Luna Park (Seattle)
Encyclopedia
Luna Park was an amusement park
in Seattle, Washington
that operated from 1907 until 1913. Designed by famed carousel carver Charles I.D. Looff, who carved and installed Coney Island’s very first carousel, Luna Park took its name from Coney Island’s Luna Park
. The 12 acres (4.9 ha) park was constructed near the Duwamish Head
on the northern tip of Alki in West Seattle. Built on pilings, the expansive boardwalk extended over Elliott Bay
and was called the Greatest Amusement Park on the West Coast.
Luna Park’s main attractions were Charles I.D. Looff's hand-carved carousel, the Great Figure Eight Roller Coaster, the Giant Whirl, Shoot the Chutes, the Canals of Venice, and the Cave of Mystery. The Zeum Carousel was originally intended for an amusement park in San Francisco, but the earthquake of 1907 disrupted the city's plans and the carousel was installed in Seattle instead. With vaudeville enjoying immense popularity at the time, Luna Park also housed two theaters, the Dreamland Theater and the Trocadero, with the latter performing a new play each week.
Additionally, Luna Park hosted daily acts, including the clown Uncle Hiram, Don Carlo’s Trained Monkey and Dog Circus, and the Original Human Ostrich. The park featured a live bear pit, as well as several transitory exhibits, such as Baby Incubators. The park was also host to a variety of concessions and games of chance, such as shooting galleries and ball tosses. One of the park’s most prominent structures was its Natatorium, which housed heated saltwater and freshwater swimming pools.
On July 4, 1908, Luna Park became the site of Seattle’s first manned flight. L. Guy Mecklem launched his airship from the park, racing two automobiles a distance of ten miles to the Meadows Racetrack in Georgetown. A much-heralded event, Mecklem beat the automobiles with two minutes to spare. Mecklem housed his aircraft at Luna Park for a short time afterward, charging visitors ten cents each to view it.
Luna Park was accessible by trolley, the West Seattle ferry, or the Seattle Municipal Railway’s Luna Park Line. During evening hours the park was brilliantly illuminated, with each building and ride outlined in bulbs. Because of its extravagant lighting scheme the park could be seen for miles and was billed as a safe nighttime destination for women and children.
Other of Luna Park’s nighttime attractions weren’t as popular among the moral community of West Seattle. The park boasted the longest and best-stocked bar on Elliott Bay, a venue that angered the citizens around Alki. Feeling that drunks would overrun their community, West Seattle petitioned to be annexed into the City of Seattle in the hope that its conservative mayor, William Hickman Moore, would address this and other concerns.
Seattle annexed West Seattle in 1907, two days after Luna Park opened, but it did little good. The same year the City of Seattle also annexed Ballard
, Southeast Seattle, South Park
, Ravenna
and Columbia City
. With such massive expansion, Mayor Moore had little time to focus on the concerns over Luna Park. West Seattle citizens next attempted to put a referendum on the ballot to close the park entirely. A petition was circulated but invalidated shortly after when a number of its signers asked for their signatures to be removed.
In the next mayoral election, Hiram Gill
replaced Moore as mayor. Gill, who favored an open-town policy, was not the mayor for which West Seattle was hoping. Gill’s chief of police, Charles Wappenstein, was tasked with controlling the restricted district. Instead he took payoffs from those dealing in booze, gambling and women and the district expanded. Wappenstein was also involved with the development of a 500-room brothel in Beacon Hill, a project in which Luna Park’s manager, W.W. Powers, was an investor. The Forces of Decency, an activist group consisting of prohibitionists and newly enfranchised female voters, pushed for a recall election and Hi Gill was voted out of office.
The park and its bar continued to operate for another two seasons, so its affiliation with vice had little impact on Luna Park. Numerous visitors sustained injuries at the park. One patron slipped from the top of one of the rides and snapped his neck. Another patron injured his knee playing the high striker and filed a successful suit against Luna Park. There were also disputes between the park's managing companies, however, that led to the filing of lawsuits. Charles I.D. Looff, who operated the park's amusements, sold his share of the company out of frustration and returned to his operations in California.
Luna Park set the stage for a grand reopening for its 1913 season. “New Luna Park to Equal Eastern Amusement Resorts,” read the headline in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The park was to be “new in every element of its ownership and conduct,” right down to its manager, W.H. Labb, who had built White City in Chicago. The park was to feature enlarged attractions, including “racing coasters” that would replace the Great Figure Eight roller coaster. The management was even offering stock in the park at $1,000 per share, which they promised would yield 25% dividends. However, Luna Park was closed that same year.
The rides were disassembled and removed, with the Zeum Carousel traveling to California (the carousel is now in operation at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, California
). The Natatorium continued to operate, however, changing its name to Luna Pool. In 1931 Luna Pool caught fire and the remains of Luna Park were destroyed in the blaze. The fire was suspicious, with many believing that the culprit was the same arsonist, Robert Driscoll, who had destroyed a number of other Seattle landmarks. The pier was declared a total loss and replacement estimates were too high for the city to finance rebuilding. It was condemned in 1933.
In 1946, the City of Seattle filled in the pools of the Natatorium to avoid potential lawsuits. Today the site is known as Anchor Park due to the sizeable anchor, salvaged from the waters near this location, that is on display. The park also features observational viewers that project phantom images of Luna Park over Elliott Bay, offering visitors a glimpse into the past. Today all that remains of the Greatest Amusement Park on the West Coast are the original pilings, which are visible during extremely low tide. The name also survives in such local businesses as the Luna Park Cafe.
In August 2011 a pictorial history titled "Seattle's Luna Park" will be released by Arcadia Publishing.
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...
in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
that operated from 1907 until 1913. Designed by famed carousel carver Charles I.D. Looff, who carved and installed Coney Island’s very first carousel, Luna Park took its name from Coney Island’s Luna Park
Luna Park, Coney Island
Luna Park was an amusement park at Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York City from 1903 to 1944. A second Luna Park was opened on the former site of the nearby Astroland amusement park...
. The 12 acres (4.9 ha) park was constructed near the Duwamish Head
Duwamish Head
Duwamish Head is the northernmost point in West Seattle, Washington, jutting into Elliott Bay. The Duwamish called it "Low Point" or "Base of the Point" . A large boulder covered with petroglyphs once lay on the beach....
on the northern tip of Alki in West Seattle. Built on pilings, the expansive boardwalk extended over Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay
Elliott Bay is the body of water on which Seattle, Washington, is located. A line drawn from Alki Point in the south to West Point in the north serves to mark the generally accepted division between the bay and the open sound...
and was called the Greatest Amusement Park on the West Coast.
Luna Park’s main attractions were Charles I.D. Looff's hand-carved carousel, the Great Figure Eight Roller Coaster, the Giant Whirl, Shoot the Chutes, the Canals of Venice, and the Cave of Mystery. The Zeum Carousel was originally intended for an amusement park in San Francisco, but the earthquake of 1907 disrupted the city's plans and the carousel was installed in Seattle instead. With vaudeville enjoying immense popularity at the time, Luna Park also housed two theaters, the Dreamland Theater and the Trocadero, with the latter performing a new play each week.
Additionally, Luna Park hosted daily acts, including the clown Uncle Hiram, Don Carlo’s Trained Monkey and Dog Circus, and the Original Human Ostrich. The park featured a live bear pit, as well as several transitory exhibits, such as Baby Incubators. The park was also host to a variety of concessions and games of chance, such as shooting galleries and ball tosses. One of the park’s most prominent structures was its Natatorium, which housed heated saltwater and freshwater swimming pools.
On July 4, 1908, Luna Park became the site of Seattle’s first manned flight. L. Guy Mecklem launched his airship from the park, racing two automobiles a distance of ten miles to the Meadows Racetrack in Georgetown. A much-heralded event, Mecklem beat the automobiles with two minutes to spare. Mecklem housed his aircraft at Luna Park for a short time afterward, charging visitors ten cents each to view it.
Luna Park was accessible by trolley, the West Seattle ferry, or the Seattle Municipal Railway’s Luna Park Line. During evening hours the park was brilliantly illuminated, with each building and ride outlined in bulbs. Because of its extravagant lighting scheme the park could be seen for miles and was billed as a safe nighttime destination for women and children.
Other of Luna Park’s nighttime attractions weren’t as popular among the moral community of West Seattle. The park boasted the longest and best-stocked bar on Elliott Bay, a venue that angered the citizens around Alki. Feeling that drunks would overrun their community, West Seattle petitioned to be annexed into the City of Seattle in the hope that its conservative mayor, William Hickman Moore, would address this and other concerns.
Seattle annexed West Seattle in 1907, two days after Luna Park opened, but it did little good. The same year the City of Seattle also annexed Ballard
Ballard, Seattle, Washington
Ballard is a neighborhood located in the northwestern part of Seattle, Washington. To the north it is bounded by Crown Hill, ; to the east by Greenwood, Phinney Ridge and Fremont ; to the south by the Lake Washington Ship Canal; and to the west by Puget Sound’s Shilshole Bay. The neighborhood’s...
, Southeast Seattle, South Park
South Park, Seattle, Washington
South Park is a neighborhood in the city of Seattle, in the U.S. state of Washington. It is located just south of Georgetown across the Duwamish River, and just north of the city of Tukwila. Its main thoroughfares are West Marginal Way S. , S. Cloverdale Street and 14th Ave. S...
, Ravenna
Ravenna, Seattle, Washington
Ravenna is a neighborhood in northeastern Seattle, Washington named after Ravenna, Italy. Though Ravenna is considered a residential neighborhood, it also is home to several businesses such as the University Village Shopping Center...
and Columbia City
Columbia City, Seattle, Washington
Columbia City is a neighborhood in the Rainier Valley area of southeast Seattle, Washington, known either for being one of the "hottest" neighborhoods in Seattle, or for its rapid gentrification, depending on one's perspective...
. With such massive expansion, Mayor Moore had little time to focus on the concerns over Luna Park. West Seattle citizens next attempted to put a referendum on the ballot to close the park entirely. A petition was circulated but invalidated shortly after when a number of its signers asked for their signatures to be removed.
In the next mayoral election, Hiram Gill
Hiram Gill
Hiram C. Gill was an American lawyer and two-time Seattle mayor, identified with the "open city" politics that advocated toleration of prostitution, alcohol, and gambling.-Rise:...
replaced Moore as mayor. Gill, who favored an open-town policy, was not the mayor for which West Seattle was hoping. Gill’s chief of police, Charles Wappenstein, was tasked with controlling the restricted district. Instead he took payoffs from those dealing in booze, gambling and women and the district expanded. Wappenstein was also involved with the development of a 500-room brothel in Beacon Hill, a project in which Luna Park’s manager, W.W. Powers, was an investor. The Forces of Decency, an activist group consisting of prohibitionists and newly enfranchised female voters, pushed for a recall election and Hi Gill was voted out of office.
The park and its bar continued to operate for another two seasons, so its affiliation with vice had little impact on Luna Park. Numerous visitors sustained injuries at the park. One patron slipped from the top of one of the rides and snapped his neck. Another patron injured his knee playing the high striker and filed a successful suit against Luna Park. There were also disputes between the park's managing companies, however, that led to the filing of lawsuits. Charles I.D. Looff, who operated the park's amusements, sold his share of the company out of frustration and returned to his operations in California.
Luna Park set the stage for a grand reopening for its 1913 season. “New Luna Park to Equal Eastern Amusement Resorts,” read the headline in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The park was to be “new in every element of its ownership and conduct,” right down to its manager, W.H. Labb, who had built White City in Chicago. The park was to feature enlarged attractions, including “racing coasters” that would replace the Great Figure Eight roller coaster. The management was even offering stock in the park at $1,000 per share, which they promised would yield 25% dividends. However, Luna Park was closed that same year.
The rides were disassembled and removed, with the Zeum Carousel traveling to California (the carousel is now in operation at Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco, California
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
). The Natatorium continued to operate, however, changing its name to Luna Pool. In 1931 Luna Pool caught fire and the remains of Luna Park were destroyed in the blaze. The fire was suspicious, with many believing that the culprit was the same arsonist, Robert Driscoll, who had destroyed a number of other Seattle landmarks. The pier was declared a total loss and replacement estimates were too high for the city to finance rebuilding. It was condemned in 1933.
In 1946, the City of Seattle filled in the pools of the Natatorium to avoid potential lawsuits. Today the site is known as Anchor Park due to the sizeable anchor, salvaged from the waters near this location, that is on display. The park also features observational viewers that project phantom images of Luna Park over Elliott Bay, offering visitors a glimpse into the past. Today all that remains of the Greatest Amusement Park on the West Coast are the original pilings, which are visible during extremely low tide. The name also survives in such local businesses as the Luna Park Cafe.
In August 2011 a pictorial history titled "Seattle's Luna Park" will be released by Arcadia Publishing.
External links
- Luna Park - Coney Island of the West HistoryLink.org
- Luna Park Cafe