Why America’s Biggest Amusement Park Was Demolished
Ludlow, Kentucky, is situated just west of Cincinnati, and in the early 1800s the Green Line streetcar company was the area’s main form of public transportation. In 1894, in an effort to bolster tourism and give locals a recreational destination, the town dammed Pleasant Run Creek at the end of the Ludlow streetcar line, creating an 85-acre lagoon that included five small islands. Developer JJ Weaver was put in charge of evolving the space.
Cincinnati architect John Boll designed a grand chateau-like entrance to greet Lagoon visitors. Beyond the entrance was a grass parkway leading to the lake and the centerpiece of the park’s activity, the clubhouse. Boasting a restaurant, billiard room and wrap-around veranda offering breathtaking views of the lake, the Victorian-inspired building became a gathering place for visitors and area elites after the Lagoon opened in 1895.
The Green Line appointed a trolley dubbed “The Dingy” to make trips to and from the Lagoon throughout the day, always packed with folks looking to relax on the beach, enjoy live jazz at the dance pavilion, try their hand at midway games or take a dip in the lake’s clear waters. Soon a 100-foot Ferris wheel was added, followed by a suspended swing ride, an exhibition of Thomas Edison inventions and the original Chute-the-Chutes.
Chute-the-Chutes was the invention of designer Paul Boyton and an early version of what we now refer to as a log ride. Passengers boarded a boat situated atop a ramp, and careened toward the lake, where they would splash down and rocket across the water’s surface. Traveling at speeds up to 40 mph, Chute-the-Chutes was as thrilling as it was dangerous, and after frequent rider injuries the attraction was removed.
Designer LaMarcus Thompson brought his Scenic Railway roller-coaster design from New York’s Coney Island to Ludlow, creating a dramatic rise and fall route over the lake that would circle back on itself inside a turnaround building. An aerial roadway offered the chance to drive a Buick automobile through the treetops around the park and was notable as an early chance for women to get behind the wheel at a time when that was rare.
Weaver continued to add attractions including a miniature railroad, hot air balloon rides and an outdoor amphitheater. In 1898 when the Spanish-American War broke out, the park welcomed a Cuban refugee family to move to one of its islands where a “traditional Cuban farm” was built for them, all in an effort to exhibit what Caribbean life was like.
Lights illuminated the park at night at a time when electricity was still scarce. In 1913, a circular motordrome track was added. A few months after opening, celebrated cycler Odin Johnson blew a tire during a race, which sent him and his bike into a wire mesh barrier between the track and spectators, hitting a lamp post that sent burning oil into the stands, initiating a massive blaze that left many dead and injured. Soon thereafter, a flood damaged several buildings, and in 1915 a tornado leveled many park structures.
Crippled by these tragedies, the Ludlow Lagoon closed and was razed in 1917. The space continued to be a hub of activity for fishing, boating, winter ice skating and recreation for decades after.
Cowboy Christmas
November/December 2024
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