The Broad Ripple Gazette
Map page 16
Vol. 14 No. 18
Including the Cultural Districts and Midtown: Meridian-Kessler, Butler-Tarkington, and Meridian St.
Crossword page 13
Sep 1 - Sep 14, 2017
Broad Ripple Park Carousel turns 100 - Children’s Museum treasure
It was way back in 1917 when the Carousel, now at the Children’s Museum, 30th and Meridian Street, was installed at the White City Amusement Park (named after the gleaming white buildings in an area of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair: Columbian Exhibition called The White City). The amusement park was built on the present-day site of Broad Ripple Park on the bend of the White River to give Indianapolis residents a reason to ride the street car all the way north to the Town of Broad Ripple. The carousel was built by the Dentzel Carousel Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, consisting of 42 carved animals (17 Jumpers, 14 Standing, 11 Menagerie, 2 Chariots). The ride remained in the park through the early 1950’s, but fell into disrepair, destroying the rotating mechanism and musical organ. Around 1956 the Indianapolis Parks Department moved the pieces to storage. Over the next years horses sometimes appeared at special
events, such as on the Circle. The Children’s Museum acquired the animals in 1965 from the parks department. The museum director at the time was Mildred Compton, who had recently attended a carousel convention and decided to restore the Broad Ripple carousel for the museum. All but one of the original animals were recovered. Over the next 10 years a period rotating mechanism and organ were located and all of the animals were restored. The ride was installed in the soon to open 30th and Meridian museum building in 1975 (previously the museum was in the Parry Mansion at 3010 N. Meridian Street). In 1987 the carousel was declared a National Historic Landmark. The old carousel has been offering rides to young and old at the museum since 1976– currently 430,000 per year!
Annual BRHS Homecoming Parade Set For Sep 15
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photo courtesy of Children’s Museum
Indianapolis’s own Jane Pauley and David Letterman ride the carousel during a Channel 13 taping.
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THE PARADE ROUTE
INDEX
The annual Broad Ripple Magnet High School homecoming parade will pass through the Village on Friday, September 15. The parade will leave the high school from the south exit at 3 P.M. Students have made floats for classes and clubs, and the marching band will perform. The parade stops briefly on Broad Ripple Avenue so that the band can play for the BRMHS faculty that gathers there to watch. The Rockets will play the Guerin Catholic Golden Eagles in the homecoming football game at 7 P.M. The BRHS Alumni Association welcomes all alumni to come to the parade and the game to celebrate BRHS. (www.brhsalumni.org)
photo courtesy of Children’s Museum
The carousel at Broad Ripple Park under the wooden dome.
1 BR Carousel 100th
4 Random Rippling 20 Tap
7 Local Contacts
10 Round the Ripple
12 Hidden History / Sudoku
1 BRHS Homecoming map
4 Random Rippling Ossip
7 Mistakes winner
11 BRG at the eclipse
13 Crossword/Historic Ad
2 Random Rippling Kiwanis
5 Random Rippling Weaver’s
8 Buzzing Around Town
11 Frog’s Random Rippling
14 Wine Scene Jill A. Ditmire
2 Random Rippling Pink
5 BR Brewpub Quiz
9 Random Rippling McD
11 Random Rippling weeder
15 Directory / Maps
3 Random Rippling Sausage
6 Classified Ads/Public Notices
9 Random Rippling Real
12 Random Rippling Shaver
19 Right in my Own Backyard
3 Calendar
7 Random Rippling Wings
9 Poetic Thoughts
12 Where in the Village?
20 Random Rippling BRHS