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Iagcx:>n Amusement Park MPS Farmington, Davis Co. ~ UTAH STATE HISTORY 111111111111111111 1111 111111111 1111 11111111 111111111111111111111 3 9222 50000 9373 L: NOMINATION FORM N LAGOON CAROUSEL Lagoon Amusement Park Farmington, Davis County, Utah W o E 50 100 I 200 Feet I s Latitude: 40.984884 Longitude: -111.893907 Lagoon Amusment Park MPS Farmington, Davis County Lagoon Amusment Park MPS Farmington, Davis County Lagoon Amusment Park MPS Farmington, Davis County Lagoon Amusment Park MPS Farmington, Davis County Lagoon Amusment Park MPS Farmington, Davis County Lagoon Amusment Park MPS Farmington, Davis County Lagoon Amusment Park MPS Farmington, Davis County LAGOON FLYING SCOOTER Lagoon Amusement Park Farmington, Davis County, Utah o Latitude: 40.987045 50 100 I 200 Feet I Longitude: -111.893307 LAGOON ROLLER COASTER Lagoon Amusement Park Farmington, Davis County, Utah o Latitude: 40.984758 50 100 I 200 Feet I Longitude: -111.894221 Lagoon Amusment Park MPS Farmington, Davis County Lagoon Amusment Park MPS Farmington, Davis County Lagoon Amusment Park MPS Farmington, Davis County Lagoon Amusment Park MPS Farmington, Davis County Lagoon Amusment Park MPS Farmington, Davis County Lagoon Amusment Park MPS Farmington, Davis County NPS Form 10-900-b (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form This form is used for documenting property groups relating to one or several historic contexts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin How to Complete the Multiple Property Documentation Form (formerly 168). Complete each item by entering the requested information. For additional space, use continuation sheets (Form 10-900-a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer to complete all items X Amended Submission New Submission A. Name of Multiple Property Listing Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, Fannington, Utah, 1886 -1976 B. Associated Historic Contexts Lake Park Period, 1886 - 1895 Summer Resort and Picnic Grounds Period, 1896 -1918 Mechanical Amusement Park Period, 1919 -1945 Post-War Modernization Period, 1946 -1955 Theme Park Transition Period, 1956 - 1976 C. Form Prepared by name/title Korral Broschinsky / Preservation Documentation Resource organization _ _ _p_re_p_ar_e_d_fi_o_r_th_e_L_a_g_o_o_n_A_m_u_se_m_e_n_t_P_a_rk_ _ _ date street & number 4874 S. Taylors Park Drive August 15,2012 telephone [phone] city or town _ _ _T_a......y_Io_r_s_vi_ll_e_ , U_ta_h_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _-=s..:..:ta::..::t~e__U_t_ah_ _......z=iL:.p-=c::..::o-=d_=e_8_4_1_2_3__ e-mail [e-mail] D. Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended , I hereby certify that this documentation form meets the National Register documentation standards and sets forth requirements for the listing of related properties consistent with the National Register criteria. This submission meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR 60 and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation . ( See continuation sheet for additional co ents.) Utah Division of State Histo / Historic Preservation Office State or Federal Agency or Tribal government I hereby certify that this multiple property documentation form has been approved by the National Register as a basis for evaluating related properties for listing in the National Register. Signature of the Keeper Date of Action •.~- .' i; '\ NPS Form 10-900-b (Rev. 01/200'9) OMB No. 1024-0018 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, Farmington, Utah, 1886 -1976 Davis County, Utah Name of Multiple Property Listing State Table of Contents for Written Narrative Provide the following information on continuation sheets. Cite the letter and title before each section of the narrative. Assign page numbers according to the instructions for continuation sheets in National Register Bulletin How to Complete the Multiple Property Documentation Form (formerly 16B). Fill in page numbers for each section in the space below. Page Numbers E. Statement of Historic Contexts Introduction 3 -11 3 Lake Park Period, 1886 - 1895 3-4 Summer Resort and Picnic Grounds Period, 1896 - 1918 4-6 Mechanical Amusement Park Period, 1919 - 1945 6-8 Post-War Modernization Period, 1946 - 1955 8-9 Theme Park Transition Period Period, 1956 - 1976 9 - 11 Novelty and Nostalgia at Lagoon, 1977 to 2012 (post-historic context) F. Associated Property Types Summary 11 12 - 20 12 Amusement Park Rides and Attractions 12 -14 Support Buildings and Structures 14 -16 Landscape Features 16 -18 Museum Resources 18-20 G. Geographical Data 21 H. Summary of Identification and Evaluation Methods 21 I. Major Bibliographical References 22 - 23 Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.460 et seq.). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18 hours per response including time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, PO Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Project (1 024-0018), Washington, DC 20503. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 0112009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £. Page ~ Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah E. STATEMENT OF HISTORIC CONTEXTS Introduction The Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah, is the fifth oldest continuously operating amusement park in the United States.! It is the only extant historic amusement park in the state of Utah. Established in the era ofthe streetcar (trolley) parks, the one-hundred and twenty-six year history of Lagoon represents the park's successful transition from a summer bathing resort, to a mechanical amusement park, to a modem-day theme park. In order to adequately illustrate Lagoon's evolution, the period of historic significance extends from the park's beach resort beginning in 1886 to the park's acquisition of the open-air museum known as Pioneer Village in 1976? Lake Park Period, 1886 - 1895 Only three days after the Mormon pioneers settled the Salt Lake Valley in the summer of 1847, Brigham Young led an excursion to the Great Salt Lake to explore the salty inland sea. For the next two decades, regular groups of settlers and travelers experienced the buoyancy of swimming at various locations along the lakeshore. After the coming of the railroad in 1869, a new age in lakeside recreation was born. By the 1890s, there were at least eight operating resorts on the east shores of the Great Salt Lake accessible from three different rail spurs.3 The largest and most famous was Saltair, a bathing resort established in 1893 sixteen miles west of downtown Salt Lake City. Lagoon's first incarnation was as a beach resort called Lake Park on the edge of the Great Salt Lake ten miles west of the city of Farmington in Davis County, Utah. Lake Park was built by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad midway between Ogden and Salt Lake City. Lake Park was partially owned by Simon Bamberger, a transportation magnate and governor of Utah from 1917 to 1920. Lake Park opened on July 15, 1886. The architectural centerpiece of the resort was an open-air pavilion designed by Richard Kletting, the architect of the Utah State Capitol. The roundtrip train fare also provided admission to dancing, roller skating, target shooting, a bowling alley, and a pleasure garden. Attractions included "two large sail boats and a small steam boat ... a Flying Jennie ... a number of live, active burros with saddles and bridles, for the amusement of the children.',4 Only a few years after the opening of Lake Park, the waters of the fickle Great Salt Lake began to recede, leaving the resort beaches with a "sticky brand of blue mud" that spelled misery for bathers by the early 1890s.5 In 1896, Simon Bamberger moved Lake Park's roller skating rink, saloon, cafe, pavilion, and other attractions inland to a property at the western edge of Farmington. I Various sources provide a different ranking from fifth to twelfth, but a comparison of Lagoon at its Farmington location to other operating parks with similar histories and attractions, the fifth oldest rank appears to be the most accurate. 2 The acquisition of Pioneer Village, a museum-quality collection of buildings and artifacts, was an exceptional moment in Lagoon's history and therefore included in this Multiple Property Documentation form. Although, numerous historic resources are old enough to qualify for the NRHP, they no longer have integrity of original location. It is anticipated that the museum as a whole will be evaluated for NRHP eligibility as it approaches the fifty-year cut-off for eligibility. 3 Nancy D. and John S. McCormick, Saltair (Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press, 1985): 3. 4 Salt Lake Tribune, June 19, 1887: 6. A Flying Jennie (or Jenny) has been described as a mule-powered carousel with swinging seats (www.1890village.com). 5 Saltair: 14-15. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £ Page ~ Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah Summer Resort and Picnic Grounds Period, 1896 - 1918 The new resort featured two artificial lagoons and was christened the Lagoon Summer Resort and Picnic Grounds. The Lagoon resort opened on July 12, 1896. An early advertisement in the Salt Lake Tribune called it the "finest picnic spot in Utah" with "Excellent boating, Elegant dancing pavilion, Fine music, A shady bowery" and a "good restaurant on the premises.,,6 The 1898 Sanborn map of Lagoon shows the interurban Salt Lake & Ogden Railway line along the east side of the resort. An arbor connected the dining room near the railroad stop to the relocated concert and dancing pavilion from Lake Park. Another vine and lattice arbor connected the concert pavilion to the Bowery, a large open air lunching pavilion with a merry-go-round in the center. Other structures included the bar room, a shooting gallery, bleachers, and a series of small booths near the west lagoon. 7 The west lagoon was smaller with a more rounded "pond" shape. The larger east lagoon jutted further north and had a straight edge that paralleled the railroad line. A footbridge and walking path separated the two lagoons. By the early 1900s, Saltair and Lagoon emerged as the main competitors for the swimming and summer resort patrons who flocked to the Great Salt Lake each year. The others gradually died off, as one by one, they were plagued by fires, wind, salt water, and low patronage. The operators of Lagoon were quick to stress the differences between the new resort and its competitor who was still lakeside. At the beginning of the 1903 season, Simon Bamberger raised its train and admission fare from 25 cents to 50 cents in order to attract "only the best class of patronage" and actively promoted the Lagoon's "beautiful grounds" with its shade trees, flowers, grass, gardens, and cool temperatures in an effort to distinguish the resort from its riva1. 8 By 1910, Simon Bamberger completed the conversion of the interurban railroad, commonly known as the Bamberger, from steam to electricity with the Lagoon station remaining the most popular midway stop. A large greenhouse was built outside of the park boundary east of the railroad. Near the greenhouse, Davis County built a concrete holding jail for rowdies, for example, one patron who "got intoxicated at the Lagoon ... and was locked up in the county jail that night, but was given his freedom again the next morning on the promise of leaving the country.,,9 In the decade leading up to the electrification of the railroad, Bamberger and his managers had begun the transformation of the pleasure garden resort into a mechanical amusement park. By the time of the 1911 Sanborn map, the north half of the resort near the train station had expanded to include the skating rink, bowling alley, cafe, music hall, grandstand, and ball grounds. A new dance pavilion (twice as large with a steel-truss root) had been constructed and the pavilion from Lake Park became the main picnic pavilion. In the southeast corner of the resort, the larger lagoon had been partially cemented and an X-shaped bathhouse built for swimmers in 1903. The resort had a small zoo with bears, monkeys, and exotic birds by 1900. At the north edge of the smaller west lagoon, the management installed a collection of mechanical amusement park rides. By the early 1900s a miniature steampowered engine pulled three cars full of tots around the south end of the park. Bump-the-Bumps was an early outdoor version of a funhouse slide where patrons would climb stairs to the top for a bumpy toboggan ride back to the bottom. An outdoor "joy wheel" ride, the predecessor of the funhouse human roulette wheel, was installed just south of the merry-go-round. Newspaper accounts of Lagoon indicate the merry-go-round was extremely popular as "children ogled nickels out of 'papa' and lavishly patronized" the ride. lo A 1902 newspaper article describes an accident that involved Lagoon's early horse-powered merry-go-round: Salt Lake Tribune, July 13, 1896: 8. The round structures are labeled booths on the 1898 Sanborn map, but may have been changing cabanas. 8 Saltair: 73; Salt Lake Herald, April 21, 1903: 5; Salt Lake Herald, August 17, 1903: 5-6. 9 Davis County Clipper, August 4, 1899: 1. 10 Deseret News, May 31, 1900: 9. 6 7 NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMS No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. ~ Page § Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah Some reckless fellow had a palm leaf fan in his hand, with which he kept striking the horse to make it go faster. The animal finally rebelled and started off wildly around the circle. In a few moments the whirligig was going with such velocity that the children were unable to keep their seats and went tumbling out into the open.]) In the early 1900s, the peaceful atmosphere at the resort was considered a plus. One visitor to Lagoon in 1907 commented that "There wasn't any clang or whirr of machinery, for even the merry-go-round is run by horse power.,,12 By 1913, the horse-powered had been replaced with a "big electric merry-go-round" and is likely the 40foot diameter carousel that appears on the 1911 Sanborn map.13 This second merry-go-round at Lagoon was later described as "a motor driven machine with cables. ,,14 One anonymous author provides a vivid description of an early carousel at Lagoon: "A number of large brass rings were hanging and as you rode past, if you were lucky enough to reach out (without falling off) and grab a brass ring, you were entitled to a free ride.,,15 But it was the two new thrill rides that brought record-breaking crowds to the resort for the 1906 and 1907 seasons. 16 On the 50-foot tall Shoot-the-Chutes, eight to ten passengers would sit in flat-bottom boats, which were dragged to the top of the ride by a cable and rotated 180 degrees on a turntable for a fast descent into an elongated pond of water. Shoot-the-Chutes was installed in time for the 1906 season and is considered Lagoon's first thrill ride. 17 After only a few months of operation, the ride was damaged by high winds in October 1906. In time for the 1907 season, the ride was repaired and the "pond at the foot of the chute [was] enlarged for better handling of the boats. ,,18 That spring the resort also constructed its first roller coaster-type ride referred to as a scenic railway.19 The scenic railway was a 40foot high wooden trestle supporting a double figure-eight roller coaster, possibly designed by Frederick Ingersoll who had designed a scenic railway for the Salt Palace Resort the previous year. A Lagoon advertisement published in 1907 used the term "thrilling roller coaster" to describe the scenic railway.20 During the early 1900s, a series of managers handled day-to-day operations of the resort for Simon Bamberger. By the time Bamberger began his gubernatorial campaign, the resort was in the capable hands of A. C. Christensen. Anthon C. Christensen served as the assistant manager of Lagoon between 1908 and 1916, and the general manager between 1917 and 1927.21 In his first year as general manager, Christensen oversaw $40,000 in improvements to the resort including a thousand tons of sand shipped for an enlarged swimming area called Waikiki Beach, and the 11 Salt Lake Herald, July 19, 1902: 8. At the time of the accident, the merry-go-round was no longer under the Bowery. One of the three children injured "struck a three-foot picket fence, which surrounds the merry-go-round, with such force that five pickets were tom off." Oral tradition at Lagoon suggests a circa 1893 merry-go-round operated at the park, which likely refers to the "old-fashioned" horse-powered device. 12 Salt Lake Herald, May 31, 1907: 2. Oral tradition at Lagoon states that the current carousel was installed in 1906; however, this article suggests the horse-powered merry-go-round was still in use in 1907. 13 Salt Lake Telegram, May 29, 1913: 10. 14 Deseret News, December 8, 1963. Salt Lake City Library clippings file. The description was from Ranch S. Kimball who managed the park between 1946 and 1970. This is probably the machine believed to have been installed in 1906, but probably after 1907, and purchased for $2,000. See Lynn R. Arave, "It's About Fun: A History of the Lagoon/Amusement Theme Park." Unpublished, TMs, August 2009: 18. 15 "Story of Lagoon," Unpublished TMs, no date. Utah State Research Center. 16 [Report on the Salt Lake & Ogden Railway Co., May 9, 1907], TMs, Utah State Historical Society. The report notes 117,870 paid admissions for the 1906 season. The estimate for 1907 was 150,000. 17 Deseret News, March 19 1906: 7. Deseret News, October 22, 1906: 2. 18 Deseret News, Apri127, 1907: 12. 19 Deseret News, May 25, 1907: 12. 20 Salt Lake Tribune, July 3, 1907: 8. On May 30, 1908, the scenic railway had its first serious accident when a young man was thrown from the one of the cars and suffered a broken leg. Davis County Clipper, June 5, 1908: 1. 21 A. C. Christensen's wife, Isabella, worked as a bookkeeper for the resort in the 1930s. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 0112009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £.. Page § Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah replacement of the big electric merry-go-round with an even bigger Herschell-Spillman model. 22 In advance of Lagoon's opening for the 1918 season, the Waikiki Beach swimming pool received the lion's share of publicity, but one newspaper article quoted A C. Christensen, who perfectly described the Herschell-Spillman menagerie carousel being installed at Lagoon: The former merry-go-round has given place to a new one, which is said to be one of the finest in the West. The new amusement device is the modern type, having room for sixty passengers and nearly every bird and beast which went into the ark will be saddled and bridled ready to carry the kiddies on a happy ride. 23 At the northwest end of the park, baseball games, bicycle races, and other special exhibitions were held that drew larger crowds. In 1911, Farmington resident Milton Hess was contracted to build a track for horse racing. The horse races were well attended for two years before horse-racing was outlawed by the Utah legislature in 1913. The outline of the track and the old barn still exist. On October 11, 1914, Lagoon used the track area to sponsor an exhibition race between an automobile and an airplane that thrilled over 2,000 spectators.24 In the early 1900s, a visit to the Lagoon summer resort and picnic grounds was a firmly established tradition for a large number of Utah residents living between Ogden and Salt Lake City. The patrons came, not only in family groups, but as part of church congregations, unions, fraternal clubs, ethnic organizations, and extended family reunions. The park hosted a number of special event days, such as Decoration Day (Memorial Day), Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Old Folks' Day, where patrons above a certain age got in for free. Mechanical Amusement Park Period, 1919 - 1945 The transformation from summer resort to mechanical amusement park was a result of both physical and managerial changes at Lagoon. A C. Christensen traveled frequently to other amusement parks on the east and west coasts, and became one of the first amusement park professionals in the state?5 He was elected as a director for the National Association of Amusement Parks at the organization's annual meeting in December 1921.26 Christensen led a campaign to keep states from passing "blue laws" designed to close all types of amusements on Sundays. It was during Christensen's tenure in the 1920s that the Lagoon Resort was first referred to as the Lagoon Amusement Park. 27 For the 1919 season, Lagoon built its tallest amusement device, the Captive Aeroplanes, which was pronounced the "sensation of the season.,,28 Lagoon's ride was a successor to the simple Flying Jenny of the previous generation. Lagoon's Captive Aeroplanes consisted of an approximately 60-foot iron tower and four mock airplanes that swung from cables over the east lagoon. 29 Salt Lake Telegram, May 22, 1918: 10. Salt Lake Telegram. May 22,1918: 10. 24 Thirty-five separate exhibitions by aviator, Lincoln Beachey, and driver, Barney Oldfield, were held all over the country in 1914. 25 Davis County Clipper, October 21, 1921: 1. 26 Salt Lake Telegram, December 18, 1921: 2. 27 Both names were used interchangeably and intennittently depending on the source. 28 Salt Lake Telegram, June 25,1919: 5. 29 The designer and manufacturer ofthe Lagoon ride are unknown. The ride was partially damaged by wind in January 1920. In a letter to a local newspaper, Mr. A. B. de Villentroy, a photographer and French immigrant living in Salt Lake City, claimed to be the owner of the ride and assured the public it was being safely repaired. Salt Lake Telegram, January 10, 1920: 3. 22 23 NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMS No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet £ Page Z Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah The first name ofthe roller coaster at the Farmington resort was the Lagoon Dipper, a 60-foot high wooden roller coaster designed by John A. Miller in 1921 . A. C. Christensen was likely familiar with the work of roller coaster designer John A. Miller through his contacts at the National Association of Amusement Parks. It is also possible that John A. Miller may have spent time in Utah during his time working as an engineer for Frederick Ingersoll, who had designed both the Salt Palace railway and the Giant Racer, a 1919 twin coaster for Saltair. The Lagoon Roller Coaster was built during John A. Miller's partnership with Harry C. Baker, another well-known roller coaster engineer. The Davis County Clipper that describes the new features at Lagoon for the 1921 season: "One is called the Lagoon Dipper being similar to the one at Saltair and was built by a Colorado Company, at a cost, it is said, of something like $75,000.,,30 The $75,000 outlay was by far the largest expense for a single amusement device that the Lagoon resort had purchased to that date. Section No. Lagoon' s scenic railway was demolished to make room for the Miller-designed coaster. The Lagoon Dipper was twenty feet taller and extended 450 feet further west than the scenic railway. As soon as the upper bents were put in place, the structure was an instant landmark on the approach to Lagoon from any direction. Only seven months earlier, on August 18, 1920, Lagoon was the spot chosen for a celebration of the completion of a concrete highway running between Salt Lake City and Ogden. 3! Although the Bamberger electric railroad remained popular, an increasing number of patrons were driving to Lagoon in private vehicles and entering the resort from the west where the roller coaster could be seen to its best advantage. Most of the new coaster was built on previously undeveloped land, but the local newspaper noted that the "shoot-the-chutes has been moved farther back [to the west], the pond in front of the same changed and enlarged" the relocation of the shoots incline may have been designed to accommodate the crowds that would be lining up for the new coaster.32 Advertising copy text modulated from describing the resort as "40 Acres of Joy" to the evocative "Coney Island of the West.,,33 With the installation ofthe roller coaster, the Lagoon began to more closely resemble a traditional American amusement park. In the 1920s, Lagoon's Midway took form with the roller coaster and carousel anchoring the south end. A funhouse was built at the center point ofthe Midway in 1923. Beginning in the 1920s, the Davis County Fair was held in the area of the race track and parking lot for several years. The 1926 Sanborn map shows that a portion of the east lagoon had been sectioned off for a pool, more games along the midway, and a special pavilion for ice cream. An early version of the bumper cars, the Dodge 'Em Junior had been installed at the north end of the midway. Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, Lagoon and Saltair remained competitors. When the swimming pool at Lagoon was enlarged and filtered in 1927, Lagoon began advertising with the slogan "swim in water fit-todrink," a refreshing alternative to the singular yet unpleasant experience of swimming in the Great Salt Lake. 34 Both of the resorts weathered the depression years, but in slightly different ways. Dancing in the large open air pavilions remained a big draw. Saltair spent money on big name bands of the period, while Lagoon focused on local talent. 35 A. C. Christensen retired in 1927. His successor, Simon Bamberger's son, Julian M. Bamberger, was responsible for not only keeping the park open through the depression years, but transforming the resort into a modem amusement park by the late 1930s.36 One of the most enduring rides acquired by Julian Bamberger was the Flying Scooter manufactured by the Bisch-Rocco Company of Illinois, which was installed for the 1941 season. Lagoon advertised 30 Davis County Clipper, May 27, 1921: 4. Neither the Colorado nor the Colonial Construction Company was found in a search of the Colorado Business Directory for 1921. 31 The Weekly Reflex: Concrete Highway Edition, 14, no. 45 (August 19, 1920):10-11. 32 Davis County Clipper, May 27, 1921: 4. 33 Compare Salt Lake Tribune, May 29,1918: 8 to Ogden Standard Examiner, May 30,1922: 7. 34 [Lagoon promotion brochures, 1938 and 1940], Utah State Historical Society files . 35 Sallair: 73. 36 Simon Bamberger died in 1926. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. ~ Page § Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah its new ride as "the nearest approach to flying a plane without leaving the confines of the earth" and "the amusement thrill of the year. ,,37 A tri-fold Lagoon brochure produced for the 1941 season included a photograph of delighted riders and the words: "Ride, Dive, Slide, Slip, the New Flying Scooters. Like a Real Plane! You Control the Rudder.,,38 Lagoon's initial investment in the Flying Scooter appeared to be short-lived. When the scooter cars were removed for winter storage in the fall of 1942, they remained there for 3 Yz years. The Lagoon resort, along with nearly all of Utah's recreational venues, experienced a dark (non-operating) period between 1943 and 1945, due to a scarcity of gasoline, materials, and labor during World War II. Post-War Modernization Period, 1946 -1955 By early 1946, the Lagoon Amusement Park was filled with weeds and the rides were falling apart. Milton Hess, who had been hired as caretaker, described Lagoon as "more like a graveyard than an amusement park.,,39 The Bamberger family had lost interest in running the park and considered razing it, but agreed to lease it to entrepreneurs Ranch Kimball and the Freed brothers, Robert, David, Daniel, and Peter, who came home from the war looking for a project.40 Under the name Utah Amusement Corporation, the partners spruced up the ghost-town like park with new paint in time for a 1946 season opening. The next year the new management had built a new cafe and tavern, and the park's first fully enclosed or "dark" ride: the Ghost Train.41 The Century Flyer with its sleek stainless-steel "rocket ships" had replaced the Captive Aeroplane swings, but the miniature railway was retained for the "kiddies" although relocated to the former location of the Shoot-the-Chutes incline. One year late because of the war, the Lagoon Amusement Park celebrated its 50th anniversary of the park in 1947. During its postwar rebirth, Lagoon had geography on its side. The park was situated on a major transportation corridor on the narrowest portion of land between the Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch mountains with plenty of room to grow. As fewer patrons rode the train, Lagoon was able to expand its parking lot several times in succession. On September 6, 1952, the electric passenger railroad made its final stop at the Lagoon station. When the rail company shut down operations completely, the Salt Lake Tribune published this eulogy: "The Bamberger Railroad died yesterday, the victim ofa 'collision' with the familyautomobile.,,42 Some old timers mourned the loss of the Bamberger, but for the majority of the park's patrons, the automobile was the preferred mode of travel to Lagoon. The Lagoon management continued making improvements each year. In 1949, a Perkins filter and new dressing rooms were added to the pool area. In the early 1950s, the funhouse was remodeled and the Midway updated with new games. A ferris wheel was installed in time for the 1953 season. On the night of November 14, 1953, as an orange glow appeared on the mountains to the east, Farmington residents got in their cars and parked along the highway to watch as half of the Lagoon Amusement Park burned to the ground. The fire destroyed the west side of the midway, the dance pavilion, and the fun house. The roller coaster station and front portion of the lift hill were destroyed. The carousel was charred, but eventually saved by fireman continuously dousing it with water throughout the night. 37 Salt Lake Telegram, May 29, 1941: 8. 38 Advertisement, 1941, digital copy courtesy of the Lagoon Corporation. 39 Margaret Steed Hess, My Farmington, 1847-1976, ([Farmington, Utah]: Helen Mar Miller Camp, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, [1976]): 379. After several years of serving as the President of Lagoon, Ranch Kimball gave up his managerial interest in the park in 1970. Deseret News, January 26, 1980. 40 41 This type of ride is traditionally called a "dark ride" because in the enclosed environment, the selective use of darkness hides the mechanics of the ride. Salt Lake Tribune, January 1, 1959. The railroad continued with limited passenger service from Ogden to Hill Air Force Base in the 1950s and some freight service through December 1958. 42 NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £. Page ~ Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah Speaking about the fire, Peter Freed has stated "In retrospect, it was the best thing that ever happed to us .... it made room for the new Lagoon.'.43 With only partial insurance, the park began an ambitious program of rebuilding with a $500,000 investment for the 1954 season. The roller coaster was rebuilt with a gleaming new station in the streamline moderne-style to match the new patio ballroom and east midway buildings designed by R. Lloyd Snedaker, an architect from Salt Lake City. Lagoon' s phoenix-like opening took place on May 1, 1954, with nineteen new and improved attractions. The new rides in 1954 included the Octopus, the Tilt-a-Whirl, Rock-o-Plane, Roll-o-Plane, Spook House, Kiddie Planes, and the Lakeshore Express Train. Theme Park Transition Period, 1956 - 1976 The July 17, 1955, opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, popularized the theme park concept. One year later, Lagoon built its first themed area. Just east of the carousel, five acres were transformed into Mother Goose Land, a children's playground and ride area. The new kiddie-ride area featured the child-sized boats, the Sky Fighter ride, Bulgy the Whale, a miniature auto speedway, and a twelve-foot-high kiddie-coaster. The area was designed by a New York firm and all of the rides were built by national companies.44 Mother Goose Land also featured a playground with swings and a sandbox. The decor included the Old Woman's Shoe, a Hickory Oickory Clock, a wishing well, and other nursery rhyme elements. Child-size hot dogs and ice cream were sold out of Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater's shel1.45 The Herschell-Spillman menagerie carousel, which had been repainted with storybook characters scenery panels, was considered a de facto element of Mother Goose Land. A sturdier shelter structure was built for the carousel in 1958, the same year a new funhouse designed by Ranch Kimball was built on the Midway. A kiddie helicopter ride was added to Mother Goose Land in 1963. At the south end of the Midway, the area around the lagoons changed dramatically. In 1959, a showboat glided on the east lagoon, while the west lagoon was filled-in to provide space for an adult-size auto speedway in 1960. The swimming pool was remodeled again, and for the first time, physically severed from the lagoon area. In 1967, the train ride circling the east lagoon was changed to the Animaland Train. In 1975, it was renamed the Wild Kingdom Train and viewing access to the Lagoon zoo was provided during the train ride. Also that year, the Spook House was replaced by the Terroride. Other improvements in the 1960s included an expansion of the Midway and a miniature golf-course. Paddle-boats on the Lagoon replaced the showboat in 1971. In 1969, the park's holdings expanded from sixty acres to 150 acres. The fourteen-acre Lagoon Campground at the extreme south end of the park's property was developed in the early 1970s Between the 1950s and 1960s, the Patio Gardens at Lagoon was one of the most popular concert venues in Utah. Luminaries such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash, Frankie Avalon, and the Everly Brothers performed at Lagoon. Groups ranging from the Kingston Trio, to the Beach Boys, to the Doors, also played at Lagoon. After a particularly raunchy concert by the latter, the Lagoon management converted the dance/concert pavilion to a roller skating rink in the 1969. The rink was later transformed into an arcade game area. Around the same time, Lagoon began to provide more in-house family-friendly entertainment, including its own marching band and the construction of the 350-seat Lagoon Opera House in 1968. The park continued to expand its picnic grounds and pavilions throughout this period reaching a peak of 779 picnic tables in 1971.46 43 Arave: 28. The companies included Eyerly Aircraft and the Chance Company. The coaster was built by the Allan Herschell Company, a successor of the Herschel-Spillman Company. The 1956 Al!an Herschel! coaster was replaced by the Puff the Little Fire Dragon Coaster in 1985. 45 Deseret News, December 21, 1955: A-I0. 44 46 Arave, 38. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £ Page 10 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah The north end of the Midway was built-up in the mid-l 960s. The Space Scrambler was installed in 1961. The Lagoon management honored the Bamberger family with a bust of Simon Bamberger at the main entrance in 1963, and a fountain dedicated to Julian Bamberger in 1965. Lagoon's 1965 season opened with the first new roller coaster built in the park since 1921, the Wild Mouse, a coaster that used single-car trains on a track with very tight turns. 47 In the early 1970s, the Interstate-15 freeway system through Davis County was completed with an off-ramp that deposited visitors near Lagoon's front gate. After Ranch Kimball's retirement in 1970, the Freed family continued to manage the park and eventually purchased it in 1983 under the name of the Lagoon Corporation. Until his death in 1974, it was Robert Freed who was most intimately involved in developing the vision of the park. He made himself an amusement park professional, and in 1963 was named president of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA).48 One of the most important contributions Robert Freed made to Lagoon was to abolish race restrictions to the dance pavilion and pool that had been in place at the park since its inception. He received an award from the NAACP for his dedication to civil rights in the era before legislation. Robert E. Freed was inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame in 1990, the same year as Walt Disney. Peter Freed, took over management of the park in 1974. That year Lagoon installed the Sky Ride, a tram suspended over the Midway from one end ofthe park to another. A second "dark" ride, Dracula's Castle, was constructed on the south side of the former dance pavilion. In 1976, another coaster-type ride, the Jet Star 2 was constructed. Peter Freed's most important accomplishment was the introduction of a second theme-area, Pioneer Village, an open-air museum, which opened in 1976 in time for America's bicentennial celebration. Pioneer Village began as the life's work of Horace A. Sorensen and his wife, Ethel Melville Sorensen, who began collecting antiques and artifacts from Utah's history in the early 1920s. In 1948, the Sorensens opened a small museum on their three-acre horse property at 2998 S. Connor Street in the southeast Salt Lake City. Horace Sorensen rescued eighteen historic buildings and moved them to the site to better display the artifacts. The buildings include three from Rockport, Utah, that were moved before the town was inundated with water after the construction of a dam. In 1953, he presented the entire collection to the Sons of Utah Pioneers (SUP). The SUP sold Pioneer Village to Lagoon in 1975 after several years of running a deficit and the acknowledgment the Connor Street site was inaccessible to the general public and a nuisance to its residential neighbors. The fifteen-acre Pioneer Village marked the first time the Lagoon had expanded to the east beyond the defunct Bamberger rail line. Lagoon transported both the historic buildings and a few circa 1950s replica buildings from the Connor Street location, where they had been arranged somewhat perfunctorily around an oval. At Lagoon, the museum buildings were arranged in zones. At the north end was a Mormon village with a central green. At the south end, the transportation buildings were located with access to train, wagon, and stagecoach rides. Connecting the two ends, the commercial buildings were arranged as a frontier boom town, where a Wild West musical stunt show was performed for many years. Lagoon built several replica buildings for specific parts of the collection (for example, the carriage barn for vehicles and the armory for the gun collection). The landscape of Pioneer Village includes a few items of historic street furniture and commemorative monuments. Near the entrance to Pioneer Village, Lagoon also 47 48 Two versions of the Wild Mouse (1965 and 1975) have been replaced by a new version Salt Lake Tribune, July 18, 1974. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. ~ Page 11 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 -1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah added a few obligatory amusement park attractions: a concession stand, a shooting gallery, and the Log Flume frontier-theme thrill ride. 49 The May 31, 1976 opening of Pioneer Village at Lagoon was a long anticipated event. At the time, the Lagoon location was considered an ideal solution to the problems which had plagued Pioneer Village. The museum would have more visitors and the increased space would mean that more of the artifacts would be displayed to their best advantage. Orson Wright, chairman of the Pioneer Village committee of the SUP, assured the public that "Donors of exhibits needn't worry their antiques will become part of a commercialized park . . . it will be done tastefully with historical considerations utmost in our minds.,,50 As the second major themed section of Lagoon, Pioneer Village was similar to Disney's Frontierland, but with a much greater percentage of real historical artifacts. Novelty and Nostalgia at Lagoon, 1977 to 2012 (post-historic context) The Freed family under the name Lagoon Corporation purchased the park from the Bamberger family in 1983. 51 In Gary Kyriazi's history of American amusement parks published in 1976, Lagoon was described as "one of those older amusement parks which through constant renovation somewhat resembles a modem theme park, although it is basically traditional. ,,52 The management has consistently made ~ood on its promise to add "something new each season," including eleven new coasters between 1973 and 2011. 5 The new coasters and other modem thrill rides are mostly located at the north and south ends of the Midway. One of the largest modernization projects was the renovation of the swimming pool area as the Lagoon-A-Beach water park in 1989. In 1995, Lagoon introduced the Skycoaster, the first of its several premium thrill rides that required an extra charge. That year, the park also extended its season into October with the introduction of Frightmares, Halloween-themed nights and weekends at the park complete with scary music and costumed characters. In 1997, the park expanded to the east again with the installation of Rattlesnake Rapids, a water-ride that brought more foot-traffic through Pioneer Village. Today the Lagoon Amusement Park thrives on the novelty of modem thrill rides and other new attractions each year, but many of its patrons return for the nostalgia provided by the historic rides and midway they knew as a child. Each season the park staff performs meticulous maintenance on historic rides. For example, nearly every facet of the Lagoon Carousel has been maintained since its introduction to the park in 1918. In contrast, the John A. Miller wooden roller coaster is currently being re-built with in-kind wood bents to preserve the ride experience, while meeting current safety codes. Even many of the low-profile carnival rides, such as the Flying Scooter, which was is currently known as the Flying Aces, are remembered with fondness by older patrons and discovered for the first time by younger ones. In 1996, the Utah Heritage Foundation honored Lagoon for its commitment to historic preservation. Because of these efforts, elements from all periods of the park's history provide a rich experience for over one million visitors to the Lagoon Amusement Park each year. 49 For a more complete discussion of Pioneer Village at Lagoon, please see Korral Broschinsky, Novelty Versus Nostalgia: Historic Preservation and Museum Management ofthe Lagoon Amusement Parkfrom the Lake Park Pavilion to Pioneer Village, Master's thesis, Graduate School of Architecture, University of Utah, 1997. 50Salt Lake Tribune, June 10, 1975. 51 The park buildings and equipment are owned by the Lagoon Corporation. The Lagoon Investment Company currently owns the land. Gary Kyriazi, The Great American Amusement Parks: A Pictorial History, (Secaucus, N.J.: Citadel Press, 1976): 253. Ogden Standard-Examiner, May 28, 1965: 4. Each year Lagoon's promotional packet includes a list of attractions at the Lagoon in chronological order. 52 53 NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. L Page 12 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah F. ASSOCIATED PROPERTY TYPES Summary In 2011, the count of potential eligible historic resources at the Lagoon Amusement Park numbered fifty-seven divided between thirty traditional amusement park resources and twenty-seven resources associated with the Pioneer V illage open-air museum. The period of significance extends from the first incarnation of the park as the Lake Park resort in 1886 to the installation of Pioneer Village at Lagoon in 1976. The Multiple Property Submission process was chosen as an alternative to a historic district nomination because of constant changes to the park that have interspersed non-historic rides and attractions with the historic resources. Moreover, the Lagoon management wished to have flexibility to add or relocate attractions as needed to improve the park experience without jeopardizing the NRHP status of eligible or listed resources. The associated property types for the Lagoon Amusement Park and Pioneer Village included examples of all the resource types defined by the NRHP: buildings, structures, objects, and sites. 54 The property types have been separated into four main categories: rides and attractions, support resources, landscape features, and museum resources. The resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park present some challenges to the definitions of historic integrity, which the NRHP describes as the authenticity of a property's historic identity, evidenced by the survival of physical characteristics that existed during the property's historic period. In general, the registration requirements adhere to the seven qualities of historic integrity as defined by the NRHP: location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. However, because of the unique nature amusement park resources, particularly in the area of ride safety, the qualities of integrity may be defined differently for each property type. I. Name of Property Type: II. Description: Amusement Park Rides and Attractions This property type includes those historic resources with which the public interacts in a traditional amusement park experience. The amusement park ride is a mechanical device that moves people to create enjoyment. The amusement park attraction subtype is a generic category intended to include resources that cannot be described as a ride. Subtype: Amusement Park Rides (Structures) The amusement park ride structure subtype describes a ride experience that is partially or completely open to the elements. The category includes, but is not limited to, carousels, bumper cars, drop towers, ferris wheels, kiddie-rides, merry-go-rounds, roller coasters, swings, trams, trains, and water rides. Some structures may have a ride experience that can be described as a combination of two or more of the above. This category may include large-scale permanent structures that were designed as a permanent installation, or smaller carnival-type rides that are designed to be portable. Larger examples may have a sheltered waiting or loading area, for example, the Lagoon Roller Coaster. Smaller examples may be entirely sheltered from the elements, but not completely enclosed, for example, the Lagoon Carousel. The majority ofrides are sitting experiences using a cab, car, train, gondola, boat, tub, or ride-able figure. 54 There are no known archeological sites within the park boundaries, and therefore this document does not address any potential archeological findings. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMS No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £.. Page 13 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington , Davis County, Utah Subtype: Amusement Park Rides (Buildings) A different type of amusement park ride experience is completely enclosed within the interior of a building, although some examples may include a partially open waiting or loading area. The riders typically travel through a series of scenes or tableaus that may include music, sound effects, animation, and special effects. This ride is traditionally called a "dark ride" because the selective use of darkness hides the mechanics of the ride. Both of Lagoon's historic examples, Terroride and Dracula's Castle, are considered scary rides. Dark rides may share a building with other attractions or support functions (see below). Subtype: Amusement Park Attractions (Buildings or Structures) This subtype includes buildings and structures that are not considered rides, but provide the public with a different traditional amusement park experience. The two most common examples are midway games and a funhouse. At Lagoon, many of the historic midway venues share a building with the dark rides or support buildings. The Lagoon funhouse is currently closed, but the building is extant. Other examples include the historic entertainment venues such as the dance/concert pavilion (now an arcade) or the Lagoon Opera House (not currently in use). II. Significance: Eligible resources within the Amusement Park Rides and Attractions property type will have significance in one or more ofthe contextual periods listed in Section B and described in Section E above. The majority of resources will be significant at the local level under Criterion A for an association with the broad patterns of history at the Lagoon Amusement Park. In particular, significant resources will represent the transition of the park from summer resort, to mechanical amusement, to modem theme park. The most common area of significance will be Entertainment/Recreation, but other areas may include Commerce, Invention, Performing Arts, and Social History. It is not anticipated that resources in this category will qualify under Criterion B. A few select resources may qualify under Criterion C, in the areas of Architecture or Engineering. The significance of the resource may be judged by distinctive characteristics of a type, period, method of construction, or have artistic value. If the architect, designer, engineer, or manufacturer had a reputation outside of the local community, the resource may be significant at the state or national level. Examples of a rare type may also be eligible at the state or national level. A resource that may have been moved from its original location in the park should be evaluated individually to see if it qualifies under Criteria Consideration B. Resources that are currently less than fifty years old may be evaluated individually for exceptional significance under Criteria Consideration G, or more likely be evaluated when they approach the fifty-year cut-off for eligibility. III. Registration Requirements: The following criteria must be met in order for a resource to be considered eligible under the Amusement Park Rides and Attractions property type: 1. The resource must be located within the public access areas of the Lagoon Amusement Park. The relocation of a ride within the park boundaries would not necessarily render a resource ineligible if the setting and ride experience is not appreciably different from the original location. This is particularly true for smaller carnival-type rides that were designed to be portable. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 0112009) OMS No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £.. Page 14 I. Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah 2. The resource must have been constructed between 1886 and 1976. The structure or building must be linked to the development and history of the Lagoon Amusement Park. A few may also be associated with national trends in the amusement park industry. This association should be reflected in materials, design, type, style, or construction method. 3. The resource must retain sufficient integrity to depict the contextual historic period in which it was installed or constructed. Changes over time may be locally significant to the development phases of the park's history and may be considered when evaluating the integrity of the resource. Restrictions pertaining to integrity may be slightly more lenient in applying the registration requirements to resources from the earliest historic periods or for rare extant examples. 4. The design and feeling of the original ride experience is the most important quality of historic integrity to be maintained. In-kind replacements of materials or workmanship will not necessarily render a ride ineligible, if the authenticity of the ride experience is maintained and the changes are made primarily for safety reasons, and have a reasonably similar appearance to the historic material. 5. Maintaining the overall form and massing of the historic building will be considered the most important factor when evaluating the impact of non-historic additions. Additions to buildings should appear sensitive to and distinguishable from the original construction, and will be evaluated on an individual basis_ Historic materials must be maintained, but acceptable alterations may include the covering of historic materials with non-historic materials if the original appearance is duplicated 6. Non-historic, impermanent features that can be easily removed without damaging the original buildings, such as shelter structures, canopies, or awnings, would not render a resource ineligible. 7. In order for a structure or building to be eligible under Criterion C, the resource must be a good example of a particular type or style of amusement park ride or attraction. The resource may be a good example of the design of a nationally-known designer, or the workmanship of local builders or craftsmen. Name of Property Type: Support Buildings and Structures This property type includes those historic resources that perform support functions for the park, but are not considered a traditional amusement park ride or attraction. This property type is divided between resources that are accessed by the public and resources that are restricted to park management and staff, although some buildings along the Midway have both types of access. Subtype: Support Buildings and Structures (Public Access) Lagoon has a number of historic resources that provide support functions for the park for which there is some public interactivity. The majority are found in the mid-1950s buildings along the Midway and flanking the main entrance. These buildings may have a dual function that includes a dark ride, the arcade, or midway games (see above). The historic buildings house concession stands, the guest services counter, and other support functions. The public may access support structures in the picnic and campground areas, but no attempt has been made to identify eligible examples. The only support structure that has been evaluated for significance is the Rose Terrace, which is the extant cupola from the dance pavilion designed in 1886 by Richard Kletting for Lake Park, now serving as an intimate picnic pavilion. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMS No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £.. Page 15 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah Subtype: Support Buildings and Structures (Restricted Access) Parts of the historic Midway buildings are restricted to the public, for example, the managerial offices and the defunct funhouse currently used for storage. Another set of historic support buildings and structure is located on the north service road. This group of resources includes two historic barns, a metal silo, a circa 1920 bungalow, and a 1950s cottage. The two houses were likely caretakers' residences that were later converted to office space. The agricultural buildings are currently used for storage. Lagoon has acquired a few historic buildings that lie just outside the boundaries of the park, but these resources have not yet been identified and evaluated. II. Significance: Eligible resources within the Support Buildings and Structures property type will have significance in one or more of the contextual periods listed in Section B and described in Section E above. However, it should be noted that these resources are more likely to qualify for listing as multi-use buildings or in groups of resources. The majority of resources will be significant at the local level under Criterion A for an association with the broad patterns of history at the Lagoon Amusement Park. In particular, significant resources will represent the transition of the park from summer resort, to mechanical amusement, to modem theme park. The areas of significance will be Entertainment/Recreation, Commerce, or Transportation. More in-depth research may confirm that the agricultural buildings on the service road were used during the horse racing controversy and/or Davis County Fair, which may qualify within the Politics/Government area of significance. It not anticipated that resources in this category will qualify under Criterion B. A few select resources may qualify under Criterion C, in the areas of Architecture or Engineering. For example. the Rose Terrace as the last remaining structure from the Lake Park Resort designed by Richard Kletting, or the dance pavilion and midway buildings designed by R. Lloyd Snedaker after the 1953 fire. III. Registration Requirements: The following criteria must be met in order for a resource to be considered eligible under the Support Building and Structures property type: 1. The resource must be located within the public and/or restricted access areas of the Lagoon Amusement Park. Location and setting are important qualities of historic integrity for this type of resource. 2. The resource must have been constructed between 1886 and 1976. The structure or building must be linked to the development and history of the Lagoon Amusement Park. This association should be reflected in materials, design, type, style, or construction method. 3. The building or structure must retain sufficient integrity to depict the contextual historic period in which it was installed or constructed. Changes over time may be locally significant to the development phases of the park's history, and may be considered when evaluating the integrity of the resource. Restrictions pertaining to integrity may be slightly more lenient in applying the registration requirements to resources from the earliest historic periods or for rare extant examples. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. 4. £.. Page 16 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah Changes in usage over time may be acceptable if the building or structure continues to perform a support function related to the development of the park. Dual or multi-use buildings may qualify as more than one property type. 5. Maintaining the overall form and massing of the historic building will be considered the most important factor when evaluating the impact of non-historic additions. Additions to buildings should appear sensitive to and distinguishable from the original construction, and will be evaluated on an individual basis. Historic materials must be maintained, but acceptable alterations may include the covering of historic materials with non-historic materials if the original appearance is duplicated 6. Non-historic, impermanent features that can be easily removed without damaging the original buildings, such as canopies, or awnings, would not render a resource ineligible. 7; In order for a structure or building to be eligible under Criterion C, the resource must be a good example of a particular type or style of building. The resource may be a good example of the design of a prominent local architect, or represent the workmanship of local builders or craftsmen. 1. Name of Property Type: II. Description: Landscape Features Only a few historic resources within this property type have been identified and evaluated. However, because of the importance of landscape features to the amusement park experience, a separate property type has been created. Landscape features at Lagoon can be loosely classified by three subtypes: commemorative resources, decorative resources, and utilitarian resources. Many of the resources that have been identified may qualify in more than one subtype. For example, the Julian Bamberger fountain is a commemorative object that is also a decorative landscape feature. A few of the landscape features in Pioneer Village may also be considered historic artifacts (see Museum Resources below). It is unlikely that these resources would be individually eligible for the NRHP, but may be eligible in groups of associated resources. Subtype: Commemorative Markers and Monuments (Objects) Examples of this resource subtype include the bust of Simon Bamberger near the entrance to Lagoon and the plaque honoring Horace and Ethel Sorensen near the entrance to Pioneer Village. Subtype: Decorative Landscape Features (Objects, Structures, and Sites) A few decorative landscape features such as the Old Woman's Shoe and the Junior Speedway Service Station in Mother Goose Land have been identified and evaluated. Other resources such as the historic flowerbeds along the Midway have yet to be evaluated. The west lagoon is the oldest known structure in this category. Subtype: Utilitarian Features (Objects, Structures, and Sites) NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £.. Page 17 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah With the exception of segments of the defunct rail lines, historic utilitarian landscape features in Lagoon have yet to be identified and evaluated. Examples may include portions of the race track at the north end or historic infrastructure that is hidden from view. The picnic areas and campground may be considered as historic sites some time in the future. ITI. Significance: As noted above, the resources within this property type are not strong candidates from individual listing; however, many may be eligible within a group of resources. For example, the extant collective resources (rides and landscape features) of Mother Goose Land, or the commemorative artifacts within the layout of Pioneer Village, may qualify. Most will have significance under Criterion A for an association with the development and evolution of the park. A few of the commemorative objects may be eligible under Criterion B for a significant person or persons. It is unlikely that an individual resource from this property type would have the artistic value to qualify under Criterion C; however, the extant components of Mother Goose Land create a distinctive landscape that may qualify under Criterion C. The areas of significance for this property type may include Entertainment/Recreation, Art, Engineering, and Landscape Architecture. Criteria Consideration F may apply to commemorative resources. IV. Registration Requirements: In order for a property to be eligible the Landscape Features property type it must meet the following criteria: 1. The resource must be located within the public or restricted access areas of the Lagoon Amusement Park. Location and setting are important qualities of historic integrity for this type of resource. 2. The resource must have been constructed between 1886 and 1976. The resource must be linked to the development and history of the Lagoon Amusement Park. This association should be reflected in materials, design, type, style, or construction method. 3_ Because these resources will have few if any characteristic details, design, materials and workmanship will be important qualities of historic integrity. 4. Qualities of feeling and association will be important for commemorative resources. Criteria Consideration F may apply_ 5. Linear resources such as rail beds, the outline of the race track, or fencing need not be complete or contiguous, but must be evaluated individually for integrity and significance. There must to be enough segments remaining to provide a good idea of the resource's imprint on the landscape. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No . .E Page 18 I. Name of Property Type: II. Description: Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah Museum Resources The Pioneer Village collection of museum buildings and artifacts constitutes the highest concentration of historic resources within the Lagoon Amusement Park, but it is also the most difficult group of resources to classifY. All of the resources that are recognizable as NRHP property types (e.g. buildings, structures, objects, sites) have been identified and evaluated. 55 It is important to understand the timeline associated with these resources. Nearly half of the resources were historic buildings or other resources that were moved to the Pioneer Village at Connor Street in Salt Lake City in the early to mid-1950s. The historic buildings range from a circa 1853 log cabin to a 1905 frame post office. These relocated buildings were considered museum artifacts, but were also converted to museum buildings to house themed collections of artifacts. Several historic replicas were constructed as museum buildings for Pioneer Village at Connor Street to display artifacts for which a suitable historic building could not be located. In 1975, when Lagoon acquired Pioneer Village, the amusement park relocated a few of the circa 1950s museum buildings in addition to the historic buildings to their Farmington location. Lagoon also built several replica buildings used to display specific artifact collections, as well as generic historic buildings for concessions and other uses. The historic buildings are currently more than one-hundred years old, but have been moved twice and changed usage. One historic home was moved from Farmington to Lagoon after Pioneer Village opened. The Connor Street replicas are more than fifty years old, but have been moved as well. The Pioneer Village open-air museum also includes a number of historic objects moved from Connor Street or directly to Lagoon. Subtype: Historic Buildings This subtype describes the twenty historic buildings with an original use that predates the current museum use. This category includes eighteen buildings relocated from towns throughout Utah, and later moved to Lagoon from the Pioneer Village at Connor Street. There is also one building moved from Farmington to Lagoon's Pioneer Village. The Davis County Holding Jail, which is on its original site near the former rail entrance, is now within Pioneer Village_ Six of the buildings were residential and seven had a commercial use. There is also a church, a school, a train station, a carriage house, a smokehouse, an outhouse, a post office, and the jail. Materials include log, stone, concrete, and frame with drop-novelty or clapboard siding. The styles vary considerably by period from vernacular log cabins, to the Greek Revival stone chapel, to an Eastlake-style Victorian Cottage, etc. Subtype: Museum Display and Support Buildings This subtype includes two museum buildings moved from Connor Street, nine buildings constructed by Lagoon in 1975 to display artifact collections, and five buildings constructed by Lagoon for support services (concessions, photo gallery, restrooms, etc.). One building from Connor Street (the drugstore) and one built by Lagoon (the armory) are replicas of actual historic buildings. The rest were designed with a generic historic look to be compatible with the neighboring buildings. The majority are frame and siding false-front The results can be found in the Utah SHPO's online database of historic resources. As per SHPO procedures, the resources that are not yet fifty years old have been evaluated as out-of-period. 55 NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMS No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No . ..E Page 19 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah commercial buildings along the Pioneer Village Main Street. The frame town hall is grouped with the residences, school, and chapel. The carriage house resembles a large barn and is covered with vertical planks. The cafe, shooting gallery, and restrooms have a rustic log-veneer look. The toy museum was built in 1995 well outside of the historic period. The building houses a miniature circus, which is the theme of the exterior design rather than emulating a historic building. Subtype: Commemorative Objects Pioneer Village includes several markers and monuments of a commemorative nature. For example, a Pony Express monument, a monument to the builders of the Salt Lake Temple, and a plaque honoring Horace and Ethel Sorensen. These objects may also be considered landscape features (see below). Subtype: Landscape Features (Objects, Structures, and Sites) The landscape features of Pioneer Village can be divided into two groups: historic artifacts that have been moved from their original locations and objects or structures that were built to enhance the experience of Pioneer Village in the 1970s. The artifact group included a clock and a fountain from Salt Lake City, and a semaphore from Nephi, Utah. The latter groups include a display box, a replica fort tower, and the Log Flume ride. Engine 999, the miniature locomotive now housed in the train museum at Pioneer Village, pulled the "tot" train around Lagoon in the early 1900s. III. Significance: The historical significance of the individual resources within Pioneer Village is undeniable, even for those resources which provenance has not been well-documented. A few, such as the Governor Oem carriage house and the Coalville chapel, are one-of-kind architectural gems. Others are rare surviving examples of a once-common building type in Utah: log cabins and outbuildings, community post office, rural train station, etc. In situ, there would be no question of their individual eligibility and significance. Even moved, there is an argument to be made for significance, particularly for the buildings from Rockport, Utah, which help tell the story of the vanished community. The resources would potentially qualifY under Criteria A, B, or C. The areas of significance could include Agriculture, Architecture, Commerce, Education, Exploration/Settlement, Health/Medicine, Religion, Social History, and Transportation. NRHP Criteria Considerations A, B, E, F, or G may apply to individual resources. The strongest case for listing the Pioneer Village resources may be as a whole, i.e. as an example of an open-air museum, particularly a unique example of a relocated and re-imagined museum. Taken as a whole, Pioneer Village may qualifY as a small historic district within the Lagoon Amusement Park, although this evaluation would need to wait until the museum as a whole nears the fifty-year threshold for NRHP eligibility. As a whole, Pioneer Village would potentially qualifY under Criteria A andlor C within the areas of Entertainment/Recreation and Education. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. IV. £. Page 20 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah Registration Requirements: Because of the variety of resources within this property type, the following registration requirements are written to be as inclusive as possible for the various subtypes. In order for a property to be eligible for the NRHP within the Museum Resources property type, it must meet the following criteria. 1. The resource must have been constructed between the permanent settlement of Utah and 1976. The resource must be linked to the development of the Pioneer Village open-air museum at the Connor Street and/or the Lagoon location. 2. The resource must retain sufficient integrity of design, materials, and workmanship, to depict the era in which it was constructed. 3. The provenance of relocated resources must be documented to the fullest extent possible, and a case made for significance using Criteria Consideration B or G for relocated buildings (architectural significance, rare surviving example, etc). The new location should be suitable in terms of setting, feeling, and association_ 4. A commemorative resource should have achieved its own historical significance in terms of age, design, tradition, or symbolic value. 5. A change in usage would not necessarily render a resource ineligible. An original and or acquired museum usage on the interior should be compatible with the exterior design and association of the building. 6. Resources within this property type may also qualify within other property types. For example, support buildings and landscape features in Pioneer Village may have related functions and significance to similar resources in other parts of the park. The same is true for landscape features. The Log Flume ride and the shooting gallery attraction have an amusement park, rather than museum function. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. G & H Page 21 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 -1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah G. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA The area covered by this Multiple Property Documentation form is the property owned by the Lagoon Investment Company that includes or is contiguous with the Lagoon Amusement Park (see map)_ H. SUMMARY OF IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUATION METHODS Information on the history of the Lagoon Amusement Park and the Pioneer Village museum was compiled by both primary and secondary sources in a May 2012 Reconnaissance Level Survey. A record of the resources was entered into the Utah SHPO' s online database using the NRHP criteria for eligibility and the SHPO's current evaluation codes: ES - Eligible/Significant: built within the historic period and retains integrity; excellent example of a style or type; unaltered or only minor alterations or additions; individually eligible for National Register under Criterion "c" (architectural significance); also, buildings of known historical significance (briefly explained in the Comments section). EC - Eligible/Contributing: built within the historic period and retains integrity; good example of a style or type, but not as well-preserved or well-executed as ES buildings; more substantial alterations or additions than ES buildings, though overall integrity is retained; eligible for National Register as part of a potential historic district or primarily for historical, rather than architectural, reasons (which cannot be determined at this point). NC - Ineligible: built during the historic period, but has had major alterations or additions; no longer retains integrity. OP - Out-or-period: constructed outside the historic period. The National Register of Historic Places has no precedent for a Multiple Property Listing or Submission process similar to the various amusement park and museum resources within the Lagoon Amusement Park. In order to establish suitable property type categories, statements of significance, and registration requirements, the author studied individual and MPS nominations for specific property types (primarily carousels and roller coasters), as well as district nominations for several historic amusement parks and open-air museums. These documents can be found at the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmark online databases. Three NRHP nominations for the three oldest rides in the Lagoon Amusement Park were prepared concomitantly with the preparation of this Multiple Property Documentation form. It is anticipated that the three nominations and this form will be approved as the first Multiple Property Submission for the Lagoon Amusement Park. The nominated properties are: Lagoon Carousel, manufactured circa 1913, installed at Lagoon in 1918 Lagoon Roller Coaster, built and designed for Lagoon in 1921 Lagoon Flying Scooter (now Flying Aces), manufactured and installed at Lagoon in 1941 NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. _I Page 22 Historic Resources of the Lagoon AmusementPark, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah I. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES Arave, Lynn R. "It's About Fun: A History of the Lagoon/Amusement Theme Park." Unpublished, TMs, August 2009. Architectural Survey Data for the Lagoon Amusement Park. Report produced by the Utah State Historic Preservation Office, 2011. Broschinsky, Korral. Novelty Versus Nostalgia: Historic Preservation and Museum Management of the Lagoon Amusement Parkfrom the Lake Park Pavilion to Pioneer Village. Master's thesis, Graduate School of Architecture, University of Utah, 1997. Cartmell, Robert. The Incredible Scream Machine: A History of the Roller Coaster. Fairview Park, Ohio: Amusement Park Books, Inc.; Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1987. Davis County Clipper. Various issues. Deseret News. Various issues. Dinger, Charlotte. Art of the Carousel. Green Village, New Jersey: Carousel Art, 1983. Dun's Review. R. G. Dun & Company, 1904. Fraley, Tobin. The Carousel Animal. San Francisco, California: Chronicle Books, 1987. Carousel Animals: Artistry in Motion. San Francisco, California: Chronicle Books, 2002. Francis, David W. and Diane DeMali Francis. The Golden Age of Coasters in Vintage Postcards. Chicago, Illinois: Arcadia Publishing, 2003. Fried, Frederick. A Pictorial History of the Carousel. New York, A. S. Barnes, 1964. Herschell-Spillman Company. Catalogues 1911, 1917, and Advertisements circa 1904 to 1917. Hess, Margaret Steed. My Farmington. [Farmington, Utah]: Helen Mar Miller Camp, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, [1976] . Kasson, John F. Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century. American Century Series. New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, Hill and Wang, 1978. Knowlton, George Quincy. A History of Farmington, Utah. Kaysville, Utah: Inland Printing, 1965. Kyriazi, Gary. The Great American Amusement Parks: A Pictorial History. Secaucus, N.J.: Citadel Press, 1976. Lagoon Amusement Park and Utah biographical clippings file. Available at the Utah State History Research Center. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah Notables of the West, Being the Portraits and Biographies of Progressive Men of the West Who Have Helped in the Development and History Making of This Wonderful Country, Vol. II. New York: International News Service, 1915. Section No. ~ Page 23 McCormick, John S. "Lagoon." In Utah History Encyclopedia, ed.AlIen Kent Powell, 311-312. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1994. McCormick, John S. and Nancy D. Saltair. Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press, 1985. Ogden Standard Examiner. Various issues. Powell, Alan Kent, editor. Utah History Encyclopedia. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1995. Rutherford, Scott. The American Roller Coaster. St. Paul, Minnesota: Andover Junction Publications, 2004. Salt Lake Herald. Various issues. Salt Lake Telegram. Various issues. Salt Lake Tribune. Various issues. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. Salt Lake City, 1898, 1911, 1927, 1950 & 1969. "Story of Lagoon." Anonymous. Unpublished TMS, no date. Freed Enterprises file. Utah State History Research Center. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division. National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1991. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division. National Register Bulletin 16A: How to Complete the National Register Registration Form. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1991. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division. National Register Bulletin 16B: How to Complete the National Register Multiple Property Documentation Form. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1991. Warrum, Noble. Utah Since Statehood, Historical and Biographical, Vol. III. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1919: 332-335. NPS Form 10"900-a (Rev. 812002) (Expires 5-31-2012) OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Name of Property Davis Co., Utah County and State --------------_.. National Register of Historic Places Continuation She~t Section number ..:.M.;.:.a=p=s_____ Page Initial Nominated Structures ." m .., ~::J ... co 0 ::J ~ G) 0 0 Z » 0 5: ~- en m 5: m m en () 0 c ::J ~ c 6t ::T z ;:0 :J: ." 3: t: ;::0: -6. iD ." C Z -i ~ ::0 " _.z ~ m 0 til a 0 ~ '"8 "i en t: cr 3 gj. ci" ~ »t: cc t: 21~ ..... II.) .. b 8 -8 110 :a _--_.._------ ~~~2_on _Arl]use~en!~~rk_ MPS ___ _ Name of multiple listing (if applicable) 1 NPS Form 10-900-a (Rev. 812002) o MB No.1 024-0018 (Expires 5-31-2012) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service Name of Property Davis Co., Utah County and State National Register of Historic Places Continuation Sheet Section number Maps J\.1PS Boundaries \ ~ a a z ~ c: ~ ~ ~ Z --\ ~ 1G .7' ~ ~ :s: z ~ ~ ..Z ~ <: \J\ n CJ c: Z ~ ~ Page ---~~~-?~-~-~-~-~~~-~-~~-~-~~-~-~-~-!:~------------Name of multiple listing (if applicable) 2 L,f\aOON AMU5fMfNf PARK) fARMINCAfON) DAVI5 COUNN) Ufl\H N LAGOON AMUSEMENT PARK Farmington, Davis County, Utah w E o 250 500 1,000 I 1,500 Feet I s NRHP Multiple Property Submission, August 2012 NPS Form 10-900-b (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form This form is used for documenting property groups relating to one or several historic contexts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin How to Complete the Multiple Property Documentation Form (formerly 16B). Complete each item by entering the requested information . For additional space, use continuation sheets (Form 10-900-a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer to complete all items X New Submission Amended Submission A. Name of Multiple Property Listing Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, Farmington, Utah, 1886 - 1976 B. Associated Historic Contexts Lake Park Period, 1886 - 1895 Summer Resort and Picnic Grounds Period, 1896 - 1918 Mechanical Amusement Park Period, 1919 -1945 Post-War Modernization Period, 1946 -1955 Theme Park Transition Period, 1956 - 1976 C. Form Prepared by name/title Korral Broschinsky / Preservation Documentation Resource organization prepared for the Lagoon Amusement Park date June 29, 2012 ----------------------------- 801-913-5645 4874 S. Taylors Park Drive telephone -----------------------------------------------------------------city or town _ _ _T_ay_l_or_s_vl_'ll_e_,V_t_a_h_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _-'-st.::.c:.a...:..te-=---_V_ta_h___z..,.Jipc:........:.c-'-o..:..de-=--_8_4_12_3_ _ e-mail [e-mail] street & number D. Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, I hereby certify that this documentation form meets the National Register documentation standards and sets forth requirements for the listing of related properties consistent with the National Register criteria. This submission meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR 60 and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and Guidelines for Archeology and Historic Preservation. See continuation sheet for additional comments.) ( Signature and title of certifying official I Date State or Federal Agency or Tribal government I hereby certify that this multiple property documentation form has been approved by the National Register as a basis for evaluating related properties for listing in the National Register. Signature of the Keeper Date of Action NPS Form 10-900-b (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, Farmington, Utah, 1886 -1976 Davis County, Utah Name of Multiple Property Listing State Table of Contents for Written Narrative Provide the following information on continuation sheets. Cite the letter and title before each section of the narrative. Assign page numbers according to the instructions for continuation sheets in National Register Bulletin How to Complete the Multiple Property Documentation Form (formerly 16B). Fill in page numbers for each section in the space below. Page Numbers E. Statement of Historic Contexts Introduction 3 -11 3 Lake Park Period, 1886 - 1895 3-4 Summer Resort and Picnic Grounds Period, 1896 - 1918 4-6 Mechanical Amusement Park Period, 1919 - 1945 6-8 Post-War Modernization Period, 1946 - 1955 8-9 Theme Park Transition Period Period, 1956 - 1976 9-11 Novelty and Nostalgia at Lagoon, 1977 to 2012 (post-historic context) F. Associated Property Types Summary 11 12 - 20 12 Amusement Park Rides and Attractions 12 - 14 Support Buildings and Structures 14 -16 Landscape Features 16 -18 Museum Resources 18 -20 G. Geographical Data 21 H. Summary of Identification and Evaluation Methods 21 I. Major Bibliographical References 22 - 23 Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C.460 et seq .). Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18 hours per response including time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form . Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form to the Chief, Administrative Services Division, National Park Service, PO Box 37127, Washington, DC 20013-7127; and the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reductions Project (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. ~ Page ~ Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah E. STATEMENT OF HISTORIC CONTEXTS Introduction The Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah, is the fifth oldest continuously operating amusement park in the United States.! It is the only extant historic amusement park in the state of Utah. Established in the era of the streetcar (trolley) parks, the one-hundred and twenty-six year history of Lagoon represents the park's successful transition from a summer bathing resort, to a mechanical amusement park, to a modem-day theme park. In order to adequately illustrate Lagoon's evolution, the period of historic significance extends from the park's beach resort beginning in 1886 to the park's acquisition of the open-air museum known as Pioneer Village in 1976? Lake Park Period, 1886 - 1895 Only three days after the Mormon pioneers settled the Salt Lake Valley in the summer of 1847, Brigham Young led an excursion to the Great Salt Lake to explore the salty inland sea. For the next two decades, regular groups of settlers and travelers experienced the buoyancy of swimming at various locations along the lakeshore. After the coming of the railroad in 1869, a new age in lakeside recreation was born. By the 1890s, there were at least eight operating resorts on the east shores of the Great Salt Lake accessible from three different rail spurs. 3 The largest and most famous was Saltair, a bathing resort established in 1893 sixteen miles west of gowntown Salt Lake City. Lagoon's first incarnation was as a beach resort called Lake Park on the edge of the Great Salt Lake ten miles west of the city of Farmington in Davis County, Utah. Lake Park was built by the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad midway between Ogden and Salt Lake City. Lake Park was partially owned by Simon Bamberger, a transportation magnate and governor of Utah from 1917 to 1920. Lake Park opened on July 15, 1886. The architectural centerpiece of the resort was an open-air pavilion designed by Richard Kletting, the architect of the Utah State Capitol. The roundtrip train fare also provided admission to dancing, roller skating, target shooting, a bowling alley, and a pleasure garden. Attractions included "two large sail boats and a small steam boat ... a Flying Jennie ... a number of live, active burros with saddles and bridles, for the amusement ofthe children.,,4 Only a few years after the opening of Lake Park, the waters of the fickle Great Salt Lake began to recede, leaving the resort beaches with a "sticky brand of blue mud" that spelled misery for bathers by the early 1890s. 5 In 1896, Simon Bamberger moved Lake Park's roller skating rink, saloon, cafe, pavilion, and other attractions inland to a property at the western edge of Farmington. 1 Various sources provide a different ranking from fifth to twelfth, but a comparison of Lagoon at its Farmington location to other operating parks with similar histories and attractions, the fifth oldest rank appears to be the most accurate. 2 The acquisition of Pioneer Village, a museum-quality collection of buildings and artifacts, was an exceptional moment in Lagoon's history and therefore included in this Multiple Property Documentation form. Although, numerous historic resources are old enough to qualify for the NRHP, they no longer have integrity of original location. It is anticipated that the museum as a whole will be evaluated for NRHP eligibility as it approaches the fifty-year cut-off for eligibility. 3 Nancy D. and John S. McCormick, Saltair (Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press, 1985): 3. 4 Salt Lake Tribune, June 19, 1887: 6. A Flying Jennie (or Jenny) has been described as a mule-powered carousel with swinging seats (www.1890village.com). 5 Saltair: 14-15 . NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. ~ Page ~ Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah Summer Resort and Picnic Grounds Period, 1896 - 1918 The new resort featured two artificial lagoons and was christened the Lagoon Summer Resort and Picnic Grounds. The Lagoon resort opened on July 12, 1896. An early advertisement in the Salt Lake Tribune called it the "finest picnic spot in Utah" with "Excellent boating, Elegant dancing pavilion, Fine music, A shady bowery" and a "good restaurant on the premises.,,6 The 1898 Sanborn map of Lagoon shows the interurban Salt Lake & Ogden Railway line along the east side of the resort. An arbor connected the dining room near the railroad stop to the relocated concert and dancing pavilion from Lake Park. Another vine and lattice arbor connected the concert pavilion to the Bowery, a large open air lunching pavilion with a merry-go-round in the center. Other structures included the bar room, a shooting gallery, bleachers, and a series of small booths near the west lagoon. 7 The west lagoon was smaller with a more rounded "pond" shape. The larger east lagoon jutted further north and had a straight edge that paralleled the railroad line. A footbridge and walking path separated the two lagoons. By the early 1900s, Saltair and Lagoon emerged as the main competitors for the swimming and summer resort patrons who flocked to the Great Salt Lake each year. The others gradually died off, as one by one, they were plagued by fires, wind, salt water, and low patronage. The operators of Lagoon were quick to stress the differences between the new resort and its competitor who was still lakeside. At the beginning of the 1903 season, Simon Bamberger raised its train and admission fare from 25 cents to 50 cents in order to attract "only the best class of patronage" and actively promoted the Lagoon's "beautiful grounds" with its shade trees, flowers, grass, gardens, and cool temperatures in an effort to distinguish the resort from its rival. 8 By 1910, Simon Bamberger completed the conversion of the interurban railroad, commonly known as the Bamberger, from steam to electricity with the Lagoon station remaining the most popular midway stop. A large greenhouse was built outside of the park boundary east of the railroad. Near the greenhouse, Davis County built a concrete holding jail for rowdies, for example, one patron who "got intoxicated at the Lagoon ... and was locked up in the county jail that night, but was given his freedom again the next morning on the promise ofleaving the country.,,9 In the decade leading up to the electrification of the railroad, Bamberger and his managers had begun the transformation of the pleasure garden resort into a mechanical amusement park. By the time of the 1911 Sanborn map, the north half of the resort near the train station had expanded to include the skating rink, bowling alley, cafe, music hall, grandstand, and ball grounds. A new dance pavilion (twice as large with a steel-truss roof) had been constructed and the pavilion from Lake Park became the main picnic pavilion. In the southeast corner of the resort, the larger lagoon had been partially cemented and an X-shaped bathhouse built for swimmers in 1903. The resort had a small zoo with bears, monkeys, and exotic birds by 1900. At the north edge of the smaller west lagoon, the management installed a collection of mechanical amusement park rides. By the early 1900s a miniature steampowered engine pulled three cars full of tots around the south end of the park. Bump-the-Bumps was an early outdoor version of a funhouse slide where patrons would climb stairs to the top for a bumpy toboggan ride back to the bottom. An outdoor ''joy wheel" ride, the predecessor of the funhouse human roulette wheel, was installed just south of the merry-go-round. Newspaper accounts of Lagoon indicate the merry-go-round was extremely popular as "children ogled nickels out of 'papa' and lavishly patronized" the ride.1O A 1902 newspaper article describes an accident that involved Lagoon's early horse-powered merry-go-round: Salt Lake Tribune, July 13, 1896: 8. The round structures are labeled booths on the 1898 Sanborn map, but may have been changing cabanas. 8 Salfair: 73; Salt Lake Herald, April 21, 1903: 5; Salt Lake Herald, August 17,1903: 5-6. 9 Davis County Clipper, August 4, 1899: 1. \0 Deseret News, May 31,1900: 9. 6 7 NP~ Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-001B National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. ~ Page §. Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah Some reckless fellow had a palm leaf fan in his hand, with which he kept striking the horse to make it go faster. The animal finally rebelled and started off wildly around the circle. In a few moments the whirligig was going with such velocity that the children were unable to keep their seats and went ' out mto . tumbl mg t he open. 11 In the early 1900s, the peaceful atmosphere at the resort was considered a plus. One visitor to Lagoon in 1907 commented that "There wasn't any clang or whirr of machinery, for even the merry-go-round is run by horse power.,,12 By 1913, the horse-powered had been replaced with a "big electric merry-go-round" and is likely the 40foot diameter carousel that appears on the 1911 Sanborn map.13 This second merry-go-round at Lagoon was later described as "a motor driven machine with cables.,,14 One anonymous author provides a vivid description of an early carousel at Lagoon: "A number of large brass rings were hanging and as you rode past, if you were lucky enough to reach out (without falling off) and grab a brass ring, you were entitled to a free ride.,,15 But it was the two new thrill rides that brought record-breaking crowds to the resort for the 1906 and 1907 seasons. 16 On the 50-foot tall Shoot-the-Chutes, eight to ten passengers would sit in flat-bottom boats, which were dragged to the top of the ride by a cable and rotated 180 degrees on a turntable for a fast descent into an elongated pond of water. Shoot-the-Chutes was installed in time for the 1906 season and is considered Lagoon's first thrill ride.17 After only a few months of operation, the ride was damaged by high winds in October 1906. In time for the 1907 season, the ride was repaired and the "pond at the foot of the chute [was] enlarged for better handling of the boats.,,18 That spring the resort also constructed its first roller coaster-type ride referred to as a scenic railway.19 The scenic railway was a 40foot high wooden trestle supporting a double figure-eight roller coaster, possibly designed by Frederick Ingersoll who had designed a scenic railway for the Salt Palace Resort the previous year. A Lagoon advertisement published in 1907 used the term "thrilling roller coaster" to describe the scenic railway?O During the early 1900s, a series of managers handled day-to-day operations of the resort for Simon Bamberger. By the time Bamberger began his gubernatorial campaign, the resort was in the capable hands of A. C. Christensen. Anthon C. Christensen served as the assistant manager of Lagoon between 1908 and 1916, and the general manager between 1917 and 1927.21 In his first year as general manager, Christensen oversaw $40,000 in improvements to the resort including a thousand tons of sand shipped for an enlarged swimming area called Waikiki Beach, and the 11 Salt Lake Herald, July 19, 1902: 8. At the time of the accident, the merry-go-round was no longer under the Bowery. One of the three children injured "struck a three-foot picket fence, which surrounds the merry-go-round, with such force that five pickets were tom off." Oral tradition at Lagoon suggests a circa 1893 merry-go-round operated at the park, which likely refers to the "old-fashioned" horse-powered device. 12 Salt Lake Herald, May 31, 1907: 2. Oral tradition at Lagoon states that the current carousel was installed in 1906; however, this article suggests the horse-powered merry-go-round was still in use in 1907. 13 Salt Lake Telegram, May 29, 19l3: 10. 14 Deseret News, December 8, 1963. Salt Lake City Library clippings file. The description was from Ranch S. Kimball who managed the park between 1946 and 1970. This is probably the machine believed to have been installed in 1906, but probably after 1907, and purchased for $2,000. See Lynn R. Arave, "It's About Fun: A History of the Lagoon/Amusement Theme Park." Unpublished, TMs, August 2009: 18. 15 "Story of Lagoon," Unpublished TMs, no date. Utah State Research Center. 16 [Report on the Salt Lake & Ogden Railway Co., May 9, 1907], TMs, Utah State Historical Society. The report notes 117,870 paid admissions for the 1906 season. The estimate for 1907 was 150,000. 17 Deseret News, March 19 1906: 7. Deseret News, October 22, 1906: 2. 18 Deseret News, April 27, 1907: 12. 19 Deseret News, May 25, 1907: 12. 20 Salt Lake Tribune, July 3, 1907: 8. On May 30, 1908, the scenic railway had its first serious accident when a young man was thrown from the one of the cars and suffered a broken leg. Davis County Clipper, June 5, 1908: 1. 21 A. C. Christensen's wife, Isabella, worked as a bookkeeper for the resort in the 1930s. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMS No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. ~ Page § Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah replacement of the big electric merry-go-round with an even bigger Herschell-Spillman model. 22 In advance of Lagoon's opening for the 1918 season, the Waikiki Beach swimming pool received the lion's share of publicity, but one newspaper article quoted A. C. Christensen, who perfectly described the Herschell-Spillman menagerie carousel being installed at Lagoon: The former merry-go-round has given place to a new one, which is said to be one of the finest in the West. The new amusement device is the modern type, having room for sixty passengers and nearly every bird and beast which went into the ark will be saddled and bridled ready to carry the kiddies on a happy ride. 23 At the northwest end of the park, baseball games, bicycle races, and other special exhibitions were held that drew larger crowds. In 1911, Farmington resident Milton Hess was contracted to build a track for horse racing. The horse races were well attended for two years before horse-racing was outlawed by the Utah legislature in 1913. The outline of the track and the old barn still exist. On October 11, 1914, Lagoon used the track area to sponsor an exhibition race between an automobile and an airplane that thrilled over 2,000 spectators?4 In the early 1900s, a visit to the Lagoon summer resort and picnic grounds was a firmly established tradition for a large number of Utah residents living between Ogden and Salt Lake City. The patrons came, not only in family groups, but as part of church congregations, unions, fraternal clubs, ethnic organizations, and extended family reunions. The park hosted a number of special event days, such as Decoration Day (Memorial Day), Fourth of July, Labor Day, and Old Folks' Day, where patrons above a certain age got in for free. Mechanical Amusement Park Period, 1919 -1945 The transformation from summer resort to mechanical amusement park was a result of both physical and managerial changes at Lagoon. A. C. Christensen traveled frequently to other amusement parks on the east and west coasts, and became one of the first amusement park professionals in the state?5 He was elected as a director for the National Association of Amusement Parks at the organization's annual meeting in December 1921.26 Christensen led a campaign to keep states from passing "blue laws" designed to close all types of amusements on Sundays. It was during Christensen's tenure in the 1920s that the Lagoon Resort was first referred to as the Lagoon Amusement Park. 27 For the 1919 season, Lagoon built its tallest amusement device, the Captive Aeroplanes, which was pronounced the "sensation of the season.,,28 Lagoon's ride was a successor to the simple Flying Jenny of the previous generation. Lagoon's Captive Aeroplanes consisted of an approximately 6O-foot iron tower and four mock airplanes that swung from cables over the east lagoon. 29 Salt Lake Telegram, May 22, 1918: 10. Salt Lake Telegram, May 22, 1918: 10. 24 Thirty-five separate exhibitions by aviator, Lincoln Beachey, and driver, Barney Oldfield, were held all over the country in 1914. 25 Davis County Clipper, October 21, 1921: 1. 26 Salt Lake Telegram, December 18, 1921: 2. 27 Both names were used interchangeably and intermittently depending on the source. 28 Salt Lake Telegram, June 25, 1919: 5. 29 The designer and manufacturer of the Lagoon ride are unknown. The ride was partially damaged by wind in January 1920. In a letter to a local newspaper, Mr. A. B. de Villentroy, a photographer and French immigrant living in Salt Lake City, claimed to be the owner of the ride and assured the public it was being safely repaired. Salt Lake Telegram, January 10, 1920: 3. 22 23 NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMS No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No . .£. Page Z Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah The first name of the roller coaster at the Farmington resort was the Lagoon Dipper, a 60-foot high wooden roller coaster designed by John A. Miller in 1921. A. C. Christensen was likely familiar with the work of roller coaster designer John A. Miller through his contacts at the National Association of Amusement Parks. It is also possible that John A. Miller may have spent time in Utah during his time working as an engineer for Frederick Ingersoll, who had designed both the Salt Palace railway and the Giant Racer, a 1919 twin coaster for Saltair. The Lagoon Roller Coaster was built during John A. Miller's partnership with Harry C. Baker, another well-known roller coaster engineer. The Davis County Clipper that describes the new features at Lagoon for the 1921 season: "One is called the Lagoon Dipper being similar to the one at Saltair and was built by a Colorado Company, at a cost, it is said, of something like $75,000.,,30 The $75,000 outlay was by far the largest expense for a single amusement device that the Lagoon resort had purchased to that date. Lagoon's scenic railway was demolished to make room for the Miller-designed coaster. The Lagoon Dipper was twenty feet taller and extended 450 feet further west than the scenic railway. As soon as the upper bents were put in place, the structure was an instant landmark on the approach to Lagoon from any direction. Only seven months earlier, on August 18, 1920, Lagoon was the spot chosen for a celebration of the completion of a concrete highway running between Salt Lake City and Ogden.3J Although the Bamberger electric railroad remained popular, an increasing number of patrons were driving to Lagoon in private vehicles and entering the resort from the west where the roller coaster could be seen to its best advantage. Most of the new coaster was built on previously undeveloped land, but the local newspaper noted that the "shoot-the-chutes has been moved farther back [to the west], the pond in front of the same changed and enlarged" the relocation of the shoots incline may have been designed to accommodate the crowds that would be lining up for the new coaster_ 32 Advertising copy text modulated from describing the resort as "40 Acres of Joy" to the evocative "Coney Island of the West.,,33 With the installation of the roller coaster, the Lagoon began to more closely resemble a traditional American amusement park. In the 1920s, Lagoon's Midway took form with the roller coaster and carousel anchoring the south end. A funhouse was built at the center point of the Midway in 1923. Beginning in the 1920s, the Davis County Fair was held in the area of the race track and parking lot for several years. The 1926 Sanborn map shows that a portion of the east lagoon had been sectioned off for a pool, more games along the midway, and a special pavilion for ice cream. An early version of the bumper cars, the Dodge 'Em Junior had been installed at the north end of the midway. Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, Lagoon and Saltair remained competitors. When the swimming pool at Lagoon was enlarged and filtered in 1927, Lagoon began advertising with the slogan "swim in water fit-todrink," a refreshing alternative to the singular yet unpleasant experience of swimming in the Great Salt Lake. 34 Both of the resorts weathered the depression years, but in slightly different ways. Dancing in the large open air pavilions remained a big draw. Saltair spent money on big name bands of the period, while Lagoon focused on local talent. 35 A. C. Christensen retired in 1927. His successor, Simon Bamberger's son, Julian M. Bamberger, was responsible for not only keeping the park open through the depression years, but transforming the resort into a modem amusement park by the late 1930s.36 One of the most enduring rides acquired by Julian Bamberger was the Flying Scooter Davis County Clipper, May 27, 1921: 4. Neither the Colorado nor the Colonial Construction Company was found in a search of the Colorado Business Directory for 1921. 31 The Weekly Reflex: Concrete Highway Edition, 14, no. 45 (August 19, 1920): 10-11. 32 Davis County Clipper, May 27, 1921: 4. 33 Compare Salt Lake Tribune, May 29, 1918: 8 to Ogden Standard Examiner, May 30, 1922: 7. 34 [Lagoon promotion brochures, 1938 and 1940], Utah State Historical Society files. 35 Sallair: 73. 36 Simon Bamberger died in 1926. 30 NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. ~ Page §. Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah manufactured by the Bisch-Rocco Company of Illinois, which was installed for the 1941 season. Lagoon advertised its new ride as "the nearest approach to flying a plane without leaving the confines of the earth" and "the amusement thrill of the year.,,37 A tri-fold Lagoon brochure produced for the 1941 season included a photograph of delighted riders and the words: "Ride, Dive, Slide, Slip, the New Flying Scooters. Like a Real Plane! You Control the Rudder.,,38 Lagoon's initial investment in the Flying Scooter appeared to be short-lived. When the scooter cars were removed for winter storage in the fall of 1942, they remained there for 3 ~ years. The Lagoon resort, along with nearly all of Utah's recreational venues, experienced a dark (non-operating) period between 1943 and 1945, due to a scarcity of gasoline, materials, and labor during World War II. Post-War Modernization Period, 1946 -1955 By early 1946, the Lagoon Amusement Park was filled with weeds and the rides were falling apart. Milton Hess, who had been hired as caretaker, described Lagoon as "more like a graveyard than an amusement park.,,39 The Bamberger family had lost interest in running the park and considered razing it, but agreed to lease it to entrepreneurs Ranch Kimball and the Freed brothers, Robert, David, Daniel, and Peter, who came home from the war looking for a project.40 Under the name Utah Amusement Corporation, the partners spruced up the ghost-town like park with new paint in time for a 1946 season opening. The next year the new management had built a new cafe and tavern, and the park's first fully enclosed or "dark" ride: the Ghost Train.41 The Century Flyer with its sleek stainless-steel "rocket ships" had replaced the Captive Aeroplane swings, but the miniature railway was retained for the "kiddies" although relocated to the former location of the Shoot-the-Chutes incline. One year late because of the war, the Lagoon Amusement Park celebrated its 50th anniversary of the park in 1947. During its postwar rebirth, Lagoon had geography on its side. The park was situated on a major transportation corridor on the narrowest portion of land between the Great Salt Lake and the Wasatch mountains with plenty of room to grow. As fewer patrons rode the train, Lagoon was able to expand its parking lot several times in succession. On September 6, 1952, the electric passenger railroad made its final stop at the Lagoon station. When the rail company shut down operations completely, the Salt Lake Tribune published this eulogy: "The Bamberger Railroad died yesterday, the victim of a 'collision' with the family automobile.'.42 Some old timers mourned the loss of the Bamberger, but for the majority of the park's patrons, the automobile was the preferred mode of travel to Lagoon. The Lagoon management continued making improvements each year. In 1949, a Perkins filter and new dressing rooms were added to the pool area. In the early 1950s, the funhouse was remodeled and the Midway updated with new games. A ferris wheel was installed in time for the 1953 season. On the night of November 14, 1953, as an orange glow appeared on the mountains to the east, Farmington residents got in their cars and parked along the highway to watch as half of the Lagoon Amusement Park burned to the ground. The fire destroyed the west side of the midway, the dance pavilion, and the fun house. The roller coaster station and Salt Lake Telegram, May 29, 1941: 8. Advertisement, 1941, digital copy courtesy of the Lagoon Corporation. 39 Margaret Steed Hess, My Farmington, 1847-1976, ([Farmington, Utah]: Helen Mar Miller Camp, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, [1976]): 379. 40 After several years of serving as the President of Lagoon, Ranch Kimball gave up his managerial interest in the park in 1970. Deseret News, January 26, 1980. 37 38 41 This type of ride is traditionally called a "dark ride" because in the enclosed environment, the selective use of darkness hides the mechanics of the ride. Salt Lake Tribune, January 1, 1959. The railroad continued with limited passenger service from Ogden to Hill Air Force Base in the 1950s and some freight service through December 1958. 42 NP~ Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. ~ Page ~ Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah front portion of the lift hill were destroyed. The carousel was charred, but eventually saved by fireman continuously dousing it with water throughout the night. Speaking about the fire, Peter Freed has stated "In retrospect, it was the best thing that ever happed to us .... it made room for the new Lagoon.',43 With only partial insurance, the park began an ambitious program of rebuilding with a $500,000 investment for the 1954 season. The roller coaster was rebuilt with a gleaming new station in the streamline moderne-style to match the new patio ballroom and east midway buildings designed by R. Lloyd Snedaker, an architect from Salt Lake City. Lagoon's phoenix-like opening took place on May 1, 1954, with nineteen new and improved attractions. The new rides in 1954 included the Octopus, the Tilt-a-Whirl, Rock-o-Plane, Roll-o-Plane, Spook House, Kiddie Planes, and the Lakeshore Express Train. Theme Park Transition Period, 1956 - 1976 The July 17, 1955, opening of Disneyland in Anaheim, California, popularized the theme park concept. One year later, Lagoon built its first themed area. Just east of the carousel, five acres were transformed into Mother Goose Land, a children's playground and ride area. The new kiddie-ride area featured the child-sized boats, the Sky Fighter ride, Bulgy the Whale, a miniature auto speedway, and a twelve-foot-high kiddie-coaster. The area was designed by a New York firm and all of the rides were built by national companies.44 Mother Goose Land also featured a playground with swings and a sandbox. The decor included the Old Woman's Shoe, a Hickory Dickory Clock, a wishing well, and other nursery rhyme elements. Child-size hot dogs and ice cream were sold out of Peter Peter Pumpkin Eater's shel1.45 The Herschell-Spillman menagerie carousel, which had been repainted with storybook characters scenery panels, was considered a de facto element of Mother Goose Land. A sturdier shelter structure was built for the carousel in 1958, the same year a new funhouse designed by Ranch Kimball was built on the Midway. A kiddie helicopter ride was added to Mother Goose Land in 1963. At the south end of the Midway, the area around the lagoons changed dramatically. In 1959, a showboat glided on the east lagoon, while the west lagoon was filled-in to provide space for an adult-size auto speedway in 1960. The swimming pool was remodeled again, and for the first time, physically severed from the lagoon area. In 1967, the train ride circling the east lagoon was changed to the Animaland Train. In 1975, it was renamed the Wild Kingdom Train and viewing access to the Lagoon zoo was provided during the train ride. Also that year, the Spook House was replaced by the Terroride. Other improvements in the 1960s included an expansion of the Midway and a miniature golf-course. Paddle-boats on the Lagoon replaced the showboat in 1971. In 1969, the park's holdings expanded from sixty acres to 150 acres. The fourteen-acre Lagoon Campground at the extreme south end of the park's property was developed in the early 1970s Between the 1950s and 1960s, the Patio Gardens at Lagoon was one of the most popular concert venues in Utah. Luminaries such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Johnny Cash, Frankie Avalon, and the Everly Brothers performed at Lagoon. Groups ranging from the Kingston Trio, to the Beach Boys, to the Doors, also played at Lagoon. After a particularly raunchy concert by the latter, the Lagoon management converted the dance/concert pavilion to a roller skating rink in the 1969. The rink was later transformed into an arcade game area. Around the same time, Lagoon began to provide more in-house family-friendly entertainment, including its own marching band Arave: 28. The companies included Eyerly Aircraft and the Chance Company. The coaster was built by the Allan Herschell Company, a successor of the Herschel-Spillman Company. The 1956 Allan Herschell coaster was replaced by the Puff the Magic Dragon Coaster in 1985. 45 Deseret News, December 21, 1955: A-lO. 43 44 NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 0112009) OMS No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. ~ Page 10 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah and the construction of the 350-seat Lagoon Opera House in 1968. The park continued to expand its picnic grounds and pavilions throughout this period reaching a peak of 779 picnic tables in 1971.46 The north end of the Midway was built-up in the mid-1960s. The Space Scrambler was installed in 1961. The Lagoon management honored the Bamberger family with a bust of Simon Bamberger at the main entrance in 1963, and a fountain dedicated to Julian Bamberger in 1965. Lagoon's 1965 season opened with the first new roller coaster built in the park since 1921, the Wild Mouse, a coaster that used single-car trains on a track with very tight turns. 47 In the early 1970s, the Interstate-15 freeway system through Davis County was completed with an off-ramp that deposited visitors near Lagoon's front gate. After Ranch Kimball's retirement in 1970, the Freed family continued to manage the park and eventually purchased it in 1983 under the name of the Lagoon Corporation. Until his death in 1974, it was Robert Freed who was most intimately involved in developing the vision of the park. He made himself an amusement park professional, and in 1963 was named president of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA).48 One of the most important contributions Robert Freed made to Lagoon was to abolish race restrictions to the dance pavilion and pool that had been in place at the park since its inception. He received an award from the NAACP for his dedication to civil rights in the era before legislation. Robert E. Freed was inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame in 1990, the same year as Walt Disney. Peter Freed, took over management of the park in 1974. That year Lagoon installed the Sky Ride, a tram suspended over the Midway from one end of the park to another. A second "dark" ride, Dracula's Castle, was constructed on the south side of the former dance pavilion. In 1976, another coaster-type ride, the Jet Star 2 was constructed. Peter Freed's most important accomplishment was the introduction of a second theme-area, Pioneer Village, an open-air museum, which opened in 1976 in time for America's bicentennial celebration. Pioneer Village began as the life's work of Horace A. Sorensen and his wife, Ethel Melville Sorensen, who began collecting antiques and artifacts from Utah's history in the early 1920s. In 1948, they opened a small museum on their three-acre horse property at 2998 S. Connor Street in the southeast Salt Lake City. Horace Sorensen rescued eighteen historic buildings and moved them to the site to better display the artifacts. The buildings include three from Rockport, Utah, that were moved before the town was inundated with water after the construction of a dam. In 1953, he presented the entire collection to the Sons of Utah Pioneers (SUP). The SUP sold Pioneer Village to Lagoon in 1975 after several years of running a deficit and the acknowledgment the Connor Street site was inaccessible to the general public and a nuisance to its residential neighbors. The fifteen-acre Pioneer Village was the first time the Lagoon had expanded to the east beyond the defunct Bamberger rail line. Lagoon transported both the historic buildings and a few circa 1950s replica buildings from the Connor Street location, where they had been arranged somewhat perfunctorily around an oval. At Lagoon, the museum buildings were arranged in zones. At the north end was a Mormon village with a central green. At the south end, the transportation buildings were located with access to train, wagon, and stagecoach rides. Connecting the two ends, the commercial buildings were arranged as a frontier boom town, where a Wild West musical stunt show was performed for many years. Lagoon built several replica buildings for specific parts of the collection (for example, the carriage barn for vehicles and the armory for the gun collection). The landscape of Pioneer Village includes a few items of historic street furniture and commemorative monuments. Near the entrance to Pioneer Village, Lagoon also Arave, 38. Two versions ofthe Wild Mouse (1965 and 1975) have been replaced by a new version 48 Salt Lake Tribune, July 18, 1974. 46 47 NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. ~ Page 11 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah added a few obligatory amusement park attractions: a concession stand, a shooting gallery, and the Log Flume frontier-theme thrill ride. 49 The May 31, 1976 opening of Pioneer Village at Lagoon was a long anticipated event. At the time, the Lagoon location was considered an ideal solution to the problems which had plagued Pioneer Village. The museum would have more visitors and the increased space would mean that more of the artifacts would be displayed to their best advantage. Orson Wright, chairman of the Pioneer Village committee of the SUP, assured the public that "Donors of exhibits needn't worry their antiques will become part of a commercialized park ... it will be done tastefully with historical considerations utmost in our minds.,,50 As the second major themed section of Lagoon, Pioneer Village was similar to Disney's Frontierland, but with a much greater percentage of real historical artifacts. Novelty and Nostalgia at Lagoon, 1977 to 2012 (post-historic context) The Freed family purchased the park from the Bamberger family and continued to manage the property as the Lagoon Investment Company. In Gary Kyriazi's history of American amusement parks published in 1976, Lagoon was described as "one of those older amusement parks which through constant renovation somewhat resembles a modem theme park, although it is basically traditional.,,51 The management has consistently made good on its promise to add "something new each season," including eleven new coasters between 1973 and 2011. 52 The new coasters and other modem thrill rides are mostly located at the north and south ends of the Midway. One of the largest modernization projects was the renovation of the swimming pool area as the Lagoon-A-Beach water park in 1989. In 1995, Lagoon introduced the Skycoaster, the first of its several premium thrill rides that required an extra charge. That year, the park also extended its season into October with the introduction of Frightmares, Halloween-themed nights and weekends at the park complete with scary music and costumed characters. In 1997, the park expanded to the east again with the installation of Rattlesnake Rapids, a water-ride that brought more foot-traffic through Pioneer Village. Today the Lagoon Amusement Park thrives on the novelty of modem thrill rides and other new attractions each year, but many of its patrons return for the nostalgia provided by the historic rides and midway they knew as a child. Each season the park staff performs meticulous maintenance on historic rides. For example, nearly every facet of the Lagoon Carousel has been maintained since its introduction to the park in 1918. In contrast, the John A. Miller wooden roller coaster is currently being re-built with in-kind wood bents to preserve the ride experience, while meeting current safety codes. Even many of the low-profile carnival rides, such as the Flying Scooter, which was refurbished as the Flying Aces in 1986, are remembered with fondness by older patrons and discovered for the first time by younger ones. In 1996, the Utah Heritage Foundation honored Lagoon for its commitment to historic preservation. Because of these efforts, elements from all periods of the park's history provide a rich experience for over one million visitors to the Lagoon Amusement Park each year. For a more complete discussion of Pioneer Village at Lagoon, please see Korral Broschinsky, Novelty Versus Nostalgia: Historic Preservation and Museum Management o/the Lagoon Amusement Park from the Lake Park Pavilion to Pioneer Village, Master's thesis, Graduate School of Architecture, University of Utah, 1997. 50Sait Lake Tribune, June 10, 1975. 51 Gary Kyriazi, The Great American Amusement Parks: A Pictorial History, (Secaucus, N.J.: Citadel Press, 1976): 253. 52 Ogden Standard-Examiner, May 28, 1965: 4. Each year Lagoon's promotional packet includes a list of attractions at the Lagoon in chronological order. 49 NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0Cl18 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £.... Page 12 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah F. ASSOCIATED PROPERTY TYPES Summary In 2011, the count of potential eligible historic resources at the Lagoon Amusement Park numbered fifty-seven divided between thirty traditional amusement park resources and twenty-seven resources associated with the Pioneer Village open-air museum. The period of significance extends from the first incarnation of the park as the Lake Park resort in 1886 to the installation of Pioneer Village at Lagoon in 1976. The Multiple Property Submission process was chosen as an alternative to a historic district nomination because of constant changes to the park that have interspersed non-historic rides and attractions with the historic resources. Moreover, the Lagoon management wished to have flexibility to add or relocate attractions as needed to improve the park experience without jeopardizing the NRHP status of eligible or listed resources. The associated property types for the Lagoon Amusement Park and Pioneer Village included examples of all the resource types defined by the NRHP: buildings, structures, objects, and sites. 53 The property types have been separated into four main categories: rides and attractions, support resources, landscape features, and museum resources. The resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park present some challenges to the definitions of historic integrity, which the NRHP describes as the authenticity of a property's historic identity, evidenced by the survival of physical characteristics that existed during the property's historic period_ In general, the registration requirements adhere to the seven qualities of historic integrity as defined by the NRHP: location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. However, because of the unique nature amusement park resources, particularly in the area of ride safety, the qualities of integrity may be defined differently for each property type. I. Name of Property Type: II. Description: Amusement Park Rides and Attractions This property type includes those historic resources with which the public interacts in a traditional amusement park experience. The amusement park ride is a mechanical device that moves people to create enjoyment. The amusement park attraction subtype is a generic category intended to include resources that cannot be described as a ride. Subtype: Amusement Park Rides (Structures) The amusement park ride structure subtype describes a ride experience that is partially or completely open to the elements. The category includes, but is not limited to, carousels, bumper cars, drop towers, ferris wheels, kiddie-rides, merry-go-rounds, roller coasters, swings, trams, trains, and water rides. Some structures may have a ride experience that can be described as a combination of two or more of the above. This category may include large-scale permanent structures that were designed as a permanent installation, or smaller carnival-type rides that are designed to be portable. Larger examples may have a sheltered waiting or loading area, for example, the Lagoon Roller Coaster. Smaller examples may be entirely sheltered from the elements, but not completely enclosed, for example, the Lagoon Carousel. The majority of rides are sitting experiences using a cab, car, train, gondola, boat, tub, or ride-able figure. There are no known archeological sites within the park boundaries, and therefore this document does not address any potential archeological fmdings. 53 NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 0112009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. L Page 13 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah Subtype: Amusement Park Rides (Buildings) A different type of amusement park ride experience is completely enclosed within the interior of a building, although some examples may include a partially open waiting or loading area. The riders typically travel through a series of scenes or tableaus that may include music, sound effects, animation, and special effects. This ride is traditionally called a "dark ride" because the selective use of darkness hides the mechanics of the ride. Both of Lagoon's historic examples, Terroride and Dracula's Castle, are considered scary rides. Dark rides may share a building with other attractions or support functions (see below). Subtype: Amusement Park Attractions (Buildings or Structures) This subtype includes buildings and structures that are not considered rides, but provide the public with a different traditional amusement park experience. The two most common examples are midway games and a funhouse. At Lagoon, many of the historic midway venues share a building with the dark rides or support buildings. The Lagoon funhouse is currently closed, but the building is extant. Other examples include the historic entertainment venues such as the dance/concert pavilion (now an arcade) or the Lagoon Opera House (not currently in use). II. Significance: Eligible resources within the Amusement Park Rides and Attractions property type will have significance in one or more of the contextual periods listed in Section B and described in Section E above. The majority of resources will be significant at the local level under Criterion A for an association with the broad patterns of history at the Lagoon Amusement Park. In particular, significant resources will represent the transition of the park from summer resort, to mechanical amusement, to modem theme park. The most common area of significance will be Entertainment/Recreation, but other areas may include Commerce, Invention, Performing Arts, and Social History. It is not anticipated that resources in this category will qualifY under Criterion B. A few select resources may qualifY under Criterion C, in the areas of Architecture or Engineering. The significance of the resource may be judged by distinctive characteristics of a type, period, method of construction, or have artistic value. If the architect, designer, engineer, or manufacturer had a reputation outside of the local community, the resource may be significant at the state or national level. Examples of a rare type may also be eligible at the state or national level. A resource that may have been moved from its original location in the park should be evaluated individually to see if it qualifies under Criteria Consideration B. Resources that are currently less than fifty years old may be evaluated individually for exceptional significance under Criteria Consideration G, or more likely be evaluated when they approach the fifty-year cut-off for eligibility . III. Registration Requirements: The following criteria must be met in order for a resource to be considered eligible under the Amusement Park Rides and Attractions property type: I. The resource must be located within the public access areas of the Lagoon Amusement Park. The relocation of a ride within the park boundaries would not necessarily render a resource ineligible if NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMS No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. L Page 14 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah the setting and ride experience is not appreciably different from the original location. particularly true for smaller carnival-type rides that were designed to be portable. I. This is 2. The resource must have been constructed between 1886 and 1976. The structure or building must be linked to the development and history of the Lagoon Amusement Park. A few may also be associated with national trends in the amusement park industry. This association should be reflected in materials, design, type, style, or construction method. 3. The resource must retain sufficient integrity to depict the contextual historic period in which it was installed or constructed. Changes over time may be locally significant to the development phases of the park's history and may be considered when evaluating the integrity of the resource. Restrictions pertaining to integrity may be slightly more lenient in applying the registration requirements to resources from the earliest historic periods or for rare extant examples. 4. The design and feeling of the original ride experience is the most important quality of historic integrity to be maintained. In-kind replacements of materials or workmanship will not necessarily render a ride ineligible, if the authenticity of the ride experience is maintained and the changes are made primarily for safety reasons, and have a reasonably similar appearance to the historic material. 5. Maintaining the overall form and massing of the historic building will be considered the most important factor when evaluating the impact of non-historic additions. Additions to buildings should appear sensitive to and distinguishable from the original construction, and will be evaluated on an individual basis. Historic materials must be maintained, but acceptable alterations may include the covering of historic materials with non-historic materials if the original appearance is duplicated 6. Non-historic, impermanent features that can be easily removed without damaging the original buildings, such as shelter structures, canopies, or awnings, would not render a resource ineligible. 7. In order for a structure or building to be eligible under Criterion C, the resource must be a good example of a particular type or style of amusement park ride or attraction_ The resource may be a good example of the design of a nationally-known designer, or the workmanship of local builders or craftsmen. Name of Property Type: Support Buildings and Structures This property type includes those historic resources that perform support functions for the park, but are not considered a traditional amusement park ride or attraction. This property type is divided between resources that are accessed by the public and resources that are restricted to park management and staff, although some buildings along the Midway have both types of access. Subtype: Support Buildings and Structures (Public Access) Lagoon has a number of historic resources that provide support functions for the park for which there is some public interactivity. The majority are found in the mid-1950s buildings along the Midway and flanking the main entrance. These buildings may have a dual function that includes a dark ride, the arcade, or midway games (see above). The historic buildings house concession stands, the guest services counter, and other NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMS No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £ Page 15 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah support functions. The public may access support structures in the picnic and campground areas, but no attempt has been made to identify eligible examples. The only support structure that has been evaluated for significance is the Rose Terrace, which is the extant cupola from the dance pavilion designed in 1886 by Richard Kletting for Lake Park, now serving as an intimate picnic pavilion. Subtype: Support Buildings and Structures (Restricted Access) Parts of the historic Midway buildings are restricted to the public, for example, the managerial offices and the defunct funhouse currently used for storage. Another set of historic support buildings and structure is located on the north service road. This group of resources includes two historic barns, a metal silo, a circa 1920 bungalow, and a 1950s cottage. The two houses were likely caretakers' residences that were later converted to office space. The agricultural buildings are currently used for storage. Lagoon has acquired a few historic buildings that lie just outside the boundaries of the park, but these resources have not yet been identified and evaluated. II. Significance: Eligible resources within the Support Buildings and Structures property type will have significance in one or more of the contextual periods listed in Section B and described in Section E above. However, it should be noted that these resources are more likely to qualify for listing as multi-use buildings or in groups of resources. The majority of resources will be significant at the local level under Criterion A for an association with the broad patterns of history at the Lagoon Amusement Park. In particular, significant resources will represent the transition of the park from summer resort, to mechanical amusement, to modem theme park. The areas of significance will be Entertainment/Recreation, Commerce, or Transportation. More in-depth research may confirm that the agricultural buildings on the service road were used during the horse racing controversy and/or Davis County Fair, which may qualify within the Politics/Government area of significance. It not anticipated that resources in this category will qualify under Criterion B. A few select resources may qualify under Criterion C, in the areas of Architecture or Engineering. For example. the Rose Terrace as the last remaining structure from the Lake Park Resort designed by Richard Kletting, or the dance pavilion and midway buildings designed by R. Lloyd Snedaker after the 1953 fire. III. Registration Requirements: The following criteria must be met in order for a resource to be considered eligible under the Support Building and Structures property type: 1. The resource must be located within the public and/or restricted access areas of the Lagoon Amusement Park. Location and setting are important qualities of historic integrity for this type of resource. 2. The resource must have been constructed between 1886 and 1976. The structure or building must be linked to the development and history of the Lagoon Amusement Park. This association should be reflected in materials, design, type, style, or construction method. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £.. Page 16 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah 3. The building or structure must retain sufficient integrity to depict the contextual historic period in which it was installed or constructed. Changes over time may be locally significant to the development phases of the park's history, and may be considered when evaluating the integrity of the resource. Restrictions pertaining to integrity may be slightly more lenient in applying the registration requirements to resources from the earliest historic periods or for rare extant examples. 4. Changes in usage over time may be acceptable if the building or structure continues to perform a support function related to the development of the park. Dual or multi-use buildings may qualify as more than one property type. 5. Maintaining the overall form and massing of the historic building will be considered the most important factor when evaluating the impact of non-historic additions. Additions to buildings should appear sensitive to and distinguishable from the original construction, and will be evaluated on an individual basis. Historic materials must be maintained, but acceptable alterations may include the covering of historic materials with non-historic materials ifthe original appearance is duplicated 6. Non-historic, impermanent features that can be easily removed without damaging the original buildings, such as canopies, or awnings, would not render a resource ineligible. 7. In order for a structure or building to be eligible under Criterion C, the resource must be a good example of a particular type or style of building. The resource may be a good example of the design of a prominent local architect, or represent the workmanship of local builders or craftsmen. I. Name of Property Type: II. Description: Landscape Features Only a few historic resources within this property type have been identified and evaluated. However, because of the importance of landscape features to the amusement park experience, a separate property type has been created. Landscape features at Lagoon can be loosely classified by three subtypes: commemorative resources, decorative resources, and utilitarian resources. Many of the resources that have been identified may qualify in more than one subtype. For example, the Julian Bamberger fountain is a commemorative object that is also a decorative landscape feature. A few of the landscape features in Pioneer Village may also be considered historic artifacts (see Museum Resources below). It is unlikely that these resources would be individually eligible for the NRHP, but may be eligible in groups of associated resources. Subtype: Commemorative Markers and Monuments (Objects) Examples of this resource subtype include the bust of Simon Bamberger near the entrance to Lagoon and the plaque honoring Horace and Ethel Sorensen near the entrance to Pioneer Village. Subtype: Decorative Landscape Features (Objects, Structures, and Sites) NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £ Page 1Z Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah A few decorative landscape features such as the Old Woman's Shoe and the Junior Speedway Service Station in Mother Goose Land have been identified and evaluated_ Other resources such as the historic flowerbeds along the Midway have yet to be evaluated. The west lagoon is the oldest known structure in this category. Subtype: Utilitarian Features (Objects, Structures, and Sites) With the exception of segments of the defunct rail lines, historic utilitarian landscape features in Lagoon have yet to be identified and evaluated. Examples may include portions of the race track at the north end or historic infrastructure that is hidden from view. The picnic areas and campground may be considered as historic sites some time in the future. III. Significance: As noted above, the resources within this property type are not strong candidates from individual listing; however, many may be eligible within a group of resources. For example, the extant collective resources (rides and landscape features) of Mother Goose Land, or the commemorative artifacts within the layout of Pioneer Village, may qualify. Most will have significance under Criterion A for an association with the development and evolution of the park. A few of the commemorative objects may be eligible under Criterion B for a significant person or persons. It is unlikely that an individual resource from this property type would have the artistic value to qualify under Criterion C; however, the extant components of Mother Goose Land create a distinctive landscape that may qualify under Criterion C. The areas of significance for this property type may include Entertainment/Recreation, Art, Engineering, and Landscape Architecture. Criteria Consideration F may apply to commemorative resources. IV. Registration Reqnirements: In order for a property to be eligible the Landscape Features property type it must meet the following criteria: 1. The resource must be located within the public or restricted access areas of the Lagoon Amusement Park. Location and setting are important qualities of historic integrity for this type of resource. 2. The resource must have been constructed between 1886 and 1976. The resource must be linked to the development and history of the Lagoon Amusement Park. This association should be reflected in materials, design, type, style, or construction method. 3. Because these resources will have few if any characteristic details, design, materials and workmanship will be important qualities of historic integrity. 4. Qualities of feeling and association will be important for commemorative resources. Consideration F may apply. 5. Linear resources such as rail beds, the outline of the race track, or fencing need not be complete or contiguous, but must be evaluated individually for integrity and significance. There must to be enough segments remaining to provide a good idea ofthe resource's imprint on the landscape. Criteria NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 0112009) OMB No. 1024-0()18 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £. Page 18 I. Name of Property Type: II. Description: Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah Museum Resources The Pioneer Village collection of museum buildings and artifacts constitutes the highest concentration of historic resources within the Lagoon Amusement Park, but it is also the most difficult group of resources to classify. All of the resources that are recognizable as NRHP property types (e.g. buildings, structures, objects, sites) have been identified and evaluated. 54 It is important to understand the timeline associated with these resources. Nearly half of the resources were historic buildings or other resources that were moved to the Pioneer Village at Connor Street in Salt Lake City in the early to mid-1950s. The historic buildings range from a circa 1853 log cabin to a 1905 frame post office. These relocated buildings were considered museum artifacts, but were also converted to museum buildings to house themed collections of artifacts. Several historic replicas were constructed as museum buildings for Pioneer Village at Connor Street to display artifacts for which a suitable historic building could not be located. In 1975, when Lagoon acquired Pioneer Village, the amusement park relocated a few of the circa 1950s museum buildings in addition to the historic buildings to their Farmington location. Lagoon also built several replica buildings used to display specific artifact collections, as well as generic historic buildings for concessions and other uses. The historic buildings are currently more than one-hundred years old, but have been moved twice and changed usage. One historic home was moved from Farmington to Lagoon after Pioneer Village opened. The Connor Street replicas are more than fifty years old, but have been moved as well. The Pioneer Village open-air museum also includes a number of historic objects moved from Connor Street or directly to Lagoon. Subtype: Historic Buildings This subtype describes the twenty historic buildings with an original use that predates the current museum use. This category includes eighteen buildings relocated from towns throughout Utah, and later moved to Lagoon from the Pioneer Village at Connor Street. There is also one building moved from Farmington to Lagoon's Pioneer Village. The Davis County Holding Jail, which is on its original site near the former rail entrance, is now within Pioneer Village. Six of the buildings were residential and seven had a commercial use. There is also a church, a school, a train station, a carriage house, a smokehouse, an outhouse, a post office, and the jail. Materials include log, stone, concrete, and frame with drop-novelty or clapboard siding. The styles vary considerably by period from vernacular log cabins, to the Greek Revival stone chapel, to an Eastlake-style Victorian Cottage, etc. Subtype: Museum Display and Support Buildings This subtype includes two museum buildings moved from Connor Street, nine buildings constructed by Lagoon in 1975 to display artifact collections, and five buildings constructed by Lagoon for support services (concessions, photo gallery, restrooms, etc.). One building from Connor Street (the drugstore) and one built by Lagoon (the armory) are replicas of actual historic buildings. The rest were designed with a generic historic 54 The results can be found in the Utah SHPO's online database of historic resources. As per SHPO procedures, the resources that are not yet fifty years old have been evaluated as out-of-period. NPS Form 10-900-b Un'ited States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. £.. Page 19 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah look to be compatible with the neighboring buildings. The majority are frame and siding false-front commercial buildings along the Pioneer Village Main Street. The frame town hall is grouped with the residences, school, and chapel. The carriage house resembles a large bam and is covered with vertical planks. The cafe, shooting gallery, and restrooms have a rustic log-veneer look. The toy museum was built in 1995 well outside of the historic period. The building houses a miniature circus, which is the theme of the exterior design rather than emulating a historic building. Subtype: Commemorative Objects Pioneer Village includes several markers and monuments of a commemorative nature. For example, a Pony Express monument, a monument to the builders of the Salt Lake Temple, and a plaque honoring Horace and Ethel Sorensen. These objects may also be considered landscape features (see below). Subtype: Landscape Features (Objects, Structures, and Sites) The landscape features of Pioneer Village can be divided into two groups: historic artifacts that have been moved from their original locations and objects or structures that were built to enhance the experience of Pioneer Village in the 1970s. The artifact group included a clock and a fountain from Salt Lake City, and a semaphore from Nephi, Utah. The latter groups include a display box, a replica fort tower, and the Log Flume ride. Engine 999, the miniature locomotive now housed in the train museum at Pioneer Village, pulled the "tot" train around Lagoon in the early 1900s. III. Significance: The historical significance of the individual resources within Pioneer Village is undeniable, even for those resources which provenance has not been well-documented. A few, such as the Governor Dern carriage house and the Coalville chapel, are one-of-kind architectural gems. Others are rare surviving examples of a once-common building type in Utah: log cabins and outbuildings, community post office, rural train station, etc. In situ, there would be no question of their individual eligibility and significance. Even moved, there is an argument to be made for significance, particularly for the buildings from Rockport, Utah, which help tell the story of the vanished community. The resources would potentially qualifY under Criteria A, B, or C. The areas of significance could include Agriculture, Architecture, Commerce, Education, Exploration/Settlement, Health/Medicine, Religion, Social History, and Transportation. NRHP Criteria Considerations A, B, E, F, or G may apply to individual resources. The strongest case for listing the Pioneer Village resources may be as a whole, i.e. as an example of an open-air museum, particularly a unique example of a relocated and re-imagined museum. Taken as a whole, Pioneer Village may qualifY as a small historic district within the Lagoon Amusement Park, although this evaluation would need to wait until the museum as a whole nears the fifty-year threshold for NRHP eligibility. As a whole, Pioneer Village would potentially qualifY under Criteria A and/or C within the areas of Entertainment/Recreation and Education. NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMS No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. IV. £.. Page 20 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah Registration Requirements: Because of the variety of resources within this property type, the following registration requirements are written to be as inclusive as possible for the various subtypes. In order for a property to be eligible for the NRHP within the Museum Resources property type, it must meet the following criteria. 1. The resource must have been constructed between the permanent settlement of Utah and 1976. The resource must be linked to the development of the Pioneer Village open-air museum at the Connor Street and/or the Lagoon location. 2. The resource must retain sufficient integrity of design, materials, and workmanship, to depict the era in which it was constructed. 3. The provenance of relocated resources must be documented to the fullest extent possible, and a case made for significance using Criteria Consideration B or G for relocated buildings (architectural significance, rare surviving example, etc). The new location should be suitable in terms of setting, feeling, and association. 4. A commemorative resource should have achieved its own historical significance in terms of age, design, tradition, or symbolic value. 5. A change in usage would not necessarily render a resource ineligible. An original and or acquired museum usage on the interior should be compatible with the exterior design and association of the building. 6. Resources within this property type may also qualify within other property types. For example, support buildings and landscape features in Pioneer Village may have related functions and significance to similar resources in other parts of the park. The same is true for landscape features. The Log Flume ride and the shooting gallery attraction have an amusement park, rather than museum function. NP~ Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. G & H Page .f.1 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah G. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA The area covered by this Multiple Property Documentation form is the property owned by the Lagoon Investment Company that includes or is contiguous with the Lagoon Amusement Park (see map). H. SUMMARY OF IDENTIFICATION AND EVALUATION METHODS Information on the history of the Lagoon Amusement Park and the Pioneer Village museum was compiled by both primary and secondary sources in a May 2012 Reconnaissance Level Survey. A record of the resources was entered into the Utah SHPO's online database using the NRHP criteria for eligibility and the SHPO's current evaluation codes: ES - Eligible/Significant: built within the historic period and retains integrity; excellent example of a style or type; unaltered or only minor alterations or additions; individually eligible for National Register under Criterion "C" (architectural significance); also, buildings of known historical significance (briefly explained in the Comments section). EC - Eligible/Contributing: built within the historic period and retains integrity; good example of a style or type, but not as well-preserved or well-executed as ES buildings; more substantial alterations or additions than ES buildings, though overall integrity is retained; eligible for National Register as part ofa potential historic district or primarily for historical, rather than architectural, reasons (which cannot be determined at this point). NC - Ineligible: built during the historic period, but has had major alterations or additions; no longer retains integrity. OP - Out-of-period: constructed outside the historic period. The National Register of Historic Places has no precedent for a Multiple Property Listing or Submission process similar to the various amusement park and museum resources within the Lagoon Amusement Park. In order to establish suitable property type categories, statements of significance, and registration requirements, the author studied individual and MPS nominations for specific property types (primarily carousels and roller coasters), as well as district nominations for several historic amusement parks and open-air museums. These documents can be found at the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmark online databases. Three NRHP nominations for the three oldest rides in the Lagoon Amusement Park were prepared concomitantly with the preparation of this Multiple Property Documentation form. It is anticipated that the three nominations and this form will be approved as the first Multiple Property Submission for the Lagoon Amusement Park. The nominated properties are: Lagoon Carousel, manufactured circa 1913, installed at Lagoon in 1918 Lagoon Roller Coaster, built and designed for Lagoon in 1921 Lagoon Flying Scooter (now Flying Aces), manufactured and installed at Lagoon in 1941 NPS Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0\)18 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No. _I Page 22 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah I. MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES Arave, Lynn R. "It's About Fun: A History of the Lagoon/Amusement Theme Park." Unpublished, TMs, August 2009. Architectural Survey Datafor the Lagoon Amusement Park. Report produced by the Utah State Historic Preservation Office, 2011. Broschinsky, Korral. Novelty Versus Nostalgia: Historic Preservation and Museum Management of the Lagoon Amusement Park from the Lake Park Pavilion to Pioneer Village. Master's thesis, Graduate School of Architecture, University of Utah, 1997. Cartmell, Robert. The Incredible Scream Machine: A History of the Roller Coaster. Fairview Park, Ohio: Amusement Park Books, Inc.; Bowling Green, Ohio: Bowling Green State University Popular Press, 1987. Davis County Clipper. Various issues. Deseret News. Various issues. Dinger, Charlotte. Art of the Carousel. Green Village, New Jersey: Carousel Art, 1983. Dun's Review. R. G. Dun & Company, 1904. Fraley, Tobin. The Carousel Animal. San Francisco, California: Chronicle Books, 1987. Carousel Animals: Artistry in Motion. San Francisco, California: Chronicle Books, 2002. Francis, David W. and Diane DeMali Francis. The Golden Age of Coasters in Vintage Postcards. Chicago, Illinois: Arcadia Publishing, 2003. Fried, Frederick. A Pictorial History of the Carousel. New York, A. S. Barnes, 1964. Herschell-Spillman Company. Catalogues 1911, 1917, and Advertisements circa 1904 to 1917. Hess, Margaret Steed. My Farmington. [Farmington, Utah]: Helen Mar Miller Camp, Daughters of Utah Pioneers, [1976]. Kasson, John F. Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century. American Century Series. New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, Hill and Wang, 1978. Knowlton, George Quincy. A History ofFarmington, Utah. Kaysville, Utah: Inland Printing, 1965. Kyriazi, Gary. The Great American Amusement Parks: A Pictorial History. Secaucus, N.J.: Citadel Press, 1976. Lagoon Amusement Park and Utah biographical clippings file. Available at the Utah State History Research Center. NP..S Form 10-900-b United States Department of the Interior National Park Service (Rev. 01/2009) OMB No. 1024-0018 National Register of Historic Places Multiple Property Documentation Form Continuation Sheet Section No . .l Page 23 Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 Farmington, Davis County, Utah Notables of the West, Being the Portraits and Biographies of Progressive Men of the West Who Have Helped in the Development and History Making of This Wonderful Country, Vol. II. New York: International News Service, 1915. McCormick, John S. "Lagoon." In Utah History Encyclopedia, ed.Allen Kent Powell, 311-312. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1994. McCormick, John S. and Nancy D. Saltair. Salt Lake City, Utah: University of Utah Press, 1985. Ogden Standard Examiner. Various issues. Powell, Alan Kent, editor. Utah History Encyclopedia. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1995. Rutherfora, Scott~The American Roller Coaster. St. Paul, Minnesota: Andover Junction Publications, 2004. Salt Lake Herald. Various issues. Salt Lake Telegram. Various issues. Salt Lake Tribune. Various issues. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. Salt Lake City, 1898, 1911, 1927, 1950 & 1969. "Story of Lagoon." Anonymous. Unpublished TMS, no date. Freed Enterprises file. Utah State History Research Center. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division. National Register Bulletin 15: How to Apply the National Register Criteria for Evaluation. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1991. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division. National Register Bulletin 16A: How to Complete the National Register Registration Form. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1991. U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Interagency Resources Division. National Register Bulletin 16B: How to Complete the National Register Multiple Property Documentation Form. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office, 1991. Warrum, Noble. Utah Since Statehood, Historical and Biographical, Vol. III. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1919: 332-335. Department of Heritage and Arts Julie Fisher Executive Director State of Utah State History GARY R HERBERT Governor Wilson G. Martin Director GREG BELL Lieutenant Governor August 31, 2012 CAROL SHULL KEEPER NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES 1201 "I" (EYE) STREET, NW, 8th FLOOR (MS 2280) WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005 Dear Ms. Shull: Enclosed please fmd the registration forms and documentation for the following National Register nominations that have been approved by the State Historic Preservation Review Board and the Utah State Historic Preservation Officer for nominatiun tu the National Register of Historic Places: Lagoon Carousel Farmington, Davis Co. Lagoon Flying Scooter Farmington, Davis Co. Lagoon Roller Coaster Farmington, Davis Co. Historic Resources of Lagoon Amusement Park MPSFarmington, Davis Co. Thank you for your assistance with these nominations. Please contact me at 801/533-3559, or at [e-mail] if you have any questions. Enclosures istorian National & gister Coordinator Office of Historic Preservation 300 s. Rio Grande Street· Salt Lake City, Utah 84\01 • [phone]' facsimile [phone]' www.history.utah.gov