This is the best overhead postcard view I have ever seen. It not only shows you clearly how Coney was laid out, but it also shows you the passengers leaving the Island Queen and where they entered the park.
The majority of these views were taken in the late 1930's thru the 40's. Other overhead shots will be seen on the next few pages.
Coney as it looked around 1900
as seen from Ft. Thomas, Ky.
These cards show the people entering the park thru the entrance gate. The river must have been pretty high in the second card because it sure looks like the boat is closer to the gate than would be normal. The Pavilion was next to the gate and was the area where people would wait for the steamboat to arrive for the trip back to Cincinnati.
EARLY FLOODS
1913 Flood - River gate entrance
Coney Island experienced floods in 1890, 1891, 1893, 1897, 1898, 1899, 1901, 1907, 1912, 1913. The non-postcard image above shows the 1913 flood as it almost reaches the top of the Steamboat entrance gate.
After passing thru the gate the pleasure seekers entered the park along this columned walkway, called the Promenade. This would take them to the midway where most of the popular features of the park was located in the early part of the last century.
CONEY 1886 - 1940
Not a postcard
Midway-Promenade on left
*
Same view as
above
The
Midway
In the 3rd card above you can see the Sweet Cider stand that dated back to when it was called Parker's Grove and still had an apple orchard. Across the midway, on the right, was the Merry-go-round.
The next row of non-postcard images show some of Coney Island's attractions that are not shown on postcards (that I know of). In the first image you see the Choir Celestial, where "eight handsome choir boys clothed in vestry garments" sang hymns. Next to it was the Flea Circus with 300 performing fleas. It is pretty obvious which attraction the crowd preferred to see. The 2nd image was The Unique where "New Moving Pictures" were guaranteed to "Make you Laugh." Next to The Unique was the Japanese Rolling Balls attraction (no idea) and, next to that was Hale's Tours of the World where a motion picture trip over the Alps was featured.
Choir & Flea
Circus
The
Unique
Japanese Rolling Balls
Tours of the World
To the left of the fun factory is a partial view of the first Ferris wheel type ride, called the Flying American. Built in 1888 it predated George Ferris' Chicago Ferris wheel by 5 years. It was 24' high, made of wood and held together by iron. You can even see a portion of a roller coaster on the right side of the card. Below is a photograph of a Coney Island work crew and seen behind them is the Flying American.
Not a postcard
Flying American
Coney Island Theatre with live vaudeville acts.
These four cards show the extensive picnic area with many
tables and shade trees.
The building seen in the 1st & 3rd cards above was an Ice Cream Parlor.
Picnic Shelters
Harvest Home Display 1888
Harvest Home Ad.
The 1st card above shows the picnic shelters on the shore of Lake Como. The first Harvest Home Celebration was held in 1888. Put on by Anderson Township, it became a annual tradition. The last is an ad for the first Harvest Home to be held at Coney.
The early beginnings of the Roller
Coasters of today.
On July 19, 1912 Colonel Paul Peck landed on the racetrack, which they used as a runway, at Coney Island on one of the first flights to carry U.S. Airmail. Peck carried a sack of mail filled with postcards sold at Coney Island and stamped "U.S. Official Aerial Mail". The bag was dropped on a ball field in nearby California and was picked up by Frank Beatty, the assistant to the Cincinnati Post Office Superintendent, and California's RFD mail carrier, Arthur Ryall. It was Cincinnati's first official airmail. The next 3 are reprints and they are all part of a set of Kraemer Postcards, the 3 reprints may not have been taken at Coney. The new Dip the Dips side-friction roller coaster, built in 1911, is seen on the right side of the first card, and in the card below. This coaster was 50' high and was much larger than any previous coaster at the park. It became Coney's most popular ride.
The photograph above taken in the 1930's shows the entrance to the Greyhound. Originally built in the 20's, at a cost of $40,000, it was originally called the Skyrocket and was located just east of The Dips. This coaster was the first to utilize the new under-the-track wheel system allowing the coaster to use steeper grades and tighter turns. It was redesigned after a few years and named the Greyhound. In the late 30's it was demolished to make room for the Show Boat, a funhouse, a type of attraction that became popular during the depression.
These are not postcards
The
Wildcat
The Twister
After 15 seasons it was decided that Coney needed new coasters and the two seen above were constructed in 1927. The Twister was the only coaster to be fully enclosed the entire trip, in other words, you could not see where you were going. This turned out to be not very popular and after a few seasons it was torn down. The Wildcat was a full size figure-eight style coaster and was anchored at the east end of the Mall.
In 1937 a new coaster was being constructed when the greatest flood to ever hit the area in recorded history struck. The Clipper was a much longer version of the Wildcat (figure-eight.) One of its new concepts was the use of drops that started in curves. Called aeroplane turns they were not only disorienting to the rider, but they were also very costly to maintain because of the high stress factors involved. Complete rebuilding of sections of the coaster were needed every few years. The Wildcat remained the most popular coaster at Coney.
*
Club House &
Pergola
The Whirl Pool opened in 1908
Real
Photo
In the first 12 day's 14,643 people went thru the Whirl Pool attraction which contained mysterious caves with scenes on a par with viewing going over Niagara Falls.
With the creation of 4' deep Lake Como in 1893 out of a wheat field, Coney Island was provided with a watery border along one side of the park while the Ohio River did the same thing on the other side thus giving the park the feel of an island. Boat rentals were the first attraction on the lake, but it wasn't until the immensely popular "Shoot the Chutes" opened that the park's focus shifted away from the picnic grounds. The buildings in the 2nd card are the park office and rest rooms.
People waiting for
the
Excursion steam
boat.
Excursion boat &
watching
The Shoot the Chutes
ride.
Excursion steam boat and the Shoot the Chute Ride.
More excursion and Shoot the Chute cards.
Yep! you guessed
it.
General
view from the lake.
2 cards of the
High Flyer or Giant Swing over the lake
High Flyer in
action.
The circle swing, mounted on a small island, in Lake Como was 100' high and the riders were carried in baskets similar to those attached to balloons. They were spun up as high as the tops of the trees.
Three cards of the boat landing on Lake Como where you could rent a rowboat.
Bird's-eye-view
1929
Not
postcards
Midway in 1929
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