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This text message is used to keep the image from rotating in ocr process. Be sure to crop the top .25" off after the ocr process. 375 N. Lagoon Dr. Lagoon Roller Coaster Farmington, Davis Co. UTAH STATE HISTORY 1111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111 3 9222 50000 9456 NOMINATION FORM Portland, 05001557, PROPOSED MOVE APPROVED, 10/24/12 PENNSYLVANIA, NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, Historic Moravian Bethlehem Historic District, Church, Market and Main Streets, Bethlehem, 12001016, NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATED/LISTED, 10/16/12 RHODE ISLAND, NEWPORT COUNTY, United Congregational Church, 73 Pelham St., Newport, 71000027, NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATED, 10/16/12 SOUTH CAROLINA, SPARTANBURG COUNTY, Drayton Mill, 1802 Drayton Rd., Spartanburg vicinity, 12000882, LISTED, 10/24/12 UTAH, DAVIS COUNTY, Lagoon Carousel, 375 Lagoon Dr., Farmington, 12000883, LISTED, 10/24/12 (Lagoon Amusement Park, Farmington, Utah MPS) UTAH, DAVIS COUNTY, Lagoon Flying Scooter, 375 N. Lagoon Dr., Farmington, 12000884, LISTED, 10/24/12 (Lagoon Amusement Park, Farmington, Utah MPS) UTAH, DAVIS COUNTY, Lagoon Roller Coaster, 375 N. Lagoon Dr., Farmington, 12000885, LISTED, 10/24/12 (Lagoon Amusement Park, Farmington, Utah MPS) VIRGINIA, ALLEGHANY COUNTY, Humpback Bridge, Spanning Dunlop Creek at bypassed section of former James River & Kanawha Turnpike (later, Midland Trail), Covington vicinity, 69000219, NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATED, 10/16/12 VIRGINIA, HAMPTON INDEPENDENT CITY, Pasture Point Historic District, Bounded by Hampton River on the E., Bright's Creek on the N., Wine St. on the W ., and Syms St. on the S., Hampton, 08000940, LISTED, 10/22/12 (Expires 513112012) OMS No. 1024-0018 NPSForm10-900 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin. How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented. enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions . architectural dassification. materials. and areas of significance. enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional certification comments, entries, and namltlveltems on continuation sheets If needed (NPS FORn 10-900a). 1. Name of Property historic name Lagoon Roller Coaster other names/site number Lagoon Dipper, Silver Coaster, Giant Coaster, White Roller Coaster 2. Location street & number city or town state 375 N. Lagoon Drive not for publication ____F_a_nn_i_n....gt'-o_n___________________ '--_...Jvicinity Utah code county UT Davis code 011 zip code 84025 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the deSignated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended, I hereby certify that this X nomination _ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property .L meets __ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: X statewld _Ioc Utah Division of State History / Historic Preservation Office State or Federal agencylbureau or Tribal Government In my opinion. the property _ meets _ does not meet the National Register criteria. Signature of commenting official Title Date State or Federal agencylbureau or Tribal Government 4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is: _ entered in the National Register _ determined eligible for the National Register _ determined not eligible for the National Register _ removed from the National Register _ other (explain:) Date of Action United States Department of the Interior National ParK Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 (Expires 5/31/2012) OMS No. 1024-0018 Lagoon RoUe~Coaster Davis County, Utah County and State Name of Property 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply.) ~ Number of Resources within Property Category of Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) (Check only one box.) Contributing private public - Local public - State public - Federal Noncontributing 2 buildings _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ district building(s) district site X structure site ---------------2 structure ---~------------- _________________ object object ____-=2___________2~_____ Togl Name of related multiple property listing Number of contributing resources previously listed In the National Register (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing) Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 N/A 6. Function or Use Historic Functions Current Functions RECREATION AND CULTURE: fair RECREATION AND CULTURE: fair (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) 7. DeSCription Architectural Classification Materials (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) OTHER: Wooden Roller Coaster MODERN: Post-War Streamline Moderne (loading and unloading station only) foundation: CONCRETE walls: N/A roof: N/A other: WOOD, IRON, STEEL 2 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMS No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current physical appearance of the property. Explain contributing and noncontributing resources if necessary. Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, setting, size, and significant features .) Summary Paragraph The Lagoon Roller Coaster, built in 1921, was designed by John A. Miller for the Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Davis County, Utah. The roller coaster is a wooden structure measuring approximately 690 feet in length including the station and waiting area. The coaster is 62 feet high at it tallest point. The design is classified as a double out and back coaster with a total track length of2,598 feet. In November 1953, the original station and a portion of the lift hill were destroyed by fire. The lift hill as designed by Miller was recreated in 1954, but the new station was rebuilt in the Post-War Streamline Modeme style. The waiting area was modified in 1992 to provide a handicap access ramp. The site includes two non-contributing support buildings, the chain/motor house, and a storage shed. The historic period of significance for the Lagoon Roller Coaster spans from the date of construction in 1921 to the post-fire reconstruction in 1954. All subsequent modifications to the coaster, including ongoing maintenance and safety upgrades, have had minimal impact on the historic integrity of the original John A. Miller design. The Lagoon Roller Coaster meets the registration requirements of the Multiple Property Listing, Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 18861976, and is a contributing historic resource in the community of Farmington, Utah. Although the roller coaster at Lagoon has had at least four distinct formal and informal names, it most consistently through its ninety-year history been known simply as the roller coaster. For this reason, the Lagoon Roller Coaster has been chosen as the historic name. Narrative Description Site The footprint of the Lagoon Roller Coaster lies within an area of approximately 1.35 acres out of approximately 60 acres for the park. l The coaster is located in the historic southwest quadrant of the parkjust south of the main entrance. The 1921 roller coaster was built on the same site as an older double-eight coaster, which operated at Lagoon from 1907 to 1920. When viewed in plan, the 1921 coaster is divided between the main oval track and an intersecting U-shaped section of track that includes the lift hill, brake run, and station. The main oval is approximately 520-feet long and 90feet wide. The oval extends 350-feet into Lagoon's main parking lot and is separated from the parking area by an eightfoot chain link and barbed wire fence. Because of its placement, the wooden roller coaster is the park's most salient landmark as seen from Interstate 15. The freeway runs parallel to the park's west boundary and is the route that most patrons take to the park. The coaster entrance is at the south end of the midway at the northwest comer of the park's namesake artificial lagoon. A handful of newer rides, midway games, outdoor stage, and a historic carousel are clustered near the coaster entrance. Structure The original construction of the wooden coaster likely began in the fall of 1920 as the ride was completed in time for the park's opening on May 28, 1921. The structure of the main oval is 40-feet high. The original construction methods consisted of a timber and stud framework (pine lumber) held together with metal bolts and nails. The structure was originally anchored on the ground to railroad tie pads. The roller coaster was originally painted white to protect the 1 This estimate is for the operating portion only excludes the parking lot, campground, support areas, and undeveloped land owned by the park. 3 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster Name of Property County and State wood. The coaster is inspected daily during operation for weaknesses caused by rot, insect infestation, or cracking due to the stresses of both lateral and vertical loads. Major replacement of defective structural elements typically takes place during the off-season between November and March. Over its ninety-year history, the coaster has been essentially rebuilt with in-kind materials, but has never lost its integrity of setting and design as associated with the original construction period. The management of Lagoon has made minor modifications to the workmanship of the coaster to enhance safety. For example, in the last few years, Lagoon has initiated a program of gradually replacing the bents (the series of transverse structural frames) and the batter bracing members with treated wood that does not require painting. The unpainted wood provides a better visual inspection for defects. 2 Signs informing the public of the new policy of not painting the wood were posted around the coaster in 2004. Because Lagoon is located near the Wasatch Fault and Farmington Canyon, the latest in-kind replacements have been designed as both a seismic and wind retrofit. The bents are held together with heavier bolts and more gusset plates, but are also designed to flex as needed. Continuous upgrades have also been made to the foundation. The first upgrade was required only two years after the initial construction when the foundation was damaged by a 1923 flood and a few concrete footings were added. Another major foundation upgrade came after the 1953 fire. More recently, the replacement vertical timbers have been fitted with a protective metal shoe and attached to a new concrete foundation by a pair of steel baseplates. Additional bracing has been added since the 1970s, particularly the west curve, which features a series of wood "spider" bracing. Approximately twenty percent of the coaster has been recently rebuilt. The completion of the project will take several years. The modifications do not impact the historic integrity of the structure because other than the color-the white roller coaster is gradually turning brown-the changes are not readily apparent to the general public. Minimal modifications have been made to the non-structural elements of coaster's main oval. The two elevated levels of track sit on ledger boards held together with track ties. The track steel is an example of a coaster with underfriction wheels, an innovation Miller patented in 1919 to keep the coaster train from lifting completely off the track. The track consists of three separate pieces: the top running steel, the side steel, and the up-stop steel. Though the track steel has been upgraded, the essential design remains the same. Walk boards and hand rails are located on either side of the track steel for the mechanics inspecting the ride and for emergency evacuation if needed. The walk boards on the hills also have stepping boards. Track Design The Lagoon Roller Coaster is classified as an out and back coaster because it returns to the same station for loading and unloading. It is also a double out and back coaster because it makes two circuits of the main oval. The first circuit features higher hills and runs on the interior of the main oval. The second circuit features a series oflower "bunny hop" hills that run along the outside of the main oval. There are two turnarounds, one at each end. The east turnaround is where the track runs under the lift hill. The west turnaround is bi-Ievel with the first circuit running at the top of the bents and the second circuit directly underneath. The ground inside the main oval has been partially paved with asphalt (circa 1990). There is a non-contributing circa 1990 tool shed near an original walkway under the coaster for maintenance staff. The main oval runs northeast to southwest at an approximate ten degree angle. The V-shape track runs approximately 200 feet at a twenty degree angle to the southeast, identical to the configuration of the pre-fire track. The original station located at the end of the V-track was a partially-open frame structure measuring approximate 80 by 50 feet. The narrow The Pippin Roller Coaster in Memphis, Tennessee, a 1928 structure also designed by John A. Miller, was not painted, and has been similarly rebuilt several times. The Pippin Roller Coaster was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Judith Johnson and John T. Dulaney, Pippin Roller Coaster, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, 2007: [5]. 2 4 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMS No. 1024-0018 Lagoon Roller Coaster (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State end faced east, which was open at the in and out gates. A 1942 photograph of the station entrance show it had been modernized with Art Deco-style lettering on a stucco false front. The 1950 Sanborn map shows four small support buildings just west of the station. In November 1953, a fire at Lagoon destroyed the station, support buildings, and portions of the lift hill and brake run. All were rebuilt in time for the May opening of the 1954 season. The lift hill and brake run were replaced using in-kind wood members, but the station was constructed with more fire-resistant materials: concrete block, brick, steel, and iron. Station The footprint of the re-built station was the same size and at the same location as the 1921 station. The redesign of the station was decidedly modem with the clean futuristic look of the 1950s. The curving roof was designed to blend with the bow-string trusses of the reconstructed midway buildings and dance pavilion also destroyed by fire. The barrel-shape of the station runs east to west is completely open except for the operator booth at the northeast corner. The curving iron supports along the north and south elevations. The structural ribs are visible on the interior supporting the corrugated steel roof. The station is on a raised platform of concrete block. The floor is composed of metal plates over a wood substructure on either side of the track trough. The east elevation has been modified slightly since 1954. Originally the riders entered on the south side under a cantilevered flat roof with a curved end, invoking the streamline moderne style. A vertical element punctured the cantilevered roof giving the station a post-war moderne look. The base of the east elevation was faced with Roman brick under the exit ramp. In 1992, the entrance was redesigned to meet ADA-accessibility requirements. The vertical element was removed and a concrete ramp was installed. Handicapped riders have a parallel ramp for access. In 2009, the ramp was cosmetically upgraded with cobblestone facing, a wrought-iron balustrade, and new signage that compliments the 1954 design. The support elements of the station are painted red and the secondary elements are silver and white. The station platform and the portion of the brake run closest to the station are supported on concrete block and iron posts. There is room for one train to be stored inside the station with room for the second train on a platform to the rear. In 2001, the computer system was upgraded and a steel transfer track was installed. At the rear of the station, there is a combination of wood and chain link fencing around the transformers boxes and the chain/motor house nestled next to the lift hill. Much of the chain assembly is historic (circa 1954), but the shed-roof chain house has been rebuilt (circa 1990) and is a non-contributing bUilding. A non-contributing storage shed was built at about the same time. Trains/Cars There have been at least three sets of trains running on the Lagoon Roller Coaster since 1921. The exact configuration and manufacturer of the original train cars is unknown. 3 After the 1953 fire, the damaged cars were replaced with threecar aluminum and wood trains produced by the National Amusement Device Company (NAD). The current trains were manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) in 1976. 4 Each car consists of three two-person divided bench seats. Lagoon currently has two trains each with four cars for a total of twenty-four riders per train. The bar restraints were replaced with individual ratcheting lap bars in 1990, around the same time the brakes were upgraded. In In November 1920, John A. Miller filed a patent for an open ''pleasure-railway'' car with inline seating and protective rails (US Patent #1380732). This may have been similar to the design of the original cars, although the more traditional two row bench-seat cars were also available at this time (see US Patent # 1102822 in 1914 or # 1319888 in 1919). 4 The original cars could have been produced by either NAD or PTe. PTe was established in 1904 and John A. Miller was a consultant for the company as early as 1911. PTe is still in business today. John A. Miller was also associated with the NAD, which was established in 1920. 3 5 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Lagoon Roller Coaster (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State 2008, the current bright orange lap-bar restraints and molded plastic headrests were installed. The controls were completely computerized in 2006. The Lagoon Roller Coaster has a ride capacity of 1,920 passengers per hour. Ride Experience After walking through the waiting area ramp and switchbacks, the riders are divided into pairs at the air gates. S The average ride duration is just under two minutes. The trains leave the station in a counter-clockwise curve to immediately ascend the lift hill on the barrel chain of the lift hill assembly. Riders hear the familiar click-clacking sound ofthe ratchet dog (aka anti-rollback device), another safety innovation designed by John A. Miller to keep the train from rolling backward in case of a broken chain or loss of power. At the top of the lift hill, riders go under a Lagoon sign/flag post. As the train crests the hill it is freed from the chain assembly and allowed to take the 57-foot first drop at approximately 45 miles per hour. The second hill has a 35-foot drop. The train then ascends to the top of the west 40-foot turnaround, which features a second anti-roll back device. Riders experience another hill before ascending to the east turnaround, which cuts under the lift hill. The second circuit is on a lower level on the north side of the coaster where the riders experience a 20-foot hill and a gentle double-dip before ascending to the lower level of west turnaround. On the final leg of the ride, passengers get additional airtime on two "bunny hop" hills before returning to the station along the brake run. 6 Riders exit to the north past the operator booth and onto a metal bridge that crosses over the trains leaving the station. The exit ramp is at the northeast comer. Summary Although some safety modifications have been made to the ride, Lagoon's wooden roller coa"ter retains its historic integrity, particularly in terms of location, design, and feeling. A plaque awarded by the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) is mounted near the exit bridge. ACE designated an "ACE Roller Coaster Landmark" in 2005 recognizing the historic significance and authenticity of the wooden coaster. As the sixth oldest roller coaster in the world and the fourth oldest in the United States, the Lagoon Roller Coaster contributes to the historic resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park and the Farmington, Davis County, area. S Signs posted near the entrance indicate the height restrictions for riders. Patrons between the 46" and 50" tall must be accompanied by a responsible person. Patrons under 46" tall may not ride. 6 In roller coaster terminology "airtime" is the feeling created by zero G-forces when the body ofthe rider floats upward resulting in air between the seat and a passenger's bottom. It is most commonly felt at the crest ofa non-lift hill. 6 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Lagoon Roller Coaster Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State 8. Statement of Significance Applicable National Register Criteria Areas of Significance (Mark "X:' in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register listing.) (Enter categories from instructions.) ENGINEERING Property is associated with events that have made a Significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. ENTERTAINMENTIRECREATION Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. ~c Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. Period of Significance 1921-1954 Significant Dates Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. 1921, 1954 Criteria Considerations Significant Person (Mark "X:' in all the boxes that apply.) (Complete only if Criterion B is marked above.) Property is: A Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. B removed from its original location. C a birthplace or grave. D a cemetery. E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. F a commemorative property. G less than 50 years old or achieving Significance within the past 50 years. Cultural Affiliation N/A Arch Itect/Bu i1der John A. Miller, Designer & Engineer Harry C. Baker, Engineer Colorado/Colonial Construction Co., Builder R. Lloyd Snedaker, Architect ( 1954 station) Rocky Mountain Construction Co., Builder (1954) Period of Significance (Justification) The period of significance, 1921-1954, includes the original construction of the roller coaster and the subsequent reconstruction of the loading station and lift hill in 1954. The roller coaster is in continuous use today and is eligible up to the 50-year cut-off for National Register of Historic Places eligibility, but the time period was chosen to focus on the major building phases. Criteria Considerations (explanation, If necessary) N/A 7 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMS No. 1024-0018 Lagoon Roller Coaster (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph (Provide a summary paragraph that includes level of significance and applicable criteria.) The Lagoon Roller Coaster, built in 1921, at the Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah, is significant statewide under Criterion C in the area of Engineering as a rare extant example of the work of master roller coaster designer John A. Miller. John A. Miller is widely regarded as the most prolific and innovative coaster designer of the twentieth century. During his nearly fifty-year career, Miller designed 140 coasters and filed over 100 patents related to coaster technology and ride safety. The Lagoon Roller Coaster is one of only seven surviving and operating historic coasters designed John A. Miller. The Lagoon coaster was constructed in his most productive period during his partnership with engineer Harry C. Baker. The firm of Miller & Baker Inc. designed thirty-nine coasters between 1920 and 1923. The Lagoon coaster is one of only three extant examples of the company's work. It is the third oldest surviving example of John A. Miller's work and features many of the ride and safety innovations that Miller invented in the first half of his career. The Lagoon Roller Coaster has had only minor modifications, mostly in-kind replacement materials, since its original 1921 construction, and retains its historic integrity in terms of location, setting, design, workmanship, and the feeling of a traditional wooden roller coaster. The Lagoon Roller Coaster is currently the sixth oldest operating roller coaster in the world and the fourth oldest in the United States. The Lagoon Roller Coaster is also significant under National Register of Historic Places Criterion A, for its association with the transformation of the Lagoon Amusement Park from a summer resort pleasure garden to a modern amusement park in the first half of the twentieth century. The coaster was built at the beginning of a phase of the park's history marked by the incorporation of new technologies to enhance the patron's experience. The coaster's station and lift hill were destroyed by a 1953 fire that ravaged half of the park. The rebirth of the park after the fire began a second period of expansion and modernization, of which the wooden roller coaster remained an important element. The Lagoon Roller Coaster is Utah's only extant traditional roller coaster. It is one of only twelve surviving coasters out of approximately 1,500 that were built during America's Golden Age of roller coasters in the 1920s. The roller coaster is significant in the area of EntertainmentlRecreation as a representative of that era and meets the eligibility requirements of the Multiple Property Submission, Historic Resources ofthe Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976. The period of historic significance from 1921 to the 1954 reconstruction spans three contextual periods of the Multiple Property Submission: Mechanical Amusement Park Period, 1919 - 1945; the Post-War Modernization Period, 1946 - 1955; and the Theme Park Transition Period, 1956 - 1976. Narrative Statement of Significance (Provide at least one paragraph for each area of significance.) Early History of the Lagoon Amusement Park Lagoon's first incarnation was as a beach resort called Lake Park on the edge of the Great Salt Lake three 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 roundtrip train fare 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.,,7 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. 8 In 1896, Simon Salt Lake Tribune, June 19, 1887: 6. For a more complete description of Lagoon's early history, please see the Multiple Property Documentation form for Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, Farmington, Utah. 1889-1976. 8 Saltair: 14-15. 7 8 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMS No. 1024-0018 Lagoon Roller Coaster (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State Bamberger moved Lake Park's roller skating rink, saloon, cafe, pavilion and other attractions inland to a property at the western edge of Farmington. 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.,,9 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 lakeside rivals, particularly the Saltair resort. \0 But it was the two mechanical thrill rides that brought record-breaking crowds to the resort for the 1906 and 1907 seasons. II Shoot-the-Chutes was installed in time for the 1906 season and is considered Lagoon's first thrill ride. 12 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. 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." \3 That spring the resort also constructed its first roller coaster-type ride referred to as a scenic railway. 14 The scenic railway was a 40-foot 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. IS History of the Lagoon Roller Coaster 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. 16 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. 17 He was elected as a director for the National Association of Amusement Parks at the organization's annual meeting in December 1921. 18 It was during Christensen's tenure in the 1920s that the Lagoon Resort was first referred to as the Lagoon Amusement Park. 19 Christensen was also responsible for the installation of Lagoon's first modern roller coaster. A. C. Christensen was likely familiar with the work of 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. By 1920, John A. Miller was well known in the amusement park industry. He had already designed forty- Salt Lake Tribune, July l3, 1896: 8. Saltair: 73; Salt Lake Herald, April 21, 1903: 5; Salt Lake Herald. August 17,1903: 5-6. I I [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. 12 Deseret News, March 19 1906: 7. Deseret News, October 22, 1906: 2. 13 Deseret News. April 27, 1907: 12. 14 Deseret News. May 25,1907: 12. IS 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. 16 A. C. Christensen's wife, Isabella, worked as a bookkeeper for the resort in the 1930s. 17 Davis County Clipper. October 21,1921: 1. 18 Salt Lake Telegram. December 18, 1921: 2. 19 Both names were used interchangeably and intermittently depending on the source. 9 \0 9 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Lagoon Roller Coaster (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State four of the 140 coaster designs attributed to him.20 In addition Miller had filed fourteen coaster patents prior to 1921, including his two most important innovations: the anti-rollbacks engaging chain patent filed in 1910 and the upstop wheel arrangement patent filed in 1919. Both of these devices are incorporated in the design of the Lagoon Roller Coaster. In January 1920, John A. Miller entered into a partnership with Harry C. Baker, another well-known roller coaster engineer. The design of the Lagoon coaster is attributed to John A. Miller alone, but Baker's expertise and influence should not be discounted since their three-year partnership was the most productive time period for both men in terms of coaster design and construction. In a 1923 catalogue for Miller & Baker, Inc., the roller coaster at Lagoon in Fannington was listed as the "Pippin Dips.,,21 Pippin was one of several working names that Miller favored, but was not used by the Lagoon management after the coaster started operating. The first name of the roller coaster at the Farmington resort was the Lagoon Dipper. While the designer of the Lagoon Roller Coaster is well established, the builder is unclear. The American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) plaque identifies the builder as the Colorado Construction Company. David and Diane Francis provide the name of the Colonial Construction Company in their history of roller coasters based on vintage postcards. 22 The only known primary source was an article from 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.,,23 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.24 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. 25 Advertising copy text modulated from describing the resort as "40 Acres of Joy" to the evocative "Coney Island of the West.,,26 For the 1921 season, the Lagoon Resort opened two days earlier than its typical Memorial Day opening, one of only a few times Lagoon broke with tradition during the first half of the twentieth century. On Saturday, May 28, 1921, the public was invited to ride the Lagoon Dipper for the first time. The Lagoon management walked a fine line between exciting and reassuring the general public about the new ride. Advertisements announced the coaster as "The Wildest Ride You Ever Took," but newspaper articles described the ride as "a giant roller coaster that is said to be the largest in the United States, and while full of thrills from start to finish, is as safe as a rocking chair. 27 To portray the Lagoon Statistical data on roller coaster design, technology, and status was derived from the Roller Coaster Database (www.rcdb.com) and the American Coaster Enthusiasts (www.aceonline.org). More information on the work of John A. Miller is found in the additional historic context section below. 21 Robert Cartmell, 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: 120. 22 David W. and Diane DeMali Francis, The Golden Age of Coasters in Vintage Postcards, (Chicago, Illinois: Arcadia Publishing, 2003): 96. The original source for both attributions is unknown. 23 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. 24 The Weekly Reflex: Concrete Highway Edition, 14, no. 45 (August 19, 1920):10-11. 25 Davis County Clipper, May 27,1921: 4. 26 Compare Salt Lake Tribune, May 29, 1918: 8 to Ogden Standard Examiner, May 30,1922: 7. 27 Utah Daily Chronicle, May 27,1921: 2. Salt Lake Telegram, May 27,1921: 9. 20 10 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 513112012) Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster Name of Property County and State Dipper as the largest in the United States in 1921 was arguably not true, but the Lagoon coaster was the largest roller coaster between Denver and the West Coast at the time of its construction. 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. The Lagoon Dipper was meticulously maintained through the 1920s and 1930s. After a devastating flood on August 13, 1923, the railroad-tie foundation of the coaster was damaged and the first upgrades were completed. Historic photographs indicate the wood coaster was frequently repainted. 28 In 1927, A. C. Christensen retired and Simon Bamberger's son, Julian M. Bamberger became president of the park. 29 By the 1930s, the name Lagoon Dipper had fallen out of favor and the ride was referred to as simply the Lagoon Coaster. In 1933, a tunnel was built over a portion of the ride "providing an added thrill to this breath taking ride.,,30 Sometime between 1937 and 1942, the fa~ade of the loading station was remodeled in the Art Deco-style and the ride renamed the "Silver Coaster" though it was still more commonly known as just the Roller Coaster through the 1940s. It is not known when the locals started calling the ride, the "white coaster," but the nickname stuck and is in common use today. 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-to-drink," a refreshing alternative to the, singular yet unpleasant, experience of swimming in the Great Salt Lake. 31 After a devastating fire in 1931, Saltair rebuilt and enlarged its Giant Racer twin-track roller coaster to rival the Lagoon coaster. Both of the resorts weathered the depression years, but in slightly different ways. Saltair spent money on big name bands of the period, while Lagoon focused on local talent. 32 But it was geography that ultimately doomed the more flamboyant Saltair. The lakeside resort had little room to expand and the mercurial levels of the Great Salt Lake wreaked havoc on Saltair's infrastructure. Meanwhile, Lagoon 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. Both Lagoon and Saltair, along with nearly all of Utah's recreational venues, experienced a three-year closure (dark period) between 1943 and 1945, due to a scarcity of gasoline, materials, and labor during World War II. Saltair never recovered. The resort struggled financially, particularly after an August 1957 wind gust toppled the Giant Racer. The coaster was not rebuilt and Saltair did not open again at its original site after the end of the 1958 season, leaving the Lagoon Roller Coaster as Utah's only historic wooden coaster.33 Lagoon nearly suffered the same fate. By early 1946, the Lagoon Amusement Park was filled with weeds and the rides were falling apart. The Bamberger family had lost interested 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. 34 They had their hands full. Under the name Utah Amusement Corporation, the partners spruced up the park in time for a 1946 season opening and added nine new attractions in time to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the park in 1947. 35 The roller coaster got a make-over for its twenty-sixth anniversary: "Another resort 28 Among the losses suffered that day, A. C. Christensen's brother Arnold Christensen died of shock and exertion. Davis County Clipper, August 17, 1923: 1. 29 Simon Bamberger died in 1926. 30 Salt Lake Telegram, May 29, 1933: 6. The tunnel was removed at an unknown date, but before the 1950 Sanborn map. 31 [Lagoon promotion brochures, 1938 and 1940), Utah State Historical Society files. 32 Saltair: 73. 33 The abandoned structures were destroyed by fire in 1970. Recent attempts to rebuild Saltair at a different location on the lake have met with mixed results. Saltair currently operates as a concert venue rather than an amusement park. 34 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. 35 The 1946 season was marred by the death of James Young Hess, a Lagoon employee who died from injuries sustained after being hit by a roller coaster train while working on the structure. Only two other deaths have occurred during the coaster's ninety-year history: a 11 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Fonn NPS Form 10-900 OMS No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property favorite the giant roller coaster will be outlined with an ostentatious lighting system. The coaster has a large crew of trained men making repairs and structural steel is being installed to reinforce the curves, all of which is being done in consultation with one of America's experts on coaster rides.,,36 By 1950, Lagoon had a mix of old and new rides. The Century Flyer with its sleek stainless-steel "rocket ships" had replaced the aeroplane swings, but the miniature railway was retained for the "kiddies" although relocated to the former location of the Shoot-the-Chutes incline. 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.,,37 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. 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 ofthe lift hill were destroyed. The carousel was charred, but eventually saved by fireman continuously dousing it with water throughout the night. 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 midway buildings. Three new train cars were purchased from National Amusement Device Company (NAD). The aluminum-sheathed cars with headlights and grills proved a good match for the streamline-look ofthe new neon-lined station. The coaster was officially renamed the Giant Coaster on the new signage. The architect for the recovery was R. Lloyd Snedaker from Salt Lake City. The Rocky Mountain Construction Company was the builder. Lagoon's phoenix-like opening took place on May 1, 1954. Two years later, five acres was devoted to the first themed section ofthe park, Mother Goose Land, which a children'S ride area, featuring a 12-foot high coaster built by the Allan Herschell Company of New York. 38 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 vehicles on a track with very tight turnS. 39 In the early 1970s, the Interstate-IS 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).40 Robert Freed introduced the first thematic section of the park, a kiddie-ride area known as Mother Goose Land in 1956. His brother, Peter Freed, took over management ofthe park in 1974 and oversaw the creation of Pioneer Village, a museum-quality collection of historic buildings and artifacts, which opened in 1976 in time for America's bicentennial celebration. twenty-one year-old man in 1934 and a thirteen year-old girl in 1989 died after falling off the coaster. Both riders were believed to have been standing up during the ride. 36 Davis County Clipper, April 25, 1947: 5. It was more accurately the 51st anniversary since the resort opened in 1896. The article also described plans for "streamlined cars and a modern loading platform," but how much ofthe plan was executed in 1947 is unclear. 37 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. 38 The 1956 kiddie coaster was replaced by the Puff the Little Fire Dragon Coaster in 1985. 39 Two versions of the Wild Mouse (1965 and 1975) have been replaced by a new version 40 Salt Lake Tribune, July 18, 1974. One of the most important contributions Robert E. Freed made to Lagoon was to abolish race restrictions which had been in place at the amusement park since its inception. He was inducted into the IAAPA Hall of Fame in 1990, the same year as Walt Disney. 12 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 1G-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster Name of Property County and State The park is currently owned by the Lagoon Corporation. The management has consistently added at least one new attraction per year, including nine new coasters between 1973 and 2011. 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.,,41 Today what once was the Lagoon Summer Resort and Picnic Grounds has become the Lagoon Amusement Park, but despite the novelty of the annual new attractions, the sense of nostalgia remains. Much of the nostalgia can be found in the old-fashioned wooden roller coaster that still stands at the west entrance to the park. Lagoon maintains the John A. Miller coaster, now known simply as the Lagoon Roller Coaster, for many reasons. It has become an icon of the park, one that is included in all of Lagoon's promotional materials. Recently new entrance gates were designed that pay homage to the old coaster. More importantly, the coaster continues to attract as many riders as the newer thrill rides. Many feel that wooden roller coasters, like fine wine, get better with age: "The wood creaks and has just enough give to make it scarier. They [the new coaster designers] thought steel would provide the ultimate ride, but it's just too smooth. ,,42 Recent structural and safety enhancements have ensured that the old roller coaster can continue to operate in perpetuity. On July 30, 2005, the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) recognized the Lagoon Roller Coaster an "ACE Roller Coaster Landmark." ACE reserves the Landmark designation for rides of "historic significance" and the traditional roller coaster experience. The commemorative plaque reads: Representing Utah's only traditional wood coaster since 1958, its distinctive structure, stretching from the midway into the adjacent parking area, seems ideally set against the striking backdrop of the Wasatch Mountains. As the sixth oldest coaster in the world, Roller Coaster continues to thrill riders of all ages and remains integral part of Lagoon's appealing collection of roller coasters. The Lagoon Roller Coaster is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and is significant in the areas of Engineering and EntertainmentlRecreation for its association with the Lagoon Amusement Park and the work of master roller coaster designer John A. Miller. Developmental history/additional historic context information (if appropriate) John A. Miller, Harry C. Baker, and the Golden Age of Roller Coasters John A. Miller was born August John Mueller, a son of German immigrants, in 1872 in Homewood, Illinois. Miller was nine years old when Philo M. Stevens used the phrase "rolling coaster device" to describe a circular railway he built in Chicago twenty-five miles north of Homewood. When August Mueller was just nineteen years-old, he began working for LaMarcus A. Thompson. Thompson is credited with building the first successful American roller coaster, a "Gravity Pleasure Switch Back Railway" for New York's Coney Island in 1884. LaMarcus Thompson has been nicknamed the "Father of Gravity.,,43 Within a few years, Mueller was Thompson's chief engineer and using the name John A. Miller Gary Kyriazi, The Great American Amusement Parks: A Pic/orial His/ory, (Secaucus, N.J.: Citadel Press, 1976): 253. Peter Freed, quoted in the Deseret News, August 22, 1978. 43 Of the twenty-eight coasters LaMarcus Thompson designed, only one, built in 1914 for the Tivoli Gardens in Denmark, has survived (www.rcdb.com). The Leap-the-Dips Coaster in Altoona, Pennsylvania, designed by Edward Joy Morris, is the last surviving example of a double-eight roller coaster and is the oldest standing and operating roller coaster in the world. It was listed on the NRHP and as a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1991 (#91000229). 41 42 13 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMS No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property professionally. By 1903, Miller was designing scenic railway and figure-eight coasters for both Thompson and Frederick Ingersoll, who designed the first scenic railway in Utah in 1906. 44 In the first two decades of the twentieth century, John A. Miller designed forty-four roller coasters. In addition to LaMarcus Thompson and Frederick Ingersoll, John A. Miller collaborated with other important coaster designers of the time, including Fred and Josiah Pearce. Miller began consulting with the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) in 1911. The PTC was established in 1904 by Henry A. Auchy and Chester Albright. The company built coasters from 1904 to 1979. Although PTC no longer builds coasters, the company is still in operation today and is the leading manufacturer of original and replacement train cars for wooden roller coasters. John A. Miller was also associated with the Dayton Fun House and Riding Device Manufacturing Company, which later became the National Amusement Device Corporation (NAD) in 1920. Though none of Miller's early roller coasters are extant, his inventive legacy survives in the fourteen coaster technology patents he filed between 1909 and 1919. His most important patents during this period revolutionized the coaster technology of the period and the concepts are still used by the coaster industry today. In 1910, John A. Miller of Homewood, Illinois, filed five patents for "pleasure railway" devices. Patent #979984 for the "anti rollbacks engaging chain" was an industry safety standard within a few years. The device, commonly called a safety ratchet or safety chain dog, prevented the train cars from rolling backwards during a chain break or loss of power on a coaster's lift hill. The safety device creates the characteristic click-clack sound that riders hear as they ascend the lift hill of a traditional wooden roller coaster. During the 1910s, he continued to invent more safety devices, including handlebars, grips, and a new wheel system that used eight wheels under each car. Four were road or running wheels and four were guide or side friction wheels that kept the train on the tracks. Patent #1319888, which John A. Miller filed in July 1919, added four more wheels to each car. The final set, the underfriction wheels, locked the cars onto the tracks and prevented derailing. The "upstop arrangement," as it was termed on the patent, allowed Miller and subsequent coaster designers of the period to build steeper hills and sharply banked turns to create increasingly more exciting rides through the 1920s. 4s John A. Miller's patent for the upstop arrangement coincided with the Golden Age of Roller Coasters, a time period that is usually synonymous with the Roaring Twenties in American history. The United States emerged from the horror of World War I to embrace unprecedented industrial growth based on new technologies, accelerated consumer aspirations and demand for new products, and a desire to break with traditional mores of lifestyle and culture. Owners and operators of summer recreation resorts responded by adding more mechanical amusements to what had been strolling pleasure gardens and picnic grounds at the turn of the century. In 1919, there were an estimated 1,500 amusement parks in the United States, with New York's Coney Island thrill rides and funhouses the most famous. 46 A chronicler of Coney Island bluntly described the amusement park as a place for exhibitionism and light sex: "After all, who could blame a young woman for throwing her arms around her escort in fright as a roller coaster made an earthbound plunge, and how could that same girl keep her dress completely down while sliding down a wildly twisting slide?,,47 Historian John Kasson believed that amusement parks like Coney Island "institutionalized the carnival spirit for a culture that lacked a carnival Frederick Ingersoll designed forty-eight coasters during his career, but none have survived. The scenic railway Thompson designed for the Salt Palace Summer Resort was razed after the complex was damaged by fire on August 29, 1910, and is not included in the roller coaster database. However, the design ofthe partially enclosed Salt Palace thematic scenic railway appears to be similar to other documented railways that Thompson designed with Miller as his chief engineer. 45 The Go/den Age of Roller Coasters: 60. Two years later John A. Miller patented an ''upstop retrofit" for older track structures. 46 Kyriazi, 98. Though John A. Miller's name has been linked to Coney Island, he designed only two coasters in the area: a Flying Turns coaster (operated 1934-1939) and the Thunderbolt (operated 1925-1982). The house built in the structure was featured in the Woody Allen film "Annie Hall." The Thunderbolt was demolished in November 2000. 47 Ibid. 44 14 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMS No. 1024-0018 Lagoon Roller Coaster (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State tradition.,,48 By the end of the 1920s, there were an estimated 2,000 roller coasters operating throughout the United States marking a Golden Age of Roller Coaster construction and operation. 49 In January 1920, John A. Miller formed a partnership with Harry C. Baker. Harry Charles Baker was born in Illinois in 1887. Harry C. Baker was a contractor specializing in roller coaster construction. His first coaster, a collaboration with Frederick Ingersoll and John A. Miller, was built in 1914. The 1920 census shows Harry C. Baker and his wife, Meta, living in Baltimore, Maryland, in a boarding house with a group of amusement park workers. He was likely on site working on a coaster. He identified himself as a contractor-architect. A catalogue produced in 1923 indicates that Miller & Baker, Inc. had three offices: the main office in New York City, the central office in Homewood and a western office in Los Angeles. Baker probably oversaw the New York office. He had moved to Westchester, New York, by the time of the 1930 census, where he was listed as a building engineer. Harry C. Baker is credited as a builder, rather than a designer on some of the roller coasters he produced with Miller. The Los Angeles office was in the care of Charles Paige, who designed at least two coasters with John A. Miller. 50 John A. Miller kept his Homewood, Illinois office. 51 Between 1920 and 1923, Miller & Baker, Inc. designed thirty-nine roller coasters, which averages to about one coaster a month for the firm. Much of the catalogue copy focuses on the inventions of John A. Miller. The three to four years that Miller and Baker worked together was the most productive time in either man's career. Only three coasters survive from the period that Miller & Baker, Inc. existed. Two were completed in 1920. The Jack Rabbit coaster at Kennywood Park, in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, was built into the undulating terrain of the park and is considered one of Miller's masterpieces. 52 The Jack Rabbit at Seabreeze Amusement Park in Rochester, New York, is also a terrain coaster. It is shorter than the Lagoon coaster, but features a taller first drop. 53 The Lagoon Roller Coaster is the only survivor of nine coasters designed by the company in 1921. The Pippin Roller Coaster, in Memphis Tennessee was designed by Miller & Baker in 1923. It was the first Miller coaster to be individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007, hilt wac; unfortunately demolished three years later. 54 John A. Miller and Harry C. Baker dissolved their partnership in 1923. In 1927, Baker supervised the construction of the famous Cyclone Roller Coaster at Astroland on Coney Island. 55 Harry C. Baker continued designing and builder coasters until his death in 1939. John F. Kasson, Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century, (American Century Series. New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, Hill and Wang), 1978: 50. 49 ''The Golden Age" in ACE Roller Coaster History (www.aceonline.org). 50 Charles Paige designed a total of thirteen coasters over his lifetime, of which two in Blackpool, England, are still operating. 51 Census records were difficult to confirm for John A. Miller because ofthe common name. An August Miller of the correct age lived in Homewood, Illinois, with his wife Anna on the 1920 census. August Miller gave his occupation as builder. On the 1930 census, a John and Anna Miller are living on the same street in Homewood. The 1930 couple is two years younger than the couple on the 1920 census, which may be the reason some biographers give 1874 as Miller's birth year. In 1930 the John Miller in Homewood modestly gave his occupation as laborer in the park industry. 52 Kennywood Park includes three operating coasters with ties to Miller: the Jack Rabbit built in 1920, the Racer designed by Miller in 1927, and the Thunderbolt, which was originally a 1924 coaster named the Pippin that was enlarged in 1968. Kennywood Park was listed on the NRHP and the NHL as a historic district in 1987 (#87000824). Playland Park in Rye, New York, is another amusement park listed as a historic district on the NHPR and NHL in 1980 (#80004529). The Dragon Coaster at Playland was designed in 1928 by Frederick Church. 53 The Jack Rabbit at Seabreeze was damaged by a 1923 fire and presumably rebuilt by Miller & Baker Inc. 54 Pippin Roller Coaster, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, 2007 (#07001166). The Pippin was reportedly Elvis Presley's favorite coaster. The roller coaster was recreated in its original configuration with new materials and opened as the Zippin Pippin at the Beach Bay Amusement Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 2011. The Wild One, built in 1986 at Six Flags America in Maryland, is another recreation ofa Miller design. 55 The Cyclone was built on the site of Thompson's first scenic railway. Baker was involved in the design and/or construction offortytwo coasters during his careers. Only two completed after his work with Miller, the Cyclone and the Thunderbolt at Six Flags, New England, are still operating. The Cyclone was listed on the NRHP in 1991 (#91000907). 48 15 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMS No. 1024-0018 Lagoon Roller Coaster (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State In Homewood, Illinois, the John A. Miller Company continued to produce several roller coasters a year through the 1920s. Miller also continued to file patents for many different types of amusement devices. He would eventually file over 100 patents in his lifetime. For this reason, John A. Miller is often referred to as the "Thomas Edison of Roller Coasters." Historian Robert Cartmell has described Miller's process in the following way: The opening parallel with Thomas Edison is not far fetched. Yet, unlike Edison, Miller did not have a ''think tank" with other inventors working for him. He had a uniquely inventive mind and was something of a loner needing only business partners, in most cases, to handle mundane ledger work and mail .... Miller was almost the "Golden Age of Roller Coasters" by himself. 56 John A. Miller continued to design coasters through the difficult depression years, sometimes alone, sometimes with partners such as Norman Bartlett or Charles Rose, or with the NAD. He inspired other prolific coaster designers, for example, Harry G. Traver and Herbert P. Schmeck. But even the most productive of coaster designers in the first half of the twentieth century, produced less than half of the 140 coasters designed by John A. Miller. Four later Miller-designed coasters are still operating: the Big Dipper in Blackpool, England (1923), the Racer at Kennywood (1927), the Legend at Arnold's Park in Iowa (1930), and the Coaster Thrill Ride at Puyallup Fair in Washington (1935, rebuilt).57 John A. Miller spent his last few years traveling in Mexico. He died in Houston, Texas, on June 24, 1941, while designing a roller coaster for that city. John A. Miller was buried in Homewood, Illinois, under the name of Mueller. Today, only the contributing coasters at Kennywood Park represent the important work of John A. Miller on the National Register of Historic Places. 58 The Lagoon Roller Coaster is eligible for the National Register as the third oldest of only nine extant historic coasters designed by John A. Miller. It represents the work of Miller & Baker, Inc. and incorporates many of the innovations that John A. Miller patented just in time for the Golden Age of Roller Coasters. 56 Cartmell: 124. 57 The Puyallup Fair Coaster was originally a John A. Miller design that was destroyed by fire in the 1940s. It was rebuilt twice between 1950 and 1970, and is in the process of a third reconstruction. 58 Other coasters listed on the NRHP or NHL not previously mentioned include: the Santa Cruz Beach coaster designed by Arthur Loof in 1925 (#78000753) and the Mission Beach Coaster in San Diego designed by Prior and Church in 1928. 16 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Lagoon Roller Coaster (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State 9, Major Bibliographical References Bibliography (Cite the books, articles. and other sources used in preparing this form .) Architectural Survey Data for the Lagoon Amusement Park. Report produced by the Utah State Historic Preservation Office, 2011. 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. Francis, David W. and Diane DeMali Francis. The Golden Age of Coasters in Vintage Postcards. Chicago, Illinois: Arcadia Publishing, 2003. 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. Availahle at the Utah State History Research Center. 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. R.L. Polk Directory. Salt Lake City, Utah, 1920-2003. Available at the Utah State History Research Center. 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. 17 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Lagoon Roller Coaster Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State United States Census Enumerations, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, 1900 - 1940. [Utah State Death Certificates Database.] Available online from the Utah State Archives. 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. Warrum, Noble. Utah Since Statehood, Historical and Biographical, Vol. III. Company, 1919: 332-335. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Previous documentation on file (NPS): Primary location of additional data: preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67 has been --requested) previously listed in the National Register --previously determined eligible by the National Register --deSignated a National Historic Landmark --recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey # _ _ _ __ --recorded by Historic American Engineering Record # _ _ __ --recorded by Historic American Landscape Survey # X State Historic Preservation Office Other State agency __Federal agency __Local govemment University --Other Name of repository: --------------- Historic Resources Survey Number (if assigned): 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property -=-1.:.::.3-=-5--=a::::c.::.cre::::s'-----:_ __ (Do not include previously listed resource acreage.) Latitude/Longitude References (Place additional references on a continuation sheet.) Latitude: 40.984758 0 Longitude: -111.8942210 Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property.) The boundaries of the Lagoon Roller Coaster include everything within the fenced area at the base of the structure, the loading station, and the waiting area. 18 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Fonn NPS Form 10-900 OMS No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster Name of Property Boundary Justification County and State (Explain why the boundaries were selected.) The boundaries are those historically associated with the property since the original footprint of the roller coaster was established in 1920-1921, and only slightly modified during the partial reconstruction in 1954. 11. Fonn Prepared By name/title Korral Broschinsky, Preservation Documentation Resource organization prepared for the Lagoon Amusement Park date August 2,2012 street & number 4874 Taylors Park Drive telephone city or town Taylorsville state e-mail k. [e-mail] 801-913-5645 Utah zip code 84123 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: • Maps: A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Key all photographs to this map. • Continuation Sheets • Additional Items: (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items.) Photographs: Submit clear and descriptive photographs. The size of each image must be 1600x1200 pixels at 300 ppi (pixels per inch) or larger. Key all photographs to the sketch map. Name of Property: Lagoon Roller Coaster City or Vicinity: Farmington County: Davis Photographer: Korral Broschinsky Date Photographed: 2011-2012 State: Utah Description of Photograph(s) and number: Photograph 1 of 8. View of Lagoon Roller Coaster and main parking lot. Camera facing southeast. 19 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Lagoon Roller Coaster Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State Photograph 2 of 8. East elevation of Lagoon Roller Coaster's loading station and ramps. Camera facing west. Photograph 3 of 8. Interior of loading station. Camera facing west. Photograph 4 of 8. Interior of loading station. Camera facing east. Photograph 5 of 8. View of lift hill from the track. Camera facing west and up. Photograph 6 of 8. View of lift hill and east turnaround. Camera facing southeast. Photograph 7 of 8. View of west turnaround. Camera facing northeast. Photograph 8 of 8. View of service buildings within the track perimeter. Camera facing east. Property Owner: (Complete this item at the request of the SHPO or FPO.) name Lagoon Corporation (Contact: David W. Freed) street & number 375 N. Lagoon Drive city or town Farmington 801-451-8000 telephone state Utah zip code 84025 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 Office of Planning and Performance Management. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1849 C. Street, NW, Washington, DC. 20 NPS Form 10-900-a (Rev. 8/2002) OMS No. 1024-0018 (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 MPS Boundaries \ ~ a CJ z ~ c ~ ~ rn Z --\ \S fG ..~ ~ 1G ~ z s:\ CS .z '::3 ~ \J\ () a c z ~ ~ Page __~_~_9_~~_~_~_~~_~~_~_~!]_!_~~_~_~__~_~~____________ _ Name of multiple listing (if applicable) 1 NPS Form 10-900-a (Rev. 8/2002) OMS No. 1024-0018 (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 -,-M.:...:.a=p=s~__ Page Carousel Latitude/Longitude ..a w*z :e 6. !I! rT1 ~ 0 io ~ ..... m Q) b ::::I (Q e' 0- !I! 0 g: 8 I -4 ~ ~ CD ~ to.) ..... 8'" ;: ~ __~_~_9_~~_~_~_~~_~~_~_~!]_!_~~_~_~__~_~~____________ _ Name of multiple listing (if applicable) 2 l,AaOON AMU5rMrNf PARK) fARMINC1fON) DAVI5 COUNfY) UfAH LAGOON ROLLER COASTER Lagoon Amusement Park Farmington, Davis County, Utah o Latitude : 40.984758 50 100 I 200 Feet I Longitude: -111 .894221 PHOTOGRAPHS & SLIDES \ ~~ ~lk.t Ccct-7f"~r A-o i N~ "2, '"2.e I "L Lagoon Roller Coaster. 375 N. Lagoon Dr, Farmington , Davis county. Photo 1 Photo 2 Lagoon Roller Coaster. 375 N. Lagoon Dr, Farmington , Davis county. Photo 3 Photo 4 Lagoon Roller Coaster. 375 N. Lagoon Dr, Farmington , Davis county. Photo 5 Photo 6 Lagoon Roller Coaster. 375 N. Lagoon Dr, Farmington , Davis county. Photo 7 Photo 8 /1'-12 ~ This text message is used to keep the image from rotating in ocr process. Be sure to crop the top .25" off after the ocr process. MAPS & DRAWINGS L,AC100N AMUS~M~Nf PARK) fARMINC1fON) DAVIS COUNfY) Ufm LAGOON ROLLER COASTER Lagoon Amusement Park Farmington, Davis County, Utah o Latitude : 40.984758 50 100 I 200 Feet I Longitude: -111 .894221 RESEARCH NOTES/MISCELLANEOUS Page 1 of2 Inventor of the Week: Archive LEMELSA N-MIT Cerebfa!ing innOlllrtion, inspiriJ1g yootI! .- This Wee k . If I ', ilrll ' rl' fl ' l 111 I , 11 Jr h 'I ' r fl l~ If1 ' J • I " I I WHO WE ARE AWARDS OUTREACH NEWS I Inventor Archive I Inventor Search Inventor OF THE Week Inventor of the Week Archive •• + Browse for a different Invention or Inventor I.-r f:~ OFTHEWeeic invet1to ~ . an6Ofc ~ Roller Coaster Innovations The inventor sometimes referred to as the "Thomas Edison of the roller coaster" was John A. Miller, who earned more than 100 patents related to coaster technology and ride safety. Born August John Mueller in Homewood, Illinois, in 1874, Miller, who used this name as his professional moniker, embarked in 1893 on a career that spanned nearly 50 years. When he was just 19 years old he began working with a roller coaster designer and engineer by the name of LaMarcus Thompson. Thompson is generally credited with having created the United States' first roller coaster in Coney Island, New York, in 1884 (he patented his "Roller Coasting Structure" in 1885). Before long, Miller was Thompson's chief engineer. In 1911, Miller was a consultant for the Philadelphia Toboggan Company, for whom he designed at least a dozen roller coasters. He later worked with Josiah and Fred Pearce on coasters and also with Frederick Ingersoll, as well as with the Dayton Fun House and Riding Device Manufacturing Company, which became the National Amusement Device Corporation. In 1920 Miller and Harry C. Baker created a joint company called Miller and Baker, Inc. Via this enterprise, Miller would create a mind-boggling number of coasters in a very short amount of time. In 1920 alone, he built at least 15 coasters in cities across the United States. The men broke off their partnership in 1923 when Miller established a business of his own. Miller constantly pushed the envelope when it came to roller coaster thrills and technology. He would insist that drops could be higher, http://web.mit.edu/inventliow/miller.html 4119/2012 Page 2 of2 Inventor of the Week: Archive steeper; turns could be sharper, the cars quicker. His inventions included many safety technologies that are still employed in today's roller coasters. These include his creation in 1910 of the "safety chain dog," or, safety ratchet, a device that would prevent coaster cars from rolling backward down the lift hill if the pull chain broke. This device attached to the track and clicked tightly into the chain rungs. It is this mechanism that later evolved into the hardware that produces wooden coasters' trademark " clickety-clackety" sound. Another significant achievement was Miller's 1919 invention of "underfriction wheels," or "upstop wheels," which keep coaster cars locked to their tracks. This is critical for allowing the cars to reach high speeds, turn at sharp angles, and go upside down , safely, even in rapid succession. These are still found on nearly all of the roller coasters running today . Miller also developed a variety of braking mechanisms, car bar locks, and various unique custom coaster cars and tracks with whimsical names such as "The Dip-Lo-Docus," and "The Flying Turns" coaster (created in partnership with Norman Bartlett), which had a car that sped through a U-shaped, half-tunnel type of trough . The first ride of this kind was installed at Lakeside Park in Dayton, Ohio in 1929. He designed coasters for amusement parks all over the U.S. and the world, including the "Wild One " at Six Flags America in Largo, Maryland, the Revere Beach (Mass.) "Thunderbolt," the Cyclone at Puritas Springs in Cleveland, Ohio (named on the Smithsonian Institution's list of Great Lost Roller Coasters), the Big Dipper at Blackpool Pleasure Beach in England, and the Roller Coaster at the Western Washington Fair in Washington state. Today only a few of his coasters are in operation, including The Racer coaster at Kennywood Park near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania . Miller never stopped building coasters. He traveled extensively to supervise site installations and consult on roller coaster design, even during the last years of his life. He died while working on a coaster project in Houston, Texas on June 24, 1941. Since then contemporary coaster companies - such as Custom Coasters Inc. or Great Coasters International - have come to the fore but much of the technology Miller introduced remains standard. Anyone who has ridden a roller coaster is likely to have experienced the benefits of Miller's work and innovations. [November 2004] Copyrig ht © Massachusetts Institute of Technolooy http ://web.mit.edu/inventliow/miller.html MIT School of Enoineerino 411 9/2012 Roller Coaster Designed by John Miller Almost 90 years old, the Lagoon ROLLER COASTER remains one of the most popular attractions at the Park and is one of only a few wooden coasters between Denver and the West Coast. In 1953 a fire destroyed the front of this coaster. It was rebuilt the following year, and sections of the roller coaster are rebuilt from year to year. To ensure the safety of this ride, the morning begins very early for some people. The tracks are walked and thoroughly checked over each day before being put into use for the public. The Coaster was designed by John Miller, who also designed coasters at Coney Island. The wooden roller coaster consists of two trains. Each train is made up of four cars, with six passengers to a car. In operation at Lagoon, the capacity for this coaster is 1,920 passengers per hour, per train . The Roller Coaster is included with Season and Single Day Passports. GENERAL SPECIFICATIONS • Highest Height: 60 feet high • Length of Track: 2,500 feet long • Speed: 45 miles per hour • Built in: 1921 • Duration of Ride: 1 minute 56 seconds • Year Installed: 1921 Page 1 of2 Roller Coaster Search Results Language : ~~~ ____~ Measure : '-=-~'-'-'-"_ Roller Coaster Search Results Modifv Report Plot on Map Criteria: Person = John A. Miller Found: 140 (Page 1 of 6) Quick Search Sorted By: Status Roller Coaster Amusement Park ~ Design Status Opened Big Dipper Pleasure Beach. BlackpoQI Wood Sit Down Operating 7/1923 Coaster Thrill Ride Puyallup Fair Wood Sit Down Operating 1935 Jack Rabbit Kennywood Wood Sit Down Operating 1920 Jack Rabbit Sea breeze Wood ~it Down Operating 1920 Legend Arnolds Park Wood Sit Down Operating Racer Kennywood Wood ~it Down Operating 1927 New for 2011 Roller Coaster Lagoon Wood Sit Down Operating 1921 Census Wild One Six Flags America Wood Sit Down Operating 1986 Record Holders Zippio pippin Bay Beach Amusemeot Park .w.a.a.d Sit QalOlo Qpe[atiog 5/21/2011 Inversion Breakdown Aero Qips Euclid Beach .w.a.a.d Sit QalOlO 1909 Alps Willow Grove Park Wood Sit Down 1905 Beach Coaster Ocean View Pavilion Wood Sit Down 1928 Big Beast Edgewater Park Wood Sit Down 1927 Big Dipper Geauga Lake & Wildwater Kingdom Wood Sit Down 1925 Big Dipper Riverview Park Wood Sit Down 1920 Big Dipper Jefferson Beach Wood Sit Down 1927 Big Dipper Krug Park Wood Sit DQwn 1918 Big Dipper Idora Park Wood Sit Down 1922 Big Dipper GordQn Gardens Wood ~it Down 1922 Big Dipper Roton Point Wood Sit Down 1914 Search Advanced Search Tree View Reports New for 2013 New for 2012 More Glossary About This Site User Comments Links Contact Us < < Previous http://rcdb.com/r.htm ?ot=2&pe=6866&page= 1&order=-12 1 2 .a ~ .5. fi 1 1 1 6/8/ 1930 1 I 1 1 I':ieX.t > > 4/14/2012 Page 1 of 1 Multi-Print Viewer America's News S.L. ARCHITECT R. LLOYD SNEDAKER DIES Deseret News, The (Salt Lake City, UT) - Saturday, August 5, 1989 R. Lloyd Snedaker, a noted Salt Lake architect, died Aug . 4, 1989, at his home in Salt Lake City of cancer. He was born in Salt Lake City in 1905, the son of Lee Clinton and Laura Ann Snedaker. He married Dorothy Proctor on Sept. 15, 1933, in Salt Lake City. She died in 1987. After obtaining an engineering degree from the University of Utah and an architectural/engineering degree from the University of Michigan, he received a master's degree in architecture from Harvard University. He was involved with the renovation of downtown Salt Lake City during the past 25 years. During more than 30 years of practice, Mr. Snedaker was responsible for more than 100 private residences in the Intermountain West. He was the architect for major structures on the U. of U. and Utah State University campuses, the complete interior remodeling and restoration of the Utah State Capitol Building, and was part of the team that designed and supervised the construction of the Salt Lake City Federal Building. A longtime member of the Salt Lake Rotary Club, he also served on the board of directors of the Salt Lake City Library, where he was president for two terms. He was a member of the Architects Examining Board for the State of Utah, the board of directors of the Alta Club, the board of trustees of Holy Cross Hospital, and the board of directors of the Salt Lake Art Center. He served as president of the Alta Club in 1974. Mr. Snedaker was named a Fellow by the American Institute of Architects in 1965, served as president of the local A.IA chapter in 1945 and was elected to the national board for three consecutive terms from 1960 through 1963. A memorial service will be held at Eastman's Evans and Early Mortuary on Monday, Aug. 7, at 11 a.m. Caption : Photograph of R.L. Snedaker Edition: Metro Section: News - Page:B4 Record Number: 8908050376 Copyright (c) 1989 Deseret News Publishing Company http ://infoweb.newsbank.eom .ule. idm.oelc.org/iw-searehlwe/lnfo Web 4/2112012 d&ull\t~r ,:nd her JaU~b:ab4. from O£,dea, lOcI Aft.! Minei'.~ -aU-teN. w~re-.mOUI lbe!gUCItt in attar d&Dee. ", r D,. c. s..oatila.,. ;, p... rarln~ to build. Dow/borne 00 baa lot wbieh blOCQ,tt betw~ Grain ClArk ADd N(p 1 P,hner'•. Dorothr \\ leos. l'ark ........ I;rllnted a d)vorce by detllult Crom Williample..x Park in tbe di,triet courtJ'Saturday, 011 tb. ~oundJ of crUtlty. I Alter" JIlt' ~ oC tho ,tat. road comm .ion, . J!"'armlngtotl cit council A ,l nAlllbergcr intel'- ull held, 01 lAtter part or JIlAt week, relati e to the Tiaduet norah of r.., on, it WQ til'en out that tho It&t tOld. COhltni:ulon had agreed t pAy the judgment obtainrd lor 5,000 alliust Farm. hurtoa City b Oeorjfe Uell tor , - - - - - - - - - - - dam.eo don to 1IL, propen,. FAlUlmn.lf R.l.:n_ tbrou,h .hOl) iag th. ,oad "'I<I .0-:e .lIra. Ellen W~cht 01 Salt Llk~ h.. su.ecetded :)Ira. Zen:er '16 n b l t La a~ erger _;:tn. .1 ~u. \\Itttr UarnpJon,_ntl t\,.te ba,~ t th Luildin: t tbe villdnet the B~mberg trlela, l!rovl<hn~ there II no Je :It ob.tnlcUous. The Bamberger i tereats un jad :iven the Ite a 110te tor r-OOOO wh~ to pay pArt eft tbe ezpeWlc b~rJle' returned l~m /.C.,l.lfornia they.lt.d Vl!lIIl W , WIth their .on, by the .tate 'It tho conltrudioa "r Fernatus, and nfe,!ln. Rnmpton this OftI' hca71 Cl'OMm;,_ If tho wu there for ~"o or thre-e mon., . to. t'" hi R~' d b ' I "'1 doc, aot/For ar,. II... the ':t r. am, on rnA e a rio! ij,OOO toclay, {hi, money will drQ\\' 51 VlI' b ' ~ rOd intt'rt.\t hlnalter until paid A Uilllftl& nllb rom. sr en the rate of er cent. • w.. .oiled "25 in Jud~e Wood ',. court, TuesdJ.l" tor b.wng II cbeek wben e had inluftleieue funds in tke link. :rhe Eailu~ tro~ Orden a~rl the Civic dun-up club froUl F.rmwcton ga\'c 0 :It dance at Lagoon, S.ta~a,. nlgbt. ,,·bleb. WtO 'Uf~ded by peoplo from· .11 parta 01 til' .oual)·• .A. buick 'roadster ,nth oue Iron' tth~l~' IQ(l which bRd betn obte",,' dama;ed, that ftflUfed in a I shup Sunday Dhrhf ,t'U ncar Chaso I1ne in Centerville in the .~rmiD'ton ,Irage, the fint of thl week, lor ~paifl . Two ,.oane mqn and their "fed. h~art. ,refe in he roadstt1' nt the Hmo of the ac ident. The)' took oil the froot ~ d 01 the Fonl, ~tru~k & tclep ou.e polo and wen, throu,h liD ira tence into a c;ar· (lCD. AU tbil t au.splred without "'8.1 .nyode bewS' I Jured. Mr.• nel 3ln L . N. Ib.yes .pent Suada)' in DOl ayel' parent Chri\ N'ellolJ. ) hal betn nry the- /tnt of .Apr Two new eon added to the 111 eenian1 at LaC ltlful with )!" . Mr. ant! )CrA, r. Nellon'l health oor liuC\4I aUout . Iliona hal'e bftu reiatIOD. of eouon this lealM. 0 •• Is ..Ued III La'OOD Dipper heiD: .imllar to • ODO at Saltait" a:ad wq built by a Colondo CoUIpany, It a COlt, i i. &aid, of somethin: like $7~,OOO aucl the olber ia called " eO&'1er ~lU.e. Thi. ,tatter is quite a~ ju,cmioUi COil. :triYanea but no 'there Ileu II eli, Ipe.nsi.,e AI tho dJflptt. The ihoo:. the chutes has lJer,h mo\'~ farther badc., the pond front of th., Illm~ ebanl:ccl 8lI~ enl.u ced. The aeroplane and. tb. othu concel~ 110.. bo.. all pul Ja a .. adl tion. to aeeom.ru.od,tc the c:ro,..~. whieb will be thelp 011 the open. I.: ~r-thiJ Stttrdar. Tb, re. IOtt open. hro da~1 earlier thi. c:'ron tbaa. ever IJttore. It the wrather is nn~ Ill Ci ... tbtrn I. ChIlDI. to bave • rood opuill.A' A s:ood opmiDc Ind a !:,ood clo.. Jnr: will go • ro~ ,"Iy toWArd lukin, the acalOU • protlta.bl~ I '1 bte<\ thi1 ,.. I ODe. , The thirteen or. fourtHn year ' ' ' ' old dauGht.~ or )1,. and lIn; BUiI, wllo W41 atruek by an auto-JDoblle tlrinn by '; ' Prevo man, about three wee~ °aGo whilo ,hI! "... crouinl' tlll! - ro:ld and '"ho , was reported b. ilOproTin!= ; last week ".., ~udd'1I.11 takenWorn and SuDd31.'''''' removed to tho Dee hO&1'Iital ill Orden. rter eonditiou bad. t.(!~me 10 eritlea.I, tile middle of tbe~tteek. that the~ to! " .... little hopo l tiler neoTer)". , ,A party W4, K ven at the flln\. it! hornt" Sund,}. Inr tb~ unrue dla.t.e ramllr of <:. A, lhUer .in honor of hil blrtida.y n,,, lOD olDtl ~~~alt .Lou,e. hll' D?Z\/\ s 21 ) NPS Form 10-900 (Expires 5/31 /2012) OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service National Register of Historic Places Registration Form This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in National Register Bulletin , How to Complete the National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. If any item does not apply to the property being documented , enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions , architectural classification , materials, and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions . Place additional certification comments, entries, and narrative items on continuation sheets if needed (NPS Form 10-900a). 1. Name of Property Draft #2 historic name Lagoon Roller Coaster other names/site number Lagoon Dipper, Silver Coaster, Giant Coaster, White Roller Coaster D 2. Location street & number 375 N. Lagoon Drive city or town Farmington state --------------~--------------------------------------------- Utah UT code county Davis code 011 not for publication UVicinity zip code 84025 3. State/Federal Agency Certification As the designated authority under the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended , I hereby certify that this X nomination _ request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion , the property ~ meets __ does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant at the following level(s) of significance: -.L national - statewide l local Signature of certifying officiallTitle Date Utah Division of State History / Historic Preservation Office State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government In my opinion, the property __ meets _ does not meet the National Register criteria . Signature of commenting official Title Date State or Federal agency/bureau or Tribal Government 4. National Park Service Certification I hereby certify that this property is: __ entered in the National Register __ determined eligible for the National Register __ determined not eligible for the National Register __ removed from the National Register __ other (explain :) Signature of the Keeper Date of Action United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 (Expires 5/31/2012) OMB No. 1024-0018 Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property 5. Classification Ownership of Property (Check as many boxes as apply.) ~ Number of Resources within Property Category of Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count.) (Check only one box.) Contributing private public - Local public - State public - Federal building(s) X district site structure Noncontributing 2 district site structure 2 object buildings 2 2 object Total Number of contributing resources previously listed in the National Register Name of related multiple property listing (Enter "N/A" if property is not part of a multiple property listing) Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976 N/A 6. Function or Use Historic Functions Current Functions (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions.) RECREA nON AND CULTURE: roller coaster RECREA nON AND CULTURE: roller coaster 7. Description Architectural Classification Materials (Enter categories from instructions.) (Enter categories from instructions .) OTHER: Wooden Roller Coaster MODERN: Post-War Streamline Modeme (loading and unloading station only) foundation : CONCRETE walls: N/A roof: N/A other: WOOD, IRON, STEEL 2 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 (Expires 5/31/2012) OMB No. 1024-0018 Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property Narrative Description (Describe the historic and current physical appearance of the property. Explain contributing and noncontributing resources if necessary. Begin with a summary paragraph that briefly describes the general characteristics of the property, such as its location, setting , size, and significant features.) Summary Paragraph The Lagoon Roller Coaster, built in 1921, was designed by John A. Miller for the Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Davis County, Utah. The roller coaster is a wooden structure measuring approximately 690 feet in length including the station and waiting area. The coaster is 62 feet high at it tallest point. The design is classified as a double out and back coaster with a total track length of 2,598 feet. In November 1953, the original station and a portion of the lift hill were destroyed by fire. The lift hill as designed by Miller was recreated in 1954, but the new station was rebuilt in the Post-War Streamline Modeme style. The waiting area was modified in 1992 to provide a handicap access ramp. The site includes two non-contributing support buildings, the chain/motor house, and a storage shed. The historic period of significance for the Lagoon Roller Coaster spans from the date of construction in 1921 to the post-fire reconstruction in 1954. All subsequent mod ifications to the coaster, including ongoing maintenance and safety upgrades, have had minimal impact on the historic integrity of the original John A. Miller design. The Lagoon Roller Coaster meets the registration requirements of the Multiple Property Listing, Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 18861976, and is a contributing historic resource in the community of Farmington, Utah . Although the roller coaster at Lagoon has had at least four distinct formal and informal names, it most consistently through its ninety-year history been known simply as the roller coaster. For this reason, the Lagoon Roller Coaster has been chosen as the historic name. Narrative Description Site The footprint of the Lagoon Roller Coaster lies within an area of approximately 1.35 acres out of approximately 60 acres for the park.l The coaster is located in the historic southwest quadrant of the park just south of the main entrance. The 1921 roller coaster was built on the same site as an older double-eight coaster, which operated at Lagoon from 1907 to 1920. When viewed in plan, the 1921 coaster is divided between the main oval track and an intersecting U-shaped section of track that includes the lift hill, brake run, and station. The main oval is approximately 520-feet long and 90feet wide. The oval extends 350-feet into Lagoon's main parking lot and is separated from the parking area by an eightfoot chain link and barbed wire fence. Because of its placement, the wooden roller coaster is the park' s most salient landmark as seen from Interstate 15 . The freeway runs parallel to the park' s west boundary and is the route that most patrons take to the park. The coaster entrance is at the south end of the midway at the northwest comer of the park's namesake artificial lagoon. A handful of newer rides, midway games, outdoor stage, and a historic carousel are clustered near the coaster entrance. Structure The original construction of the wooden coaster likely began in the fall of 1920 as the ride was completed in time for the park's opening on May 28, 1921. The structure of the main oval is 40-feet high. The original construction methods consisted of a timber and stud framework (probably pine lumber) set into concrete footings and held together with metal I This estimate is for the operating portion only excludes the parking lot, campground, support areas, and undeveloped land owned by the park. 3 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31 /2012) Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property bolts. The structure was originally painted white to protect the wood. The coaster is inspected daily during operation for weaknesses caused by rot, insect infestation, or cracking due to the stresses of both lateral and vertical loads. Major replacement of defective structural elements typically takes place during the off-season between November and March. Over its ninety-year history, the coaster has been essentially rebuilt with in-kind materials, but has never lost its integrity of setting and design as associated with the original construction period. The management of Lagoon has made minor modifications to the workmanship of the coaster to enhance safety. For example, in the last few years, Lagoon has initiated a program of gradually replacing the bents (the series of transverse structural frames) and the batter bracing members with treated wood that does not require painting. The unpainted wood provides a better visual inspected for defects? Because Lagoon is located near the Wasatch Fault and Farmington Canyon, the latest in-kind replacements have been designed as both a seismic and wind retrofit. The bents are held together with heavier bolts and more gusset plates, but are also designed to flex as needed. Continuous upgrades have also been made to the concrete footings and foundation. The first replacement footings were required only two years after the initial construction when the foundation was damaged by a 1923 flood. Another major foundation upgrade came after the 1953 fire. More recently, the replacement vertical timbers have been fitted with a protective metal shoe and attached to a new concrete foundation by a pair of steel baseplates. Approximately twenty percent of the coaster has been recently rebuilt. The completion of the project will take several years. The modifications do not impact the historic integrity of the structure because other than the color-the white roller coaster is gradually turning brown-the changes are not readily apparent to the general public. Signs informing the public of the new policy were posted around the coaster in 2004. Minimal modifications have been made to the non-structural elements of coaster' s main oval. The two elevated levels of track sit on ledger boards held together with track ties. The track steel is an example of a coaster with underfriction wheels, an innovation Miller patented in 1919 to keep the coaster train from lifting completely off the track. The track consists of three separate pieces: the top running steel, the side steel, and the up-stop steel. Though the track steel has been upgraded, the essential design remains the same. Walk boards and hand rails are located on either side of the track steel for the mechanics inspecting the ride and for emergency evacuation if needed. The walk boards on the hills also have stepping boards. Track Design The Lagoon Roller Coaster is classified as an out and back coaster because it returns to the same station for loading and unloading. It is also a double out and back coaster because it makes two circuits of the main oval. The first circuit features higher hills and runs on the interior of the main oval. The second circuit features a series of lower "bunny hop" hills that run along the outside of the main oval. There are two turnarounds, one at each end. The east turnaround is where the track runs under the lift hill. The west turnaround is bi-Ievel with the first circuit running at the top of the bents and the second circuit directly underneath . The ground inside the main oval has been paved with asphalt (circa 2005). There is a non-contributing circa 1990 tool shed near an original "tunnel" under the coaster for maintenance vehicles. The main oval runs northeast to southwest at an approximate ten degree angle. The U-shape track runs approximately 200 feet at a twenty degree angle to the southeast, identical to the configuration of the pre-fire track. The original station located at the end of the U-track was a partially-open frame structure measuring approximate 80 by 50 feet. The narrow end faced east, which was open at the in and out gates. A 1942 photograph of the station entrance show it had been The Pippin Roller Coaster in Memphis, Tennessee, a 1928 structure also designed by John A. Miller, was not painted, and has been similarly rebuilt several times. The Pippin Roller Coaster was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007. Judith Johnson and John T. Dulaney, Pippin Roller Coaster, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, 2007: [5]. 2 4 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property modernized with Art Deco-style lettering on a stucco false front. The 1950 Sanborn map shows four small support buildings just west of the station. In November 1953, a fire at Lagoon destroyed the station, support buildings, and portions of the lift hill and brake run. All were rebuilt in time for the May opening of the 1954 season. The lift hill and brake run were replaced using in-kind wood members, but the station was constructed with more fireproof materials: concrete block, brick, steel, and iron. Station The footprint of the re-built station was the same size and at the same location as the 1921 station. The redesign of the station was decidedly modern with the clean futuristic look of the 1950s. The curving roof was designed to blend with the bow-string trusses of the reconstructed midway buildings and dance pavilion also destroyed by fire. The barrel-shape of the station runs east to west is completely open except for the operator booth at the northeast corner. The curving iron supports along the north and south elevations. The structural ribs are visible on the interior supporting the corrugated steel roof. The station is on a raised platform of concrete block. The floor is composed of metal plates on either side of the track trough. The east elevation has been modified slightly since 1954. Originally the riders entered on the south side under a cantilevered flat roof with a curved end, invoking the streamline moderne style. A vertical element punctured the cantilevered roof giving the station a post-war moderne look. The base of the east elevation was faced with Roman brick under the exit ramp. In 1992, the entrance was redesigned to meet ADA-accessibility requirements. The vertical element was removed and a concrete ramp was installed. Handicapped riders are taken from the ramp queue to the exit on the north side of the station platform to avoid the narrow wait lines and air gates on the south side. In 2009, the ramp was cosmetically upgraded with cobblestone facing, a wrought-iron balustrade, and new signage that complements the 1954 design. The support elements of the station are painted red and the second elements are silver and white. The station platform and the portion of the brake run closest to the station are supported on concrete block and iron posts. There is room for one train to be stored inside the station with room for the second train on a platform to the rear. In 2001, the computer system was upgraded and a steel transfer track was installed. At the rear of the station, there is a combination of wood and chain link fencing around the transformers boxes and the chain/motor house nestled next to the lift hill. Much of the chain assembly is historic (circa 1954), but the shed-roof chain house has been rebuilt (circa 1990) and is a non-contributing building. A non-contributing storage shed was built at about the same time. Trains/Cars There have been at least three sets of trains running on the Lagoon Roller Coaster since 1921. The exact configuration and manufacturer of the original train cars is unknown. 3 After the 1953 fire, the cars were replaced the stainless steel cars produced by the National Amusement Device Company (NAD). The current cars were manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC).4 Each car consists of three two-person bench seats. Lagoon currently has two trains each with four cars for a total of twenty-four riders per train. The buzz-bar restraints were replaced with individual ratcheting lap bars in 1990, around the same time the manual skid brakes were replaced with fin brakes. In 2008, the In November 1920, John A. Miller filed a patent for an open "pleasure-railway" car with inline seating and protective rails (US Patent #1380732). This may have been similar to the design of the original cars, although the more traditional two row bench-seat cars were also available at this time (see US Patent #1102822 in 1914 or #1319888 in 1919). 4 The original cars could have been produced by either NAD or PTe. PTe was established in 1904 and John A. Miller was a consultant for the company as early as 1911. PTe is still in business today. John A. Miller was also associated with the NAD, which was established in 1920. 3 5 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 (Expires 5/31 /2012) OMB No. 1024-0018 Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property current bright orange lap-bar restraints and molded plastic headrests were installed. The controls were completely computerized in 2006 . The Lagoon Roller Coaster has a ride capacity of 1,920 passengers per hour. Ride Experience After walking through the waiting area ramp and switchbacks, the riders are divided into pairs at the air gates.5 The average ride duration is just under two minutes. The trains leave the station in a counter-clockwise curve to immediately ascend the lift hill on the barrel chain ofthe lift hill assembly. Riders hear the familiar click-clacking sound of the ratchet dog (aka anti-rollback device), another safety innovation designed by John A. Miller to keep the train from rolling backward in case of a broken chain or loss of power. At the top of the lift hill, riders go under a Lagoon sign/flag post. As the train crests the hill it is freed from the chain assembly and allowed to take the 57-foot first drop at approximately 45 miles per hour. The second hill has a 35-foot drop. The train then ascends to the top of the west 40-foot turnaround with the aid of a second shorter lift chain. Riders experience another hill before ascending to the east turnaround, which cuts under the lift hill. The second circuit is on a lower level on the north side of the coaster where the riders experience a 20-foot hill and a gentle double-dip before ascending to the lower level of west turnaround. On the final leg of the ride, passengers get additional airtime on two "bunny hop" hills before returning to the station along the brake run.6 Riders exit to the north past the operator booth and onto a metal bridge that crosses over the trains leaving the station. The exit ramp is at the northeast corner. Summary Although some safety modifications have been made to the ride, Lagoon ' s wooden roller coaster retains its historic integrity, particularly in terms of location, design, and feeling. A plaque awarded by the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) is mounted near the exit bridge. ACE designated an " ACE Roller Coaster Landmark" in 2005 recognizing the historic significance and authenticity of the wooden coaster. As the sixth oldest roller coaster in the world and the fourth oldest in the United States, the Lagoon Roller Coaster contributes to the historic resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park and the Farmington, Davis County, area. Signs posted near the entrance indicate the height restrictions for riders. Patrons between the 46" and 50" tall must be accompanied by a responsible person. Patrons under 46" tall may not ride. 6 In roller coaster terminology "airtime" is the feeling created by negative G-forces when the body of the rider is forced upward resulting in air between the seat and a passenger' s bottom. It is most commonly felt on a drop or at the crest of a non-lift hill. 5 6 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 (Expires 5/31/2012) OMB No. 1024-0018 Davis Connty, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property 8. Statement of Significance Applicable National Register Criteria Areas of Significance (Mark "x" in one or more boxes for the criteria qualifying the property for National Register listing.) (Enter categories from instructions.) ENGINEERING Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history. ENTERT AINMENT/RECREA nON Property is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past. Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack individual distinction. Period of Significance 1921-1954 Property has yielded, or is likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history. Significant Dates 1921,1954 Criteria Considerations (Mark "x" in all the boxes that apply.) Significant Person Property is: A Owned by a religious institution or used for religious purposes. B removed from its original location. C a birthplace or grave. D a cemetery. E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. F a commemorative property. G less than 50 years old or achieving significance within the past 50 years. (Complete only if Criterion B is marked above.) Cultural Affiliation N/A Architect/Builder John A. Miller, Designer & Engineer Harry C. Baker, Engineer Colorado/Colonial Construction Co., Builder Period of Significance (justification) The period of significance includes the original construction of the roller coaster and the subsequent reconstruction of the loading station and lift hill in 1954. The roller coaster is in continuous use today and is eligible up to the 50-year cut-off for National Register of Historic Places eligibility, but the time period was chosen to focus on the major building phases. Criteria Considerations (explanation, if necessary) N/A 7 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5131 12012) Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property Statement of Significance Summary Paragraph (Provide a summary paragraph that includes level of significance and applicable criteria .) The Lagoon Roller Coaster, built in 1921, at the Lagoon Amusement Park in Farmington, Utah, is nationally significant under Criterion C in the area of Engineering as a rare extant example of the work of master roller coaster designer John A. Miller. John A. Miller is widely regarded as the most prolific and innovative coaster designer of the twentieth century. During his nearly fifty-year career, Miller designed 140 coasters and filed over 100 patents related to coaster technology and ride safety. The Lagoon Roller Coaster is one of only seven surviving and operating historic coasters designed John A. Miller. The Lagoon coaster was constructed in his most productive period during his partnership with engineer Harry C. Baker. The firm of Miller & Baker Inc. designed thirty-nine coasters between 1920 and 1923 . The Lagoon coaster is one of only three extant examples of the company's work. It is the third oldest surviving example of John A. Miller's work and features many of the ride and safety innovations that Miller invented in the first half of his career. The Lagoon Roller Coaster has had only minor modifications, mostly in-kind replacement materials, since its original 1921 construction, and retains its historic integrity in terms of location, setting, design, workmanship, and the feeling of a traditional wooden roller coaster. The Lagoon Roller Coaster is currently the sixth oldest operating roller coaster in the world and the fourth oldest in the United States. The Lagoon Roller Coaster is also significant under National Register of Historic Places Criterion A, for its association with the transformation of the Lagoon Amusement Park from a summer resort pleasure garden to a modem amusement park in the first half of the twentieth century. The coaster was built at the beginning of a phase of the park's history marked by the incorporation of new technologies to enhance the patron's experience. The coaster's station and lift hill were destroyed by a 1953 fire that ravaged half of the park. The rebirth of the park after the fire began a second period of expansion and modernization, of which the wooden roller coaster remained an important element. The Lagoon Roller Coaster is Utah ' s only extant traditional roller coaster. It is one of only twelve surviving coasters out of approximately 1,500 that were built during America's Golden Age of roller coasters in the 1920s. The roller coaster is significant in the area of Entertainment/Recreation as a representative of that era and meets the eligibility requirements of the Multiple Property ListingSubmission, Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, 1886 - 1976. The period of historic significance from 1921 to the 1954 reconstruction spans three contextual periods of the Multiple Property Submission: Mechanical Amusement Park Period, 1921 - 1945; the Post-War Modernization Period, 1946 - 1953; and the Theme Park Transition Period, 1954 - 1976. Narrative Statement of Significance (Provide at least one paragraph for each area of significance .) Early History of the Lagoon Amusement Park Lagoon's first incarnation was as a beach resort called Lake Park on the edge of the Great Salt Lake three 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 roundtrip train fare provided admission to dancing, roller skating, target shooting, a bowling alley, and a pleasure garden. Attractions included "two 8 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 (Expires 5/31/2012) OMB No.1 024-0018 Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property 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.,,7 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. 8 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. 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.,,9 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 lakeside rivals, particularly the Saltair resort. 10 But it was the two mechanical thrill rides that brought record-breaking crowds to the resort for the 1906 and 1907 seasons." Shoot-the-Chutes was installed in time for the 1906 season and is considered Lagoon's first thrill ride.12 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. 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.,,\3 That spring the resort also constructed its first roller coaster-type ride referred to as a scenic railway.14 The scenic railway was a 40-foot 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. 15 History of the Lagoon Roller Coaster 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. 16 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. 17 He was elected as a director for the National Association of Amusement Parks at the organization's annual meeting in December 1921. 18 It was during Christensen's tenure in the Salt Lake Tribune, June 19, 1887: 6. For a more complete description of Lagoon's early history, please see the Multiple Property Documentation form for Historic Resources of the Lagoon Amusement Park, Farmington, Utah, 1889-1976. 8 Saltair: 14-15. 9 Salt Lake Tribune, July 13, 1896: 8. 10 Saltair: 73; Salt Lake Herald, April 21, 1903: 5; Salt Lake Herald, August 17, 1903: 5-6. II[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. 12 Deseret News, March 19 1906: 7. Deseret News, October 22, 1906: 2. 13 Deseret News, April 27, 1907: 12. 14 Deseret News, May 25, 1907: 12. 15 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: l. 16 A. C. Christensen's wife, Isabella, worked as a bookkeeper for the resort in the 1930s. 17 Davis County Clipper, October 21,1921: l. 18 Salt Lake Telegram, December 18, 1921: 2. 7 9 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property 1920s that the Lagoon Resort was first referred to as the Lagoon Amusement Park. 19 Christensen was also responsible for the installation of Lagoon ' s first modem roller coaster. A. C. Christensen was likely familiar with the work of 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. By 1920, John A. Miller was well known in the amusement park industry. He had already designed fortyfour of the 140 coaster designs attributed to him.20 In addition Miller had filed fourteen coaster patents prior to 1921 , including his two most important innovations: the anti-rollbacks engaging chain patent filed in 1910 and the upstop wheel arrangement patent filed in 1919. Both of these devices are incorporated in the design of the Lagoon Roller Coaster. In January 1920, John A. Miller entered into a partnership with Harry C. Baker, another well-known roller coaster engineer. The design of the Lagoon coaster is attributed to John A. Miller alone, but Baker's expertise and influence should not be discounted since their three-year partnership was the most productive time period for both men in terms of coaster design and construction. In a 1923 catalogue for Miller & Baker, Inc., the roller coaster at Lagoon in Farmington was listed as the "Pippin Dips.,,21 Pippin was one of several working names that Miller favored , but was not used by the Lagoon management after the coaster started operating. The first name of the roller coaster at the Farmington resort was the Lagoon Dipper. While the designer of the Lagoon Roller Coaster is well established, the builder is unclear. The American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) plaque identifies the builder as the Colorado Construction Company. David and Diane Francis provide the name of the Colonial Construction Company in their history of roller coasters based on vintage postcards.22 The only known primary source was an article from 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.,,23 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.24 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 ofthe 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?5 Advertising copy text modulated from describing the resort as "40 Acres of Joy" to the evocative "Coney Island of the West.,,26 Both names were used interchangeably and intermittently depending on the source. Statistical data on roller coaster design, technology, and status was derived from the Roller Coaster Database (www.rcdb.com) and the American Coaster Enthusiasts (www.aceonline.org). More information on the work of John A. Miller is found in the additional historic context section below. 21 Robert Cartmell, 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: 120. 22 David W. and Diane De Mali Francis, The Golden Age of Coasters in Vintage Postcards, (Chicago, Illinois: Arcadia Publishing, 2003): 96. The original source for both attributions is unknown. 23 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. 24 The Weekly Reflex : Concrete Highway Edition, 14, no. 45 (August 19, 1920): 10-11. 25 Davis County Clipper, May 27, 1921: 4. 26 Compare Salt Lake Tribune, May 29, 1918: 8 to Ogden Standard Examiner, May 30, 1922: 7. 19 20 10 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property For the 1921 season, the Lagoon Resort opened two days earlier than its typical Memorial Day opening, one of only a few times Lagoon broke with tradition during the first half of the twentieth century. On Saturday, May 28, 1921, the public was invited to ride the Lagoon Dipper for the first time. The Lagoon management walked a fine line between exciting and reassuring the general public about the new ride . Advertisements announced the coaster as "The Wildest Ride You Ever Took," but newspaper articles described the ride as "a giant roller coaster that is said to be the largest in the United States, and while full of thrills from start to finish, is as safe as a rocking chair. 27 To portray the Lagoon Dipper as the largest in the United States in 1921 was arguably not true, but the Lagoon coaster was the largest roller coaster between Denver and the West Coast at the time of its construction. 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 fun house was built at the center point of the Midway in 1923. The Lagoon Dipper was meticulously maintained through the 1920s and 1930s. After a devastating flood on August 13, 1923, the concrete footings of the coaster were replaced and photographs indicate it was frequently repainted. 28 In 1927, A. C. Christensen retired and Simon Bamberger's son, Julian M. Bamberger became president of the park?9 By the 1930s, the name Lagoon Dipper had fallen out of favor and the ride was referred to as simply the Lagoon Coaster. In 1933, a tunnel was built over a portion of the ride "providing an added thrill to this breath taking ride.,,30 Sometime between 1937 and 1942, the fa9ade of the loading station was remodeled in the Art Deco-style and the ride renamed the "Silver Coaster" though it was still more commonly known as just the Roller Coaster through the 1940s. It is not known when the locals started calling the ride, the "white coaster," but the nickname stuck and is in common use today. 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-to-drink," a refreshing alternative to the, singular yet unpleasant, experience of swimming in the Great Salt Lake. 3l After a devastating fire in 1931, Saltair rebuilt and enlarged its Giant Racer twin-track roller coaster to rival the Lagoon coaster. Both of the resorts weathered the depression years, but in slightly different ways. Saltair spent money on big name bands of the period, while Lagoon focused on local talent. 32 But it was geography that ultimately doomed the more flamboyant Saltair. The lakeside resort had little room to expand and the mercurial levels of the Great Salt Lake wreaked havoc on Saltair's infrastructure. Meanwhile, Lagoon 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. Both Lagoon and Saltair, along with nearly all of Utah's recreational venues, experienced a three-year closure (dark period) between 1943 and 1945, due to a scarcity of gasoline, materials, and labor during World War II. Saltair never recovered. The resort struggled financially, particularly after an August 1957 wind gust toppled the Giant Racer. The coaster was not rebuilt and Saltair did not open at again at its original site after the end of the 1958 season, leaving the Lagoon Roller Coaster as Utah's only historic wooden coaster. 33 Lagoon nearly suffered the same fate. By early 1946, the Lagoon Amusement Park was filled with weeds and the rides were falling apart. The Bamberger family had lost interested 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 Utah Daily Chronicle, May 27, 1921: 2. Salt Lake Telegram, May 27, 1921: 9. Among the losses suffered that day, A. C. Christensen's brother Arnold Christensen died of shock and exertion. Davis County Clipper, August 17, 1923: 1. 29 Simon Bamberger died in 1926. 30 Salt Lake Telegram, May 29, 1933: 6. The tunnel was removed at an unknown date, but before the 1950 Sanborn map. 31 [Lagoon promotion brochures, 1938 and 1940], Utah State Historical Society files . 32 Sallair: 73. 33 The abandoned structures were destroyed by fire in 1970. Recent attempts to rebuild Saltair at a different location on the lake have met with mixed results. Saltair currently operates as a concert venue rather than an amusement park. 27 28 11 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Lagoon Roller Coaster (Expires 5/31 /2012) Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State 34 the war looking for a project. They had their hands full. Under the name Utah Amusement Corporation, the partners spruced up the park in time for a 1946 season opening and added nine new attractions in time to celebrate the 50th 35 anniversary of the park in 1947. The roller coaster got a make-over for its twenty-sixth anniversary: "Another resort favorite the giant roller coaster will be outlined with an ostentatious lighting system. The coaster has a large crew of trained men making repairs and structural steel is being installed to reinforce the curves, all of which is being done in consultation with one of America's experts on coaster rides.,,36 By 1950, Lagoon had a mix of old and new rides. The Century Flyer with its sleek stainless-steel "rocket ships" had replaced the aeroplane swings, but the miniature railway was retained for the "kiddies" although relocated to the former location of the Shoot-the-Chutes incline. 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.,,3? 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 . 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. 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 midway buildings. Two new train cars were purchased from National Amusement Device Company (NAD). The stainless steel cars with headlights and grill were a good match for the streamline-look of the new neonlined station. The coaster was officially renamed the Giant Coaster on the new signage. The architect for the recovery was R. Lloyd Snedaker from Salt Lake City. The Rocky Mountain Construction Company was the builder. Lagoon' s phoenix-like opening took place on May I , 1954. Two years later, five acres was devoted to the first themed section of the park, Mother Goose Land, which a children ' s ride area, featuring a 12-foot high coaster built by the Allan Herschell Company of New York.38 Lagoon' s 1965 season opened with the first new roller coaster built in the park since 1921 , the Wild Mouse, a coaster that 39 used single-car trains on a track with very tight turns. 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 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. 35 The 1946 season was marred by the death of James Young Hess, a Lagoon employee who died from injuries sustained after being hit by a roller coaster train while working on the structure. Only two other deaths have occurred during the coaster' s ninety-year history: a twenty-one year-old man in 1934 and a thirteen year-old girl in 1989 died after falling off the coaster. Both riders were believed to have stood-up during the ride. 36 Davis County Clipper, April 25 , 1947: 5. It was more accurately the 51 st anniversary since the resort opened in 1896. The article also described plans for "streamlined cars and a modern loading platform," but how much of the plan was executed in 1947 is unclear. 37 Salt Lake Tribune, January I, 1959. The railroad continued with limited passenger service ttOfl11 Ogden to Hill Air Force Base in the 1950s and some freight service through December 1958. 38 The 1956 kiddie coaster was replaced by the Puffthe Magic Dragon Coaster in 1985. 39 Two versions of the Wild Mouse (1965 and 1975) have been replaced by a new version 34 12 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (lAAPA).40 Robert Freed introduced the first thematic section of the park, a kiddie-ride area known as Mother Goose Land in 1956. His brother, Peter Freed, took over management of the park in 1974 and oversaw the creation of Pioneer Village, a museum-quality collection of historic buildings and artifacts, which opened in 1976 in time for America's bicentennial celebration. The park is currently owned by the Lagoon Investment Company. The management has consistently added at least one new attraction per year, including eleven new coasters between 1973 and 2011. 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.,,41 Today what once was the Lagoon Summer Resort and Picnic Grounds has become the Lagoon Amusement Park, but despite the novelty of the annual new attractions, the sense of nostalgia remains. Much of the nostalgia can be found in the old-fashioned wooden roller coaster that still stands at the west entrance to the park. Lagoon maintains the John A. Miller coaster, now known simply as the Lagoon Roller Coaster, for many reasons. It has become an icon of the park, one that is included in all of Lagoon's promotional materials. Recently new entrance gates were designed that pay homage to the old coaster. More importantly, the coaster continues to attract as many riders as the newer thrill rides. Many feel that wooden roller coasters, like fine wine, get better with age: "The wood creaks and has just enough give to make it scarier. They [the new coaster designers] thought steel would provide the ultimate ride, but it's just too smooth.,,42 Recent structural and safety enhancements have ensured that the old roller coaster can continue to operate in perpetuity. On July 30, 2005, the American Coaster Enthusiasts (ACE) recognized the Lagoon Roller Coaster an "ACE Roller Coaster Landmark." ACE reserves the Landmark designation for rides of "historic significance" and the traditional roller coaster experience. The commemorative plaque reads: Representing Utah's only traditional wood coaster since 1958, its distinctive structure, stretching from the midway into the adjacent parking area, seems ideally set against the striking backdrop of the Wasatch Mountains. As the sixth oldest coaster in the world, Roller Coaster continues to thrill riders of all ages and remains integral part of Lagoon's appealing collection of roller coasters. The Lagoon Roller Coaster is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and is significant in the areas of Engineering and Entertainment/Recreation for its association with the Lagoon Amusement Park and the work of master roller coaster designer John A. Miller. Developmental history/additional historic context information (if appropriate) John A. Miller, Harry C. Baker, and the Golden Age of Roller Coasters John A. Miller was born August John Mueller, a son of German immigrants, in 1872 in Homewood, Illinois. Miller was nine years old when Philo M. Stevens used the phrase "rolling coaster device" to describe a circular railway he built in Chicago twenty-five miles north of Homewood. When August Mueller was just nineteen years-old, he began working for Salt Lake Tribune, July 18, 1974. One of the most important contributions Robert E. Freed made to Lagoon was to abolish race restrictions which had been in place at the amusement park since its inception. He was inducted into the IAAP A Hall of Fame in 1990, the same year as Walt Disney. 41 Gary Kyriazi, The Great American Amusement Parks: A Pictorial History, (Secaucus, N.J.: Citadel Press, 1976): 253. 42 Peter Freed, quoted in the Deseret News, August 22, 1978. 40 13 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Lagoon Roller Coaster (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State LaMarcus A. Thompson. Thompson is credited with building the first successful American roller coaster, a "Gravity Pleasure Switch Back Railway" for New York's Coney Island in 1884. LaMarcus Thompson has been nicknamed the " Father of Gravity.,,43 Within a few years, Mueller was Thompson's chief engineer and using the name John A. Miller professionally. By 1903, Miller was designing scenic railway and figure-eight coasters for both Thompson and Frederick Ingersoll, who designed the first scenic railway in Utah in 1906.44 In the first two decades of the twentieth century, John A. Miller designed forty-four roller coasters. In addition to LaMarcus Thompson and Frederick Ingersoll, John A. Miller collaborated with other important coaster designers of the time, including Fred and Josiah Pearce. Miller began consulting with the Philadelphia Toboggan Company (PTC) in 1911. The PTC was established in 1904 by Henry A. Auchy and Chester Albright. The company built coasters from 1904 to 1979. Although PTC no longer builds coasters, the company is still in operation today and is the leading manufacturer of original and replacement train cars for wooden roller coasters. John A. Miller was also associated with the Dayton Fun House and Riding Device Manufacturing Company, which later became the National Amusement Device Corporation (NAD) in 1920. Though none of Miller's early roller coasters are extant, his inventive legacy survives in the fourteen coaster technology patents he filed between 1909 and 1919. His most important patents during this period revolutionized the coaster technology of the period and the concepts are still used by the coaster industry today. In 1910, John A. Miller of Homewood, Illinois, filed five patents for " pleasure railway" devices. Patent #979984 for the "anti rollbacks engaging chain" was an industry safety standard within a few years. The device, commonly called a safety ratchet or safety chain dog, prevented the train cars from rolling backwards during a chain break or loss of power on a coaster's lift hill. The safety device creates the characteristic click-clack sound that riders hear as they ascend the lift hill of a traditional wooden roller coaster. During the 1910s, he continued to invent more safety devices, including handlebars, grips, and a new wheel system that used eight wheels under each car. Four were road or running wheels and four were guide or side friction wheels that kept the train on the tracks. Patent # 1319888, which John A. Miller filed in July 1919, added four more wheels to each car. The final set, the underfriction wheels, locked the cars onto the tracks and prevented derailing. The " upstop arrangement," as it was termed on the patent, allowed Miller and subsequent coaster designers of the period to build steeper hills and sharply banked turns to create increasingly more exciting rides through the 1920s.45 John A. Miller's patent for the upstop arrangement coincided with the Golden Age of Roller Coasters, a time period that is usually synonymous with the Roaring Twenties in American history. The United States emerged from the horror of World War I to embrace unprecedented industrial growth based on new technologies, accelerated consumer aspirations and demand for new products, and a desire to break with traditional mores of lifestyle and culture. Owners and operators of summer recreation resorts responded by adding more mechanical amusements to what had been strolling pleasure gardens and picnic grounds at the tum of the century. In 1919, there were an estimated 1,500 amusement parks in the United States, with New York's Coney Island thrill rides and funhouses the most famous. 46 A chronicler of Coney Island Of the twenty-eight coasters LaMarcus Thompson designed, only one, built in 1914 for the Tivoli Gardens in Denmark, has survived (www.rcdb.com). The Leap-the-Dips Coaster in Altoona, Pennsylvania, designed by Edward Joy Morris, is the last surviving example of a double-eight roller coaster and is the oldest standing and operating roller coaster in the world. It was listed on the NRHP and as a National Historic Landmark (NHL) in 1991 (#91000229). 44 Frederick Ingersoll designed forty-eight coasters during his career, but none have survived. The scenic railway Thompson designed for the Salt Palace Summer Resort was razed after the complex was damaged by fire on August 29, 1910, and is not included in the roller coaster database. However, the design of the partially enclosed Salt Palace thematic scenic railway appears to be similar to other documented railways that Thompson designed with Miller as his chief engineer. 45 The Golden Age of Roller Coasters: 60. Two years later John A. Miller patented an "upstop retrofit" for older track structures. 46 Kyriazi, 98. Though John A. Miller's name has been linked to Coney rsland, he designed only two coasters in the area: a Flying Turns coaster (operated 1934-1939) and the Thunderbolt (operated 1925-1982). The house built in the structure was featured in the Woody Allen film "Annie Hall." The Thunderbolt was demolished in November 2000. 43 14 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 (Expires 5/31/2012) OMB No. 1024-0018 Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property bluntly described the amusement park as a place for exhibitionism and light sex: "After all, who could blame a young woman for throwing her arms around her escort in fright as a roller coaster made an earthbound plunge, and how could that same girl keep her dress completely down while sliding down a wildly twisting slide?,,47 Historian John Kasson believed that amusement parks like Coney Island "institutionalized the carnival spirit for a culture that lacked a carnival tradition.,,48 By the end of the 1920s, there were an estimated 2,000 roller coasters operating throughout the United 49 States marking a Golden Age of Roller Coaster construction and operation. In January 1920, John A. Miller formed a partnership with Harry C. Baker. Harry Charles Baker was born in Illinois in 1887. Harry C. Baker was a contractor specializing in roller coaster construction. His first coaster, a collaboration with Frederick Ingersoll and John A. Miller, was built in 1914. The 1920 census shows Harry C. Baker and his wife, Meta, living in Baltimore, Maryland, in a boarding house with a group of amusement park workers. He was likely on site working on a coaster. He identified himself as a contractor-architect. A catalogue produced in 1923 indicates that Miller & Baker, Inc. had three offices: the main office in New York City, the central office in Homewood and a western office in Los Angeles. Baker probably oversaw the New York office. He had moved to Westchester, New York, by the time of the 1930 census, where he was listed as a building engineer. Harry C. Baker is credited as a builder, rather than a designer on some of the roller coasters he produced with Miller. The Los Angeles office was in the care of Charles 50 51 Paige, who designed at least two coasters with John A. Miller. John A. Miller kept his Homewood, Illinois office. Between 1920 and 1923, Miller & Baker, Inc. designed thirty-nine roller coasters, which averages to about one coaster a month for the firm. Much of the catalogue copy focuses on the inventions of John A. Miller. The three to four years that Miller and Baker worked together was the most productive time in either man's career. Only three coasters survive from the period that Miller & Baker, Inc. existed. Two were completed in 1920. The Jack Rabbit coaster at Kennywood Park, in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania, was built into the undulating terrain of the park and is considered one of Miller's masterpieces. 52 The Jack Rabbit at Seabreeze Amusement Park in Rochester, New York, is also a terrain coaster. It is shorter than the Lagoon coaster, but features a taller first drop. 53 The Lagoon Roller Coaster is the only survivor of nine coasters designed by the company in 1921. The Pippin Roller Coaster, in Memphis Tennessee was designed by Miller & Baker in 1923. It was the first Miller coaster to be individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2007, but was unfortunately demolished three years later. 54 John A. Miller and Harry C. Baker dissolved their partnership in 1923. In 1927, Baker supervised the 47 Ibid. 48 John F. Kasson, Amusing the Million: Coney Island at the Turn of the Century, (American Century Series. New York: Farrar, Strauss and Giroux, Hill and Wang), 1978: 50. 49 "The Golden Age" in ACE Roller Coaster History (www.aceonline.org). 50 Charles Paige designed a total of thirteen coasters over his lifetime, of which two in Blackpool, England, are still operating. 51 Census records were difficult to confirm for John A. Miller because of the common name. An August Miller of the correct age lived in Homewood, Illinois, with his wife Anna on the 1920 census. August Miller gave his occupation as builder. On the 1930 census, a John and Anna Miller are living on the same street in Homewood. The 1930 couple is two years younger than the couple on the 1920 census, which may be the reason some biographers give 1874 as Miller's birth year. In 1930 the John Miller in Homewood modestly gave his occupation as laborer in the park industry. 52 Kennywood Park includes three operating coasters with ties to Miller: the Jack Rabbit built in 1920, the Racer designed by Miller in 1927, and the Thunderbolt, which was originally a 1924 coaster named the Pippin that was enlarged in 1968. Kennywood Park was listed on the NRHP and the NHL as a historic district in 1987 (#87000824). Playland Park in Rye, New York, is another amusement park listed as a historic district on the NHPR and NHL in 1980 (#80004529). The Dragon Coaster at Playland was designed in 1928 by Frederick Church. 53 The Jack Rabbit at Seabreeze was damaged by a 1923 fire and presumably rebuilt by Miller & Baker Inc. 54 Pippin Roller Coaster, National Register of Historic Places Registration Form, 2007 (#07001166). The Pippin was reportedly Elvis Presley's favorite coaster. The roller coaster was recreated in its original configuration with new materials and opened as the Zippin Pippin at the Beach Bay Amusement Park in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in 2011. The Wild One, built in 1986 at Six Flags America in Maryland, is another recreation ofa Miller design. 15 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 Lagoon Roller Coaster (Expires 5/31/2012) Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State construction of the famous Cyclone Roller Coaster at Astroland on Coney Island. 55 Harry C. Baker continued designing and builder coasters until his death in 1939. In Homewood, Illinois, the John A. Miller Company continued to produce several roller coasters a year through the 1920s. Miller also continued to file patents for many different types of amusement devices. He would eventually file over 100 patents in his lifetime. For this reason, John A. Miller is often referred to as the "Thomas Edison of Roller Coasters." Historian Robert Cartmell has described Miller' s process in the following way: The opening parallel with Thomas Edison is not far fetched . Yet, unlike Edison, Miller did not have a "think tank" with other inventors working for him. He had a uniquely inventive mind and was something of a loner needing only business partners, in most cases, to handle mundane ledger work and mail . .. . Miller was almost the "Golden Age of Roller Coasters" by himself. 56 John A. Miller continued to design coasters through the difficult depression years, sometimes alone, sometimes with partners such as Norman Bartlett or Charles Rose, or with the NAD. He inspired other prolific coaster designers, for example, Harry G. Traver and Herbert P. Schmeck. But even the most productive of coaster designers in the first half of the twentieth century, produced less than half of the 140 coasters designed by John A. Miller. Four later Miller-designed coasters are still operating: the Big Dipper in Blackpool, England (1923), the Racer at Kennywood (1927), the Legend at Arnold ' s Park in Iowa (1930), and the Coaster Thrill Ride at Puyallup Fair in Washington (1935 , rebuilt).57 John A. Miller spent his last few years traveling in Mexico. He died in Houston, Texas, on June 24, 1941 , while designing a roller coaster for that city. John A. Miller was buried in Homewood, Illinois, under the name of Mueller. Today, only the contributing coasters at Kennywood Park represent the important work of John A. Miller on the National Register of Historic Places. 58 The Lagoon Roller Coaster is eligible for the National Register as the third oldest of only nine extant historic coasters designed by John A. Miller. It represents the work of Miller & Baker, Inc. and incorporates many of the innovations that John A. Miller patented just in time for the Golden Age of Roller Coasters. 55 The Cyclone was built on the site of Thompson' s first scenic railway. Baker was involved in the design and/or construction offortytwo coasters during his careers. Only two completed after his work with Miller, the Cyclone and the Thunderbolt at Six Flags, New England, are still operating. The Cyclone was listed on the NRHP in 1991 (#91000907). 56Cartrnell: 124. 57 The Puyallup Fair Coaster was originally a John A. Miller design that was destroyed by fire in the 1940s. It was rebuilt twice between 1950 and 1970, and is in the process of a third reconstruction. 58 Other coasters listed on the NRHP or NHL not previously mentioned include: the Santa Cruz Beach coaster designed by Arthur Loof in 1925 (#78000753) and the Mission Beach Coaster in San Diego designed by Prior and Church in 1928. 16 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10·900 (Expires 5/31/2012) OMB No. 1024·0018 Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster County and State Name of Property 9. Major Bibliographical References Bibliography (Cite the books, articles , and other sources used in preparing this form .) Architectural Survey Data for the Lagoon Amusement Park. Report produced by the Utah State Historic Preservation Office, 2011 . 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. Francis, David W. and Diane DeMali Francis. The Golden Age of Coasters in Vintage Postcards. Chicago, Illinois: Arcadia Publishing, 2003. 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. 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. University of Utah Press, 1994. Salt Lake City: 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 . R.L. Polk Directory. Salt Lake City, Utah, 1920-2003. Available at the Utah State History Research Center. 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. 17 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service / National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 OMS No. 1024-0018 (Expires 5/31/2012) Lagoon Roller Coaster Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps. Salt Lake City, 1898,1911 , 1927,1950& 1969. United States Census Enumerations, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake County, Utah, 1900 - 1940. [Utah State Death Certificates Database.] Available online from the Utah State Archives. 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. Warrum, Noble. Utah Since Statehood, Historical and Biographical, Vol. III. Company, 1919: 332-335. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Previous documentation on file (NPS): Primary location of additional data: __ preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67 has been requested) __ previously listed in the National Register __ previously determined eligible by the National Register __designated a National Historic Landmark recorded by Historic Amencan Buildings Survey #-::-_ _ __ recorded by Histonc Amencan Engineenng Record # _ _ __ recorded by Historic American Landscape Survey # X State Historic Preservation Office __Other State agency Federal agency __ Local government University Other Name of repository: Historic Resources Survey Number (if assigned): 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property 1.35 acres ----- - - - - -(Do not include previously listed resource acreage .) -- UTM References (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet.) 1 2 1/2 Zone 424880 Easting 4512930 Zone Easting Northing Latitude: 40.985030 3 Northing 4 Longitude: -111.894690 18 Zone Easting Northing Zone Easting Northing UniteCjl State~ Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 (Expires 5131/2012) OMB No. 1024-0018 Davis County, Utah Lagoon Roller Coaster Name of Property County and State Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property.) The boundaries of the Lagoon Roller Coaster include everything within the fenced area at the base of the structure, the loading station, and the waiting area. Boundary Justification (Explain why the boundaries were selected.) The boundaries are those historically associated with the property since the original footprint of the roller coaster was established in 1920-1921, and only slightly modified during the partial reconstruction in 1954. 11. Form Prepared By name/title Korral Broschinsky, Preservation Documentation Resource organization prepared for the Lagoon Amusement Park date June 21, 2012 street & number 4874 Taylors Park Drive telephone city or town Taylorsville state e-mail [e-mail] 801-913-5645 Utah zip code 84123 Additional Documentation Submit the following items with the completed form: • Maps: A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location. A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Key all photographs to this map. • Continuation Sheets • Additional items: (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items.) 19 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service I National Register of Historic Places Registration Form NPS Form 10-900 (Expires 5/31/2012) OMB No. 1024-0018 Lagoon Roller Coaster Davis County, Utah Name of Property County and State Fina! photographs vii!! be chosen by the Utah SHPO prior to submission. Photographs: Submit clear and descriptive photographs. The size of each image must be 1600x1200 pixels at 300 ppi (pixels per inch) or larger. Key all photographs to the sketch map. Name of Property: Lagoon Roller Coaster City or Vicinity: Farmington County: Davis Photographer: Korral 8roschin sky Date Photographed: 2011-2012 State: Utah Description of Photograph(s) and number: Photograph 1 of 10. ???? elevation of Lagoon Roller Coaster. Camera facing ???? Photograph 2 of 10. ???? elevation of Lagoon Roller Coaster. Camera facing ???? Photograph 3 of 10. ???? elevation of Lagoon Roller Coaster. Camera facing ???? Photograph 4 of 10. ???? elevation of Lagoon Roller Coaster. Camera facing ???? Photograph 5 of 10. ???? elevation of Lagoon Roller Coaster. Camera facing ???? Property Owner: (Complete this item at the request of the SHPO or FPO.) name Lagoon Investment Company (Contact: David W. Freed) street & num-::.be::..:r___3.:..7;....:5_N---,-•.: :L""a.lilgo.:. o: . :n.: . .: :.D-=-ri:. c.v. .: .e_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ city or town Farmington 801-451-8000 telephone state Utah zip code 84025 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 Office of Planning and Performance Management. U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1849 C. Street, NW, Washington , DC . 20 CORRESPONDENCE 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 November 2, 2012 LAGOON INVESTMENT COMP ANY ATTN: DAVID W. FREED 375 N. LAGOON DRIVE FARMINGTON, UT 84025 Dear David: It is my distinct pleasure to inform you that the historic property listed below, nominated by the State Historic Preservation Review Board and the Utah State Historic Preservation Officer, was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on October 24, 2012. LAGOON CAROUSEL, 375 N. LAGOON DR., FARMINGTON LAGOON FLYING SCOOTER, 375 N. LAGOON DR., FARMINGTON LAGOON ROLLER COASTER, 375 N. LAGOON DR., FARMINGTON In recognition of the listing of your property, we would like to present to you an official National Register certificate, for which there is no charge. Please contact Cory Jensen in our Historic Preservation Office if you would like to receive this certificate. Listing on the National Register is intended to encourage preservation as well as provide recognition of a property's significance. A major benefit of listing on the National Register is the availability of tax credits for qualified restoration work (see attached fact sheets). We would be pleased to assist you with the application process should you wish to apply. Also, we would invite you to become a member of the Utah State Historical Society and enjoy the benefits of the various activities and publications the membership has to offer (see enclosed brochure). Please contact Cory Jensen at 801/533-3559, or bye-mail at [e-mail] if you have any questions or if we may be of assistance to you. ~.1--1 Wilson G. Martin State Historic Preservation Officer Enclosures 300 s. Rio Grande Street · Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 • [phone]' fucsimile [phone] ' wwwbistory.utah.gov Department of Heritage and Arts Julie Fisher Executive Director State of Utah State History GARY R. HERBERT Governor Wilson G . M artin Director GREG BELL Lieutenant Governor November 2, 2012 DA VE MILLHEIM FARMINGTON CLG F ARMINGTON CITY 160 S. MAIN STREET FARMINGTON, UT 84025 Dear Mr. Millheim: We are pleased to inform you that the historic properties listed below, nominated by the State Historic Preservation Review Board and the Utah State Historic Preservation Officer, was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on October 24,2012: LAGOON CAROUSEL, 375 N. LAGOON DR., FARMINGTON LAGOON FLYING SCOOTER, 375 N. LAGOON DR., FARMINGTON LAGOON ROLLER COASTER, 375 N. LAGOON DR., FARMINGTON Listing on the National Register is intended to provide recognition of a property's significance. A major benefit of listing on the National Register is the availability of tax credits for qualified restoration work along with other financial incentives that are intended to encourage preservation of our historic buildings. Please contact Cory Jensen at 8011533-3559, or bye-mail at [e-mail] if you have any questions or if we may be of assistance to you. SincerelY'J ( ) / nJr-? Wilson G. Martin State Historic Preservation Officer 300 S. Rio Grande Street· Salt Lake City, Utah 8410 I • (80 1) 245-7225 • fucsirnile [phone] • www.histOly.utah.gov 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 November 2, 2012 MA YOR SCOTT HARBERTSON FARMINGTON CITY 160 S. MAIN STREET FARMINGTON, UT 84025 Dear Mayor Harbertson: We are pleased to inform you that the historic properties listed below, nominated by the State Historic Preservation Review Board and the Utah State Historic Preservation Officer, was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service on October 24,2012: LAGOON CAROUSEL, 375 N. LAGOON DR., FARMINGTON LAGOON FLYING SCOOTER, 375 N. LAGOON DR., FARMINGTON LAGOON ROLLER COASTER, 375 N. LAGOON DR., FARMINGTON Listing on the National Register is intended to provide recognition of a property's significance. A major benefit oflisting on the National Register is the availability oftax credits for qualified restoration work along with other financial incentives that are intended to encourage preservation of our historic buildings.Please contact Cory Jensen at 8011533-3559, or bye-mail at [e-mail] if you have any questions or if we may be of assistance to you. Sincere,), ;J (/? Wilson G. Martin State Historic Preservation Officer 300 s. Rio Grande Street· Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 • [phone]· fucsimile [phone] • www.histOIy.utah.gov Department of Heritage and Arts Julie Fisher Executive Director State History State of Utah Wilson G. Marti n GARY R. HERB ERT Director Governor GREG BELL Lieutenant Governor August 31,2012 CAROL SHULL KEEPER NA TIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES 1201 "I" (EYE) STREET, NW, 8th FLOOR (MS 2280) WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005 Dear Ms. Shull: Enclosed please find 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, Farmington, Lagoon Flying Scooter Lagoon Roller Coaster Farmington, Historic Resources of Lagoon Amusement Park MPSFarmington, Davis Co. Davis Co. Davis Co. Davis Co. Thank you for your assistance with these nominations. Please contact me at 8011533-3559, or at [e-mail] if you have any questions. istorian National R gister Coordinator Office of Historic Preservation Enclosures 300 S. Rio Grande Street Salt Lake City, Utah 84101 [phone] facsimile [phone]· www.history.utah.gov 0 0 0 Department of Heritage and Arts Ju lie Fisher Executive Director State of Utah State History GARY R. HERBERT Wilson G. Martin Director Governor GREG BELL August 6, 2012 Lieutenant Governor LAGOON INVESTMENT COMPANY ATTN: DAVID W. FREED 375 N. LAGOON DRIVE FARMINGTON, UT 84025 Dear David: We are pleased to report that the following properties have been approved by the Utah Board of State History for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places: LAGOON CAROUSEL, 375 N. LAGOON DR., FARMINGTON LAGOON FLYING SCOOTERS, 375 N. LAGOON DR., FARMINGTON LAGOON ROOLER COASTER, 375 N. LAGOON DR., FARMINGTON Within the next few weeks, we will submit the nominations and documentation to the National Register office in Washington, DC, for final approval. This review typically occurs within six to eight weeks. If you have any questions or concerns about this National Register nomination, please contact Cory Jensen of the Historic Preservation Office at 801/533-3559 or at coryjensen@utah. gov. We appreciate your interest in and support of historic sites in Utah. Wilson G. Martin State Historic Preservation Officer 300 s. Rio Grande Street· Salt Lake City, Utah 84 101· [phone] · facsimile [phone] · www.history.utah.gov Department of Community and Culture JULIE FISHER Executive Director State History State of Utah WILSON G. MARTIN Acting Director GARY R. HERBERT Governor June 29, 2012 GREG BELL Lieutenant Governor LAGOON INVESTMENT COMPANY ATTN: DAVID W. FREED 375 N. LAGOON DRIVE FARMINGTON, UT 84025 Dear Mr. Freed: We are pleased to infonn you that the historic properties listed below will be considered by the State Historic Preservation Review Board for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places: LAGOON CAROUSEL, 375 N LAGOON DR, FARMINGTON LAGOON FLYING SCOOTER, 375 N LAGOON DR, FARMINGTON LAGOON ROLLER COASTER, 375 N LAGOON DR, FARMINGTON HISTORIC RESOURCES OF LAGOON AMUSEMENT PARK MPS The National Register of Historic Places is the federal government's official list of historic properties worthy of preservation. Listing on the National Register provides recognition and assists in preserving our Nation's heritage. Listing of a property provides recognition of its historic significance and assures protective review of federal projects that might adversely affect the character of the historic property. If the property is listed on the National Register, tax credits for rehabilitation and other beneficial provisions may apply. Listing on the National Register does not place limitations on the property by the federal or state government. Public visitation rights are not required of owners. The government will not attach restrictive covenants to the property or seek to acquire them. Enclosed please find a notice that explains, in greater detail, the results of listing on the National Register. It also describes the rights and procedures by which an owner may comment on or object to listing on the National Register. You are invited to attend the State Historic Preservation Review Board meeting at which the nominations will be considered. The Board will meet on Thursday, August 2, at I :00 p.m., at This Is the Place Heritage Park - Atkins Home, Salt Lake City. Should you have any questions about these nominations before the meeting, please contact Cory Jensen of the Historic Preservation Office at 801/533-3559 or at [e-mail]. Sincerely, ~artrn UTAH STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANTI QU ITIES HISTOR IC PRESERVATION RESEARCH CENTER & COLLECTIONS Enclosure State Historic Preservation Officer 300 S. RIO GRANDE STREET, SALT LAKE CITY, U T 841 0 1-1182· TE LEPHONE 801 533-3S00· FACSIM ILE 801 533-3503· HISTORY.UTAH .GOV Department of Community and Culture JULI E FISHER Execlilive Director State History WILSON G. MA RTIN State of Utah Acting Director GARY R. HERBERT Governor June 29, 2012 GREG BELL Lieutenant Governor MA YOR SCOTT HARBERTSON FARMINGTON CITY 160 SOUTH MAIN ST FARMINGTON, UT 84025 Dear Mayor Harbertson We are pleased to infonn you that the historic properties listed below will be considered by the State Historic Preservation Review Board for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places: LAGOON CAROUSEL, 375 N LAGOON DR, FARMINGTON LAGOON FLYING SCOOTER, 375 N LAGOON DR, FARMINGTON LAGOON ROLLER COASTER, 375 N LAGOON DR, FARMINGTON HISTORIC RESOURCES OF LAGOON AMUSEMENT PARK MPS The National Register of Historic Places is the federal government's official list of historic properties worthy of preservation. Listing on the National Register provides recognition and assists in preserving our Nation's heritage. Listing of a property provides recognition of its historic significance and assures protective review of federal projects that might adversely affect the character of the historic property. If the property is listed on the National Register, tax credits for rehabilitation and other beneficial provisions may apply. Listing in the National Register does not place limitations on the property by the federal or state government. Public visitation rights are not required of owners. The government will not attach restrictive covenants to the property or seek to acquire them. Enclosed please find a notice that explains, in greater detail, the results oflisting in the National Register. It also describes the rights and procedures by which an owner may comment on or object to listing on the National Register. You are invited to attend the State Historic Preservation Review Board meeting at which the nominations will be considered. The Board will meet on Thursday, August 2, at 1:00 p.m., at This [s the Place Heritage Park - Atkins Home, Salt Lake City. Should you have any questions about these nominations before the meeting, please contact Cory Jensen of the Historic Preservation Office at 801/533-3559 or at [e-mail]. Sincerely, State Historic Preservation Officer UTAH STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY ANTIQU ITIES H ISTORIC PRESERVATION RESEARCH CENTER & COLLECTIONS Enclosure 300 S. RIO GRANDE STREET, SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84 10 1·1182 . TELEPH ONE 801 533-3500 . FACS IM ILE 801 533-3503 . HISTORYUTAH .GOV Department of Community and Culture JULIE FISHER ExeC/ltive Director State History W ILSON G. MARTIN State of Utah A cling Director GARY R. HERBE RT Governor June 29, 2012 GRE G BELL Lieutenant Goverl/or DA VE MILLHEIM FARMINGTON CLG FARMINGTON CITY 160 SOUTH MAIN ST FARMINGTON, UT 84025 Dear Mr Millheim: We are pleased to inform you that the historic properties listed below will be considered by the State Historic Preservation Review Board for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places: LAGOON CAROUSEL, 375 N LAGOON DR, FARMINGTON LAGOON FLYING SCOOTER, 375 N LAGOON DR, FARMINGTON LAGOON ROLLER COASTER, 375 N LAGOON DR, FARMINGTON HISTORIC RESOURCES OF LAGOON AMUSEMENT PARK MPS The National Register of Historic Places is the federal government's official list of historic properties worthy of preservation. Listing on the National Register provides recognition and assists in preserving our Nation's heritage. Listing of a property provides recognition of its historic significance and assures protective review of federal projects that might adversely affect the character ofthe historic property. [fthe property is listed on the National Register, tax credits for rehabilitation and other beneficial provisions may apply. Listing in the National Register does not place limitations on the property by the federal or state government. Public visitation rights are not required of owners. The government will not attach restrictive covenants to the property or seek to acquire them. One of your responsibilities as a Certified Local Government (CLG) is to review pending National Register nominations of properties within your community. This is required, in part, to detect any errors in fact, but also to provide local insight or knowledge concerning the property. Please have your historic preservation commission review the enclosed draft nomination and return the enclosed review form with the appropriate signatures. We would appreciate hearing back from you prior to the board meeting. You are invited to attend the State Historic Preservation Review Board meeting at which the nominations will be considered. The Board will meet on Thursday, August 2, at 1:00 p.m., at This Is the Place Heritage Park - Atkins Home, Salt Lake City. Should you have any questions about these nominations before the meeting, please contact Cory Jensen of the Historic Preservaf n Office at 80 l/533-3559 or at [e-mail]. €~r®BY UTAH STATE H ISTOR ICAL SOCIETY AN TI QUITIES HISTOR IC PRESERVATION RESEARCH CENTER & COLLECTIONS S Enclosure ilso State Historic Preservation Officer 300 S. RIO GRANDE STREET, SALT LAKE CITY, UT 84 101·1182 · TELEPHON E 801 533-3500 FACS IM ILE 801 533-3503 HISTORYUTAH.GOV