Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel #6
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Built in 1905 for Denver’s Elitch Gardens amusement park, Philadelphia Toboggan Company Carousel #6 has operated at the Kit Carson County Fairgrounds in Burlington since 1928. It is the oldest working carousel in Colorado, and its 1909 Wurlitzer organ is one of only three of its kind still in operation. The carousel is the only antique carousel in the country with original paint on both its animals and the paintings on its central core, making it valuable for illustrating the appearance of early American carousels as they were originally produced.
The First Elitch Gardens Carousel
In the early 1900s, Elitch Gardens had a portable, steam-driven merry-go-round. After owner Mary Elitch saw a better carousel at the nearby Manhattan Beach amusement park, however, she decided to get one like it for her park. The carousel she ordered from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company arrived in 1905 and operated at Elitch Gardens every summer through 1927.
The Philadelphia Toboggan Company was one of the leading carousel producers of the early twentieth century. The carousel the company made for Elitch Gardens was officially designated Carousel #6, the sixth of eighty-nine carousels the company built between 1904 and 1934.
The carousel has forty-six hand-carved animals, supposedly based on the animals that were in the Elitch Gardens zoo. The animals were also hand-painted with gold-leaf decorations. Arranged in three rows, they move counterclockwise around a platform forty-five feet in diameter. The carousel is stationary, meaning the animals do not move up and down. (Stationary carousels fell out of style as jumpers became more popular, and the Philadelphia Toboggan Company stopped making stationary ones just a few years later.) In addition to the animals, the carousel features four chariots. The two red chariots have detailed carvings, while the two blue chariots are painted to look carved. Each chariot has two seats and can carry six passengers.
At the center of the carousel, the core holding the drive machinery is decorated with forty-five oil paintings arranged in three tiers. The artists are unknown. Ranging in size from 2.5 feet by 3.5 feet to 3.5 feet by 7 feet, the paintings display a variety of skill levels and styles, ranging from Postimpressionist to Realist. They include American genre paintings as well as European romantic scenes.
The Carousel at the Kit Carson County Fair
In 1927 Elitch Gardens ordered a grand new carousel from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. The $20,000 carousel, designated PTC #51, arrived in time for the 1928 season and still operates at the new Elitch Gardens location in downtown Denver.
With the new carousel in place, Elitch Gardens sold its original carousel and organ to Kit Carson County for $1,250. The carousel was installed at the county fairgrounds in a dodecagonal (twelve-sided) building that could open completely with all twelve walls lifted. Many county residents, however, disapproved of the purchase, which they considered extravagant. As a result, two of the three county commissioners responsible for buying the carousel chose not to run for reelection in 1928.
The $1,250 carousel price did not include the carousel’s original band organ. Instead, the sale price included a 1909 Wurlitzer Monster Military Band Organ that Elitch Gardens had originally purchased in 1912 for $3,250. It was probably used at a roller-skating pavilion before being sold to Kit Carson County with the carousel. The massive organ, which measures nearly seven feet by nine feet by four feet deep, can produce music that sounds like a twelve- or fifteen-piece band. It is one of only three Wurlitzer Monster organs in existence and is the most complete.
The county fair was suspended in 1930 during the Great Depression. The fairgrounds and the carousel were neglected, with the carousel building used to store cornstalks and hay. The building became infested with mice, snakes, and pigeons. When the county fair finally resumed in 1938, the cornstalks and hay were removed. The carousel was in such bad condition that some people thought it should be burned; instead, though, it was cleaned, revarnished, and put back into operation. Mice had chewed through essential parts of the organ, however, so for decades phonographs and tape players had to be used for music.
Restorations
The original Elitch Gardens carousel received a full restoration for the US Bicentennial in 1976. The newly organized Kit Carson County Carousel Association hired Art Reblitz of Colorado Springs to restore the Wurlitzer organ, which was completed by the 1976 fair. John Pogzeba and Will Morton VII restored the oil paintings around the carousel’s core, which were finished in 1977. Two years later, Morton began to restore the paint on the carousel’s animals. The process, which took a year and a half, uncovered much original paint and gold leaf that had been used to decorate the animals.
The carousel and building were restored again in the 1990s with grants from the State Historical Fund. In June 2007 a museum about the carousel opened at the fairgrounds in a 1920s exhibit building renovated with funding from the State Historical Fund, the Gates Family Foundation, the Boettcher Foundation, the Cooper Clark Foundation, and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. The museum includes exhibits about the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the carousel’s motor, and the Wurlitzer organ.
The original Elitch Gardens carousel operates daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Considered one of the finest remaining original American carousels, it has attracted attention from the Smithsonian Institution and the National Carousel Association.
10th Grade
The Kit Carson County Carousel in Burlington is the oldest working carousel in Colorado. The carousel was purchased in 1905 for Denver’s Elitch Gardens. In 1928 it was relocated to the Kit Carson County Fairgrounds. The carousel is the only antique carousel in the country with original paint on both its animals and the paintings on its central core. It is valuable for showing how early American carousels looked and were produced.
The First Elitch Gardens Carousel
In the early 1900s, Elitch Gardens had a small, steam-driven merry-go-round. Owner Mary Elitch saw a carousel when visiting a Manhattan Beach amusement park. She decided to purchase one for her park. She ordered one from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. It arrived in 1905 and operated at Elitch Gardens every summer through 1927.
The Philadelphia Toboggan Company was the leading carousel producer in the early 1900s. The carousel for Elitch Gardens was officially designated “Carousel #6.” It was the sixth of eighty-nine carousels the company built between 1904 and 1934.
The carousel has forty-six hand-carved animals, representing the animals in the Elitch Gardens Zoo. The animals are hand-painted with gold-leaf decorations. Arranged in three rows, they move counterclockwise around a forty-five foot platform. The carousel is stationary, meaning the animals do not move up and down. In addition to the animals, the carousel features four chariots. The two red chariots have detailed carvings, while the two blue chariots are painted to look carved. Each chariot has two seats and can carry six passengers.
At the center of the carousel is the core holding the drive machinery and engine. The outside of the core is decorated with forty-five oil paintings arranged in three levels. The paintings display a variety of skill levels and styles. They include paintings that show scenes of everyday American life, called American Genre paintings. The collection also includes some European romantic scenes. All the artists are unknown.
The Carousel at the Kit Carson County Fair
In 1927 Elitch Gardens ordered a grand new carousel from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. The new carousel was a “jumper,” meaning the animals moved up and down. The Philadelphia Toboggan Company had stopped making stationary carousels as “jumpers” became more popular. The $20,000 carousel arrived in 1928 and still operates at Elitch Gardens in downtown Denver.
Elitch Gardens sold its original carousel and organ to Kit Carson County for $1,250. The carousel was installed at the county fairgrounds. It was placed in a dodecagonal (twelve-sided) building. All twelve walls could be lifted so the carousel could be open to the outside.
The $1,250 carousel price did not include the carousel’s original organ. Instead, it came with a 1909 Wurlitzer Monster Military Band Organ. It had been used at the roller-skating pavilion. The massive organ can produce music that sounds like a twelve- or fifteen-piece band. It is one of only three Wurlitzer Monster organs still in existence.
The purchase of the carousel by Kit Carson County was controversial. Many county residents disapproved of the purchase, which they considered extravagant. It was so unpopular that two of the three county commissioners responsible for buying the carousel chose not to run for reelection in 1928.
The County Fair was suspended from 1930 to 1938 during the Great Depression. The fairgrounds and the carousel were neglected. The carousel building was used to store cornstalks and hay. The building became infested with mice, snakes, and pigeons.
When the County Fair finally resumed in 1938, the cornstalks and hay were removed. The carousel was in such bad condition that some people thought it should be burned. Instead, it was cleaned, revarnished and put back into operation. Mice had chewed through essential parts of the organ. For decades, phonographs and tape players had to be used for music. The organ would not be used again until 1976.
Restorations
The carousel received a full restoration for the US Bicentennial in 1976. The newly organized Kit Carson County Carousel Association hired Art Reblitz of Colorado Springs to restore the Wurlitzer organ. The restoration was completed by the 1976 fair. In 1977 John Pogzeba and Will Morton restored the oil paintings around the carousel’s core.
Two years later, the carousel’s animals were restored. The process took a year and a half. Much of the original paint and gold leaf that had been used to decorate the animals was uncovered. The carousel and building were restored again in the 1990s with grants from the State Historical Fund.
In June 2007, a Carousel Museum opened at the fairgrounds. It was in a 1920s building. Funding for the museum came from the State Historical Fund, the Gates Family Foundation, the Boettcher Foundation, the Cooper Clark Foundation, and the Colorado Department of Local Affairs. The museum includes exhibits about the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the carousel’s motor, and the Wurlitzer organ.
The Kit Carson Carousel operates daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It is considered one of the finest remaining original American carousels. It has attracted attention from the Smithsonian Institution and the National Carousel Association.
8th Grade
The Kit Carson County Carousel in Burlington is the oldest working carousel in Colorado. In 1905 the carousel was bought for Elitch Gardens. In 1928 it was moved to the Kit Carson County Fairgrounds. Its carved wooden animals and oil paintings make it a beautiful work of art. It is the only carousel in the country with original paint on its animals and paintings. It is valuable for showing how early American carousels looked and were produced.
The First Elitch Gardens Carousel
In the early 1900s, Elitch Gardens had a small, steam-driven merry-go-round. Mary Elitch, the owner, decided to buy a larger carousel for her park. She ordered one from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. It arrived in 1905. It operated at Elitch Gardens every summer through 1927.
The Philadelphia Toboggan Company made most of the carousels in the early 1900s. The carousel for Elitch Gardens was called “Carousel #6.” It was the sixth of eighty-nine carousels the company built.
The carousel has forty-six hand-carved animals. They showed the animals that were in the Elitch Gardens Zoo. The animals are hand-painted with gold-leaf decorations. They move counterclockwise around a forty-five-foot platform. The carousel is stationary, meaning the animals do not move up and down. In addition to the animals, the carousel has four chariots. The two red chariots have detailed carvings. The two blue chariots are painted to look carved. Each chariot has two seats and can carry six passengers.
The center of the carousel is called the core. It holds the drive machinery and engine. The outside of the core is decorated with forty-five oil paintings arranged in three levels. The paintings show scenes of everyday American life, called American Genre paintings. The collection also includes some European romantic scenes. All the artists are unknown.
The Carousel at the Kit Carson County Fair
In 1927 Elitch Gardens ordered a grand new carousel from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. This carousel was a “jumper,” meaning that the animals moved up and down. Jumpers had become more popular than stationary carousels. The $20,000 carousel arrived in 1928. It still operates at Elitch Gardens in downtown Denver.
Elitch Gardens sold its original carousel and an organ to Kit Carson County for $1,250. The carousel was placed at the county fairgrounds. A dodecagonal (twelve-sided) building housed the carousel. All twelve walls could be lifted so the carousel could be open to the outside.
The carousel price did not include the original organ. Instead, it came with a 1909 Wurlitzer Monster Military Band Organ. It had been used in the roller-skating pavilion. The massive organ can produce music that sounds like a fifteen-piece band. It is one of only three Wurlitzer Monster organs still in existence.
The purchase of the carousel by Kit Carson County was controversial. Many county residents disapproved of the purchase. It was considered extravagant. It was so unpopular that two of the three county commissioners responsible for buying the carousel did not run for reelection in 1928.
The County Fair was suspended in 1930 during the Great Depression. The fairgrounds and the carousel were neglected. The carousel building was used to store cornstalks and hay. The building became infested with mice, snakes, and pigeons.
When the County Fair finally resumed in 1938, the cornstalks and hay were removed. The carousel was bad condition. Some people thought it should be burned. Instead, it was cleaned, revarnished and put back into operation. Mice had chewed through essential parts of the organ. The organ would not be used again for decades.
Restorations
The carousel and organ were restored for the US Bicentennial in 1976. The restoration was completed by the 1976 county fair. In 1977 the oil paintings around the carousel’s core were restored.
Two years later, work began to fix the animals. The process took over a year. The original paint and gold leaf that had been used to decorate the animals was uncovered. The carousel and building were restored again in the 1990s.
In June 2007, a Carousel Museum opened at the fairgrounds. It was in a 1920s building. The museum includes exhibits about the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the carousel’s motor and the Wurlitzer organ.
The Kit Carson County Carousel operates daily from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It is considered one of the finest remaining original American carousels. It has attracted attention from the Smithsonian Institution and the National Carousel Association.
4th Grade
The Kit Carson County Carousel is the oldest carousel in Colorado. In 1905, the carousel was bought for Elitch Gardens. In 1928 it was moved to the Kit Carson County Fairgrounds. It shows people how carousels used to look. Its carved wooden animals and oil paintings make it a beautiful work of art.
The First Elitch Gardens Carousel
In 1900 Elitch Gardens had a small merry-go-round. Mary Elitch was the owner. She wanted a large carousel for her park. She ordered one from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. It arrived in 1905. It ran at Elitch Gardens every summer until 1927.
The Philadelphia Toboggan Company made carousels in the early 1900s. The Elitch Gardens carousel was called “Carousel #6.” It was the sixth of eighty-nine carousels they built.
The carousel has forty-six animals. They were the same animals that were in Elitch Gardens’ Zoo. The animals are carved from wood and are large enough to ride. They are hand-painted and have gold-leaf details. The animals are set on a forty-five-foot round, moving platform. The carousel moves counterclockwise. It is a stationary carousel. This means the animals do not move up and down. The carousel has four chariots. Each chariot has two seats and can carry six passengers.
The center of the carousel is called the core. It holds the motor that moves the platform. The outside of the core is decorated with forty-five oil paintings. The paintings show scenes of American and European life. All the artists are unknown.
The Carousel at the Kit Carson County Fair
In 1928 Elitch Gardens bought a new carousel from the Philadelphia Toboggan Company. This carousel was a “jumper.” The animals moved up and down. Jumpers had become more popular than stationary carousels. It still operates at Elitch Gardens in Denver.
Elitch Gardens sold its original carousel and an organ to Kit Carson County. The county paid $1,200. It was placed at the county fairgrounds. A dodecagonal (twelve-sided) building was built for the carousel. All twelve walls could be lifted so the carousel could be open to the outside.
The carousel did not include the original organ. Instead, it came with a 1909 Wurlitzer Monster Military Band Organ. It had been used in the roller-skating pavilion. The organ can produce music that sounds like a fifteen-piece band. This is a very special organ. Only three of these organs still exist.
Many people in Kit Carson County in 1927 did not want the carousel. They thought it was a waste of money. It was so unpopular that some of the officials who bought the carousel did not run for reelection in 1928.
Kit Carson County did not have a County Fair from 1930–37. This was because of the Great Depression. No one took care of the fairgrounds or the carousel. The carousel building was used to store cornstalks and hay. The building was filled with mice, snakes, and pigeons.
The county fair began again in 1938. The cornstalks and hay were removed. The carousel was in bad shape. Some people thought it should be burned. But other people thought it should be fixed. So, it was cleaned and started up again. The organ was badly damaged. Mice had chewed through parts of the organ. The organ would not be used again until 1976.
Restorations
Kit Carson County has cared for the carousel over many decades. It has become a valued item in the county. The carousel and organ were fixed up again for the US Bicentennial in 1976. The carousel was up and running for the 1976 County Fair. In 1977 the oil paintings around the carousel’s core were restored.
Two years later, work began to fix the carousel’s animals. The process took a over a year. They were able to uncover the original paint and gold leaf that decorated the animals. The carousel and building were restored again in the 1990s.
In June 2007, a Carousel Museum opened at the fairgrounds. It was in a 1920s building. The museum has exhibits about the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, the carousel’s motor, and the organ.
The Kit Carson Carousel runs every day from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It is one of the finest original American carousels. It has attracted attention from the Smithsonian Institution and the National Carousel Association.
