Jantzen Beach
Encyclopedia
Jantzen Beach Amusement Park was a popular amusement park
from 1928 to 1970 in Portland, Oregon
, on Hayden Island
in the middle of the Columbia River
. "The Coney Island of the West" opened on May 26, 1928 as the largest amusement park in the nation, covering over 123 acre (0.49776378 km²) at the northern tip of Portland.
. Logus and Smith headed the Hayden Island Amusement Company and they built an amusement resort and tourist park named Jantzen Beach Amusement Park for one of the park's investors, Carl Jantzen, of Jantzen swimsuit fame. The door opened to the public on May 26, 1928. It surpassed all attendance expectations; over 30 million people patronized the park through its 42 years.
On opening day, Saturday May 26, 1928, 15,000 people paid the $0.10 admission. The following day, 25,000 people came out to the park. The amusement park included a merry-go-round, fun house, Big Dipper roller coaster, Golden Canopy Ballroom, four swimming pools, a natatorium
, 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) of picnic grounds, and 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) of parking.
The C.W. Parker merry-go-round, built in 1904 for the St. Louis World’s Fair was moved to Jantzen Beach in 1927. Some of the hand carved horses were made by inmates of the United States Penitentiary
in Leavenworth, Kansas
. The amusement park's popularity peaked during the 1940s.
In the late 1950s, attendance declined while, unrelatedly, the commercial value of the land increased. The park closed on Labor Day, 1970. The pumping system from the swimming pools remains and is used to pump drinking water to residents of Hayden Island. The C.W. Parker Carousel is now at the Jantzen Beach SuperCenter
, a shopping mall
located on the grounds formerly occupied by the park.
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
from 1928 to 1970 in Portland, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, on Hayden Island
Hayden Island, Portland, Oregon
Hayden Island is an island in the Columbia River between Vancouver, Washington and Portland, Oregon. The wide main channel of the Columbia passes north of the island. To the south, sheltered by the island, is a smaller channel known as North Portland Harbor...
in the middle of the Columbia River
Columbia River
The Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
. "The Coney Island of the West" opened on May 26, 1928 as the largest amusement park in the nation, covering over 123 acre (0.49776378 km²) at the northern tip of Portland.
History
In 1927, William A. Logus and Leo F. Smith purchased 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) of land on Hayden Island from the Portland Electric Power CompanyPortland General Electric
Portland General Electric is an electrical utility based in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. It distributes electricity to customers in parts of Multnomah, Clackamas, Marion, Yamhill, Washington, and Polk counties - half of the inhabitants of Oregon...
. Logus and Smith headed the Hayden Island Amusement Company and they built an amusement resort and tourist park named Jantzen Beach Amusement Park for one of the park's investors, Carl Jantzen, of Jantzen swimsuit fame. The door opened to the public on May 26, 1928. It surpassed all attendance expectations; over 30 million people patronized the park through its 42 years.
On opening day, Saturday May 26, 1928, 15,000 people paid the $0.10 admission. The following day, 25,000 people came out to the park. The amusement park included a merry-go-round, fun house, Big Dipper roller coaster, Golden Canopy Ballroom, four swimming pools, a natatorium
Natatorium
A natatorium is a term given for a building containing a swimming pool. In Latin, a cella natatoria was a swimming pool in its own building, although it is sometimes also used to refer to any indoor pool even if not housed in a dedicated building...
, 25 acres (101,171.5 m²) of picnic grounds, and 15 acres (60,702.9 m²) of parking.
The C.W. Parker merry-go-round, built in 1904 for the St. Louis World’s Fair was moved to Jantzen Beach in 1927. Some of the hand carved horses were made by inmates of the United States Penitentiary
United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth
The United States Penitentiary , Leavenworth was the largest maximum security federal prison in the United States from 1903 until 2005. It became a medium security prison in 2005.It is located in Leavenworth, Kansas...
in Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth is the largest city and county seat of Leavenworth County, in the U.S. state of Kansas and within the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. Located in the northeast portion of the state, it is on the west bank of the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
. The amusement park's popularity peaked during the 1940s.
In the late 1950s, attendance declined while, unrelatedly, the commercial value of the land increased. The park closed on Labor Day, 1970. The pumping system from the swimming pools remains and is used to pump drinking water to residents of Hayden Island. The C.W. Parker Carousel is now at the Jantzen Beach SuperCenter
Jantzen Beach SuperCenter
Jantzen Beach SuperCenter is a shopping mall located in Portland, Oregon on Hayden Island in the Columbia River. Opened in 1972 as Jantzen Beach Mall, it was largely torn down in the mid-1990s for big box development...
, a shopping mall
Shopping mall
A shopping mall, shopping centre, shopping arcade, shopping precinct or simply mall is one or more buildings forming a complex of shops representing merchandisers, with interconnecting walkways enabling visitors to easily walk from unit to unit, along with a parking area — a modern, indoor version...
located on the grounds formerly occupied by the park.
Attractions
- Big Dipper - Wooden roller coasterWooden roller coasterA wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
(May 26, 1928-1969) - Kiddie Dipper - Steel roller coasterSteel roller coasterA steel roller coaster is a roller coaster that is defined by having a track made of steel. Steel coasters have earned immense popularity in the past 50 years throughout the world...
(1947-1970) - Golden Canopy Ballroom
- The C.W. Parker merry-go-round
- NatatoriumNatatoriumA natatorium is a term given for a building containing a swimming pool. In Latin, a cella natatoria was a swimming pool in its own building, although it is sometimes also used to refer to any indoor pool even if not housed in a dedicated building...
- 4 Swimming poolSwimming poolA swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
s - PicnicPicnicIn contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
grounds - Two robot circus criers, "Laffing SalLaffing SalLaffing Sal is one of several automated characters that were built primarily for funhouses throughout the United States. Sometimes called "Laughing Sal",she produces a raucous laugh that sometimes frightens small children and annoys adults.-History:...
" and "Joe Barker" - Venetian Canal ride
- Jantzen Beach Railway
- Fun House
- Elbow Room Restaurant
- MidwayMidway (fair)A midway at a fair is the location where amusement rides, entertainment and fast food booths are concentrated....
- Ferris wheelFerris wheelA Ferris wheel is a nonbuilding structure consisting of a rotating upright wheel with passenger cars attached to the rim in such a way that as the wheel turns, the cars are kept upright, usually by gravity.Some of the largest and most modern Ferris wheels have cars mounted on...
External links
- pdxHistory.com History of Jantzen Beach, collection of historic photos
- Center for Columbia River History