Book dossier

Carouseling New York

by Linda Bartash-Dawley

Hundreds of carousels once twirled colorful menageries to bright music in New York State. Some of them were well known, others are part legend and part mystery. This book recalls both the popular and lesser known machines, including the bounding horses of Ontario Lake Park in Oswego; McGregor Park in Glens Falls; and Jollyland Park in Amsterdam. The first crude carousels at Vauxhall Gardens and Jones Woods in New York City signaled a change of lifestyle, as amusement parks and resorts opened and flourished. Carousels weren’t without controversy—from the band organ rendition of ‘Arrah Wana’ at the Valley in Syracuse to the Sunday operation of a carousel on Niagara Street in Buffalo, residents debated the ‘questionable morals’ of the carousel. But, the wooden steeds galloped on. Carousel companies popped up in towns like Hornell, Lockport, and North Tonawanda, as well as in the bustling borough of Brooklyn. Then war arrived and young men traded in the merry-go-round business for a khaki uniform and a gun. Slowly, carousels disappeared from history—fires, floods, and auctions ended their twirling dance. Today, after about 175 years, the magic, color, and tradition of the carousel continues, as recounted in this new book.