Dixie" and "The Star Spangled
Banner", which could hardly be heard over the
yelling and explosions.
Meanwhile, back at
Fairmount Park, not as many people left, probably because
there were no political speeches and not as much
rain. Most of the attractions were open to the
public, and the ones that did charge didn't charge
much.
New wide, white
sidewalks crisscrossed he park. Ladies in wet,
white dresses and men in duck trousers (made of duck
cloth, a fabric somewhere between canvas and cotton)
were seen everywhere. A game of La Crosse on
Shetland ponies was played at the athletic field and
music from the opera "Erminie" came from the
new auditorium. Crowds followed the Third
Regiment Band as it marched around the park. A
world class equilibrate, Carl Charles, tied a rope
between two trees, 40 feet above the ground, and
walked across with only the help of a balancing
bar. The traditional fireworks display took
place at 8:30 P.M. and went off without a hitch.
People stayed until the last train headed back to the
big city.
The remainder of the
summer at Fairmount Park was outstanding. At the
auditorium, prices had doubled and the Kemper Stock
Company turned a one week engagement into two, because
so many people had to be turned away at the
door. Shakespeare's comedy, " A Mid Summer
Night's Dream," played from Monday, July 8th to
Sunday, July 21st. It was followed by the same
actors in another gem by Mr. S., "As You Like
It." August at the auditorium was filled
with Vaudeville, which was just now entering its
second decade. Music, jokes, skits, and juggling
were some of its trademarks. Admission was 25
cents and featured acts such as The Bison Quartet, W.
S. Gilbert, European aerial hook artist, The Hale
Sisters, who were a local song and dance favorite, and
The Dark City Circus.
Outside, Professor
Squires and his wife and the rest of the family,
including his two dogs, leaped from a balloon with
parachutes. Later, astride a donkey, he jumped
from 3,551 feet. The mother of all picnics was
held on August 15th by the Irish American Society,
while the Walton Mandolin Club played on the cafe
veranda. The third annual bicycle races were
held on the athletic field the 30th and 31st.
Every night ended with a fireworks display of one kind
or another. One favorite display was Niagara
Falls, where the lake appeared to be on fire.
The big news at
Washington Park for the late summer of '95 was the
boat that had been built in the middle of the lake and
used as a stage for plays such as Gilbert &
Sullivan's "Pinafore," performed by a
traveling company of actors from New York. Not a
unique idea, but at least they didn't' steal it from
Fairmount Park.
September was to show
just how much of a social melting pot Fairmount
Park was. Labor day of '95 came on a Monday, the
2nd, and the parade led to Fairmount Park. Among
the speakers in the new auditorium was Mayor Davis, of
Kansas City, and Jerry Simpson from the Medicine
Lodge. Many sporting events were held both on
the lake and at the athletic field; foot races,
boating and a game of tug-of-war, capped off by a game
of 9's (baseball) between the plumbers and
bricklayers. The 5 inning game was won by the
bricklayers 7-3. 10,000 people journeyed to
Fairmount Park that day and just about maxed out the
system. Trains were packed from 11:00 A.M. until
dark. Management liked to brag that there were
100 attractions at the park. The 101st would be
a doozy.
On July 21st, the
Missouri, Kansas and Texas Trust Company announced
that a horse show would be held at Fairmount Park
September 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th. A purse of
$2500 was to be offered and A. E. Stillwell was named
trustee. The purpose of the show was to bring
together horsemen from all over the southwestern
United States. Fairmount Park was chosen for two
reasons, (1) the amphitheater (Roper Stadium) with
seating for 3,500 and its 1/4 mile race track and (2)
horses could be unloaded right from the train inside
the park. By September 3rd, the purse had been
increased to $3,300 in prizes and $400 in gold
medals. At 2:30 P.M., the trumpet sounded,
calling the entries to take their place, beginning the
first annual fancy Horse Show. There would be
several more at Fairmount Park in the coming years,
but it would eventually move to Downtown, Kansas City
and evolve in 1900 into the American Royal of today.
Major C. H. Buford
called out the classes and was superintendent of the
grounds. There were 54 classes and 383 entries
with 400 different horses. Only the fancy horses
need apply, such as carriage horses, coach roadsters,
saddle animals, hunters, and Shetland ponies.
The spectator stands read like a Kansas City street
guide, such people in attendance such as Gillham,
Sterling, Armour, Holmes, Scarritt, and Wilson (you
get the picture?). Arc lights were strung around
the track and searchlights reached for the sky.
The four days of competition ended with only one
casualty, a broken arm from a fall. On the 6th
an auction was held and many good horses were
sold. The quality of livestock was not yet as
good as the east coast's, but there was always next
year.
OTHER
UNRELATED FACTS IN 1895
-
X-Ray
discovered by Wilhelm Roentgen of Bavaria
-
Studies in
Hysteria by Sigmund Freud was published
-
Pneumatic
Tires are used for the first time
-
Field and
Stream Magazine begins publication
-
First
pizzeria opens in New York
-
First U.
S. auto race held between Chicago and Milwaukee
-
Rudolph
Diesel invents the Diesel
-
First
electric power from Niagara Falls
-
Pocket
Kodak is introduced
-
First
commercial showing of a film on screen
-
American
Bowling Congress sets number of pins at 10 (was 9)
-
King Champ
Gillette proposes his throw-away blade. No one
listens.
-
Coca Cola
is sold in every state of the union with cocaine.
-
The
Anti-Saloon League of America is organized
Copyright © 2005 John M. Olinskey
