The Dentzel Carousel was Originally a Rare Menagerie, Then all Horses, Last Operating at President’s Park, Carlsbad, NM
Notes From Marianne
By Marianne Stevens
(reprinted from the CN&T, March 2010)
It wasn’t always called that [the Roosevelt Carousel]. It started off life as an early Dentzel menagerie carousel. A special Dentzel menagerie machine. It had four rabbits; two of which were rare “flirting rabbits”.
The flirting rabbit in Lawton, OK. One of the rare Dentzel flirting rabbits is on display at The Heritage Museum & Gardens in Sandwich, Mass.
In addition, it had an early upright lion, a “goofy” tiger, a zebra, a giraffe, deer, bears, a flag & eagle horse as well as many other outstanding carvings.
Originally there were four rabbits: two flirting ones, one English hare and an unusual one that was sort of a mixture of both. I kept one of the “flirting” variety for many years, then finally let it go, regretfully. The owner before me had already sold off one of the rabbits before I bought the carousel; so I only got three.
This machine started out its active life at Audubon Park in New Orleans, LA, in the early part of the last century. I’m certain it was enjoyed by many children, including me. My father had an office in New Orleans, and he frequently met prospective clients in Audubon Park so they could talk in privacy. (Why, I never figured out. Who cares about selling sulpher?).
I rode and rode the carousel until my dad would say, “Don’t you want a soda?”.
And I would reply, “No, I want to keep riding.”
Marianne’s favorite horse on the carousel.
I guess that made an impression on me because I recognized the carousel instantly the next time I saw it.
I had read an article in Amusement Business that said that Audubon Parks’ insurance company was refusing to insure the carousel because of many broken legs on the animals and the poor condition of the ride. So they closed the machine down. I called immediately to see if it might be for sale. I was told that it had already been sold.
The next time I saw this carousel was when my family went to “Hemisfair” in San Antonio, TX, in 1968. I recognized it immediately, mainly because of the rabbits. When “Hemisfair” closed, it went to Sandy Lake, TX. Because I’d left my name as interested in the carousel, I was called; but the price was too high for me.
Next, the carousel went to Lawton, OK. I was called then, too. This time, I could afford it, so I flew there to see it.
I could hardly believe it was the same carousel I had seen at “Hemisfair”. Legs were broken and lying on the red dirt, one of the outside panels was off and lying on the ground – in short, it was a mess.
The carousel, all horses, where it was dubbed, The Teddy Roosevelt Carousel, at President’s Park, Carlsbad, NM.
But, it was within my price range of $21,000. Don’t forget, this was 1968.
We agreed on the sale and my lawyer decided as a precaution to check to see if there were any liens against it. It turned out that there were – $18,000 worth – so we paid off the lien, gave the “owner” $3,000 and loaded up the carousel. The seller had “neglected” to mention the liens.
I brought the carousel to Roswell and stored it in my hangar, which I rented from the city for $1 per year. I was pretty sure I had a buyer. A man I knew who owned an amusement park called President’s Park in Carlsbad, NM, Tom Denton, who had indicated an interest in buying a large carousel, since his customers, who came to ride his train, had nothing to do while they waited for their turn. We made a deal.
A ferocious lion on the Dentzel carousel while at Hemisfair in TX.
He wanted a carousel with all horses. That was fine with me as it left me with all the menagerie figures. And, he wanted it restored for $45,000. Can you imagine restoring a whole carousel, including the figures for $45,000 today? But, of course, it was just a superficial restoration – just the wooden parts, not the gears or anything like that.
CLICK PHOTO FOR THE FULL GALLERY OF THE ROOSEVELT CAROUSEL AT PRESIDENT’S PARK.
We made the deadline for the Grand Opening. It was important because the governor was coming. And everything was grand. Tom named it the “Teddy Roosevelt” Carousel.
President’s Park ran happily for about 12 years, adding bumper cars, a Sky Wheel and other rides until Tom got into a dispute with the IRS and had to raise money to stay open. He also ran a dozen Coca Cola plants. Unfortunately, he chose the carousel as the resource to raise the needed cash.
I sold it for him to a friend in Oklahoma who wanted it for a proposed project on Belle Island, where there had been an amusement park some years before. Unfortunately, the deal was unsuccessful. My friend died, and the banks came knocking on the windows and doors looking for money. His wife felt she had no other option but to break up the carousel and sell off the figures, etc. That was the end of the Teddy Roosevelt Carousel.
– By Marianne Stevens, Carousel Historian, Co-Author of “Painted Ponies.” Marianne Stevens poses on her prized Looff carousel operating at Shoreline Village in Long Beach, CA, in the 1990s. The Looff menagerie, once at Playland-at-the-Beach, was returned to San Francisco, now at the Children’s Discover center. You can read the full story on the Looff carousel in the February 2009 CN&T.
This article reprinted from the March 2010, Carousel News & Trader magazine.
FULL ISSUE ONLINE SOON
