1908 is the year that my
family started to arrive via a steamship from Europe, lucky
to escape the future horrors of WWI. My grandma, Anna
Novak, 1892-1967, told of arriving here with a friend at the
R.R. depot, being met by a man that could not speak their
language, driving through a pathetic looking, dusty town and
finally meeting friends known from across the ocean.
Surely word got back to certain areas of "The Old
Country" that friends were here, also that there was a neat
park just minutes away.
On January 16, a group of
"Drys" from Fairmount, Maywood, and Mt. Washington
met with the purpose of barring anymore of that Saloon
business at Fairmount Park. Called the "Law and
Order League," it was organized to basically bar liquor
anywhere, i.e., total prohibition of all alcohol, and they
would succeed.
On May 14 Missouri Governor Folk's
commission stated,
"We believe that it
is in the interest of good government that no saloon
license be granted outside an incorporated town where
there can be no police protection. The county judges
know also that a legal petition for the Blue Township is
impossible. Not only should they refuse to consider
a saloon for Fairmount Park, but none should be considered
from Sugar Creek, Cement City, Leeds, or any other point
in the township outside the cities."
In a few
years, the 18th Amendment, the prohibition of alcohol,
would be eliminated even in the cities, but not really.
Regardless, Fairmount Park
opened early this year. On May 10, thousands rode out
to the suburban oasis of fun a.k.a. "The Park in the
Woods" and the "Home of Picnics".
Many came to skate in the the new skating rink, remodeled
from the bowling alley, and said to be the largest open-air
rink in Kansas City. At 7 pm a rainstorm inundated the park, causing all the
people to crowd the cars, returning to the local metropolis.
One poor lad didn't make it
back to the metropolis. The streetcars leaving the
park were filled to overflowing. Perched on the step
of an over-crowded trolley, 16-year-old Carl Ruehle,
ignoring his father's warnings, kept leaning forward as the
fast-moving streetcar sped from Fairmount Park to downtown
Kansas City. He was enjoying "catching the breeze," he
told his worried father. Tragically, his coat caught a
fence. He was
pulled under the streetcar and killed instantly.
For management and the rest
of the park's opening day visitors though, rainstorm or no,
opening day was deemed a
a wonderful success.
Management deemed balloon
racing was going to be the main free attraction this
year. The first contest was on May 16. Again it
was a rainy day, but the race went ahead at 3 o'clock in the
afternoon, across from the bathing beach. A local man,
L. M. Bales, won by defeating a professional from France
named Professor Antoine Gasper, the winner being determined
by who could reach the highest altitude.
Fishing was a big
draw. Poles and bait were available for a small fee.
Most people could catch six or seven good-sized fish in just
a few hours, mostly crappie, bass, and blue gill.
Makes you wonder about the smell of some of the trolleys
heading west.
Professor H. O. Wheeler's
band performed, and stayed all season. Writing a lot of
his own numbers and marches were his forte.
This year's improvements
included beautifying the bathing beach, and two new
concessions. Kalinsky's plantation troubadours and a
new giant teeter, and Cusenbary Springs had a new roof
built and an electric pump installed.
Memorial Day for all the
parks was a big deal. 43,000 people visited Fairmount
over the two-day holiday, and 2,000 went swimming. The
fireworks display across the lake kept the people safe from
the Roman Candles, skyrockets, and set pyrotechnics.
The Winnings and Wright Comedy Company was in the theatre
and the talk around the lake was about the man who caught a
32-pound carp.
After three balloon races
won by Mr. Bales, attention turned toward fireworks and
getting a jump on the Fourth of July. On Sunday, June
21, a huge display of the usual stuff, plus some specially
designed for the park.
This year's theme for the
Fourth was the siege of Tripoli. A town was built that
was to be destroyed by fire across the lake from the bathing
beach. H. O. Wheeler's band closed the day by playing
the STAR SPANGLED BANNER. 30,000 people passed through
the park for the Fourth. Because of clouds, only 700
went swimming. Many danced in the pavilion, but
Fairmount was the most popular. Electric had a good
crowd, even though it cost 10 cents to enter and 5 cent car
fare. Skating was popular at Forest and Carnival
parks, where skating contests were constantly being
held. All parks had vaudeville and fireworks.
On July 12, a two-mile race
on the lake by several swimmers featuring Carl Kunz, who
attempted to swim from Lawrence, Kansas to Kansas
City, the prize being the Championship of Missouri.
On July 19 under the
heading "An Ideal Summer Hotel", a photo shows a
two-story rustic building with a wrap-around porch filled
with tables and a sign, "This Park Private".
I quote, "A building of the home-like type, a lawn of
grass that's even and soft as velvet, a group of trees that
throw a shade enjoyable these days..." etc etc.
This year is the fifth anniversary and is newly remodeled
with new management, the owner, W. F. Smith, also owns the
whole park. The rooms were large and airy due to the
many trees. The food was excellent, with weekly rates
from $3 to $5.
Also on the 19th, balloon
racing returned. While the bathing beach broke a
record by having 1,200 swimmers. Balloonist L. M.
Bales, KC champ, took on Calhoun Grant from Providence,
Rhode Island. The last balloon race of the season was
held the first Sunday in August and was the best this year,
won again by Mr. Bales of our city, against Terry Raymond of
Chicago. Park Management also announced that the
bathing beach would be open to ladies of all ages every
Friday morning from 10 to 2. A qualified swimming
instructor was provided. 1,400 people a day visited
the beach on weekends.
The free main attraction on
August 8 -9 was "Daredevil Evans", who was two
generations ahead of Evel Knievel. Across the lake
from the bathing beach, a 50 ft-high ramp was built by a
bunch of union carpenters. 20 feet from the end of the
ramp, which Daredevil Evans jumped with a bicycle, while
Wheeler's band played and fireworks exploded, twice a day
for two days at 3 and 9 pm.
The next weekend was won by
Electric Park. Fairmount had Graham the Human Fish who
ate lunch and drank milk underwater in a glass tank.
Electric had a gasoline
powered balloon. For the drama, a large tent was
erected by the monkey cage and guarded 24 hours a day, even
the employees weren't told what was going on. On
August 21, two men from Omaha, Charles Bayadorfer and George
Yager, opened up the tent and pulled out a lemon-shaped bag
of gas powered by a small gasoline engine. Bayadorfer
climbed in and took off, much to the relief of Mike Heim,
who was responsible. It flew for a while but fell out
of the sky at 37th and Brooklyn. After a few repairs
it flew back to the park. Management at Fairmount took
notice.
Mr. Rockefeller gave 4.5
million to charities this year. Unfortunately Teddy
was not impressed. On July 23, the US Circuit Court of
Appeals in Chicago had found favor with Standard and the
three judges ruled Standard innocent of the charges.
President Roosevelt called the ruling a "gross
miscarriage of justice", and directed the
Attorney General to retry the case. He also brought
Frank B. Kellogg, a hot-shot idealist attorney, who not only
failed to destroy Standard, he won the Nobel Peace Prize in
1929 for outlawing war in 1928, another failure.
1908 was the year of the
"Great Race", as in the movie
of the same name, which starred Tony Curtis and
Natalie Wood. Starting in February at New York City
and criss-crossing the US, then following the Trans-Siberian
railroad track through Czarist Russia to Paris. Won by
a Thompson Automobile, built in Buffalo, New York.
Standard furnished, free of charge, all the gasoline along
the entire route, stationing depots every 50 miles.
Copyright © 2006 - 2009
John M. Olinskey
