Jeffrey Stanton Venice of America: 'Coney Island of the Pacific,' Donahue Publishing: Los Angeles, CA, 1987. 176 pp., 1916, 1912, 1911, 1910
Chapter 2; Coney Island of the Pacific (1907-1912)
"Meanwhile, Alexander Fraser, Kinney's old partner, formed the Fraser Million-Dollar Pier Company. Their intent was to build the world's largest amusement pier in Ocean Park. It would be 285 feet wide, incorporate the existing pier and extend 1000 feet into the ocean. The pier alone without the buildings and concessions would cost $175,000. It would have a Dancing Pavilion, Revolving Cafe 110 feet in diameter, Thompson Scenic Railroad, Palace of Mysteries, Carousel, Mountain Roll Railroad, Trip to Mars, Vaudeville and Scenic Theaters. the grand opening would be June 1911.
"They were serious this time. The contract was awarded July 29, 1910. Half the pier piles were in place by December, and they had extended the pier to almost 1500 feet. By the time the buildings were under construction the following February the payroll was running at $10,000 per week." p. 38
"Ocean Park's Million-Dollar Pier was rapidly nearing completion. The L.A. Thompson Company, who had acquired the property south of the pier, was building the Dragon Gorge Scenic Railroad parallel to Ocean Front Walk. The building took up several blocks and contained several attractions like the 'Grotto Cafe', a revolving restaurant, and the 'Auto Maze'. The Looff family was building an ornate carousel in the Hippodrome building on the site of the old Toboggan Railway between the Dragon Gorge and the Casino. It was a 50 foot diameter pit machine with horses four abreast.
"The Grand Canyon Electric Railroad out on the pier was one of the first attractions to open. Its centerpiece was a 135 foot mountain peak with a waterfall at its summit. At night the electric lights gave it the appearance of an erupting volcano. The $100,000 ride built by Paul D. Houshi had a third rail to power the four car trains around curves and up steep inclines. A motorman had control of the car's speed and often added unexpected thrills by powering down the hills as well as up. It is remarkable that there were no serious accidents as the cars often exceeded their safe speed limit on turns.
"Apparently the builder wasn't initially satisfied with the attraction, for he began extensive renovation after it was open only one month. The ride turned out to be too short because of the high speed of the cars. In an attempt to make it the longest scenic railroad in the world, he added 200 feet of additional track, put in nine more dips and a scenic tunnel. The new improved ride was nearly a mile in length.
"Fraser's Million-Dollar Pier officially opened the weekend of June 17th, 1911. Tens of thousands attended the two day gala event. They danced in the huge ballroom at the end of the pier, watched vaudeville at the 1000 seat Starland Theater, or visited the pier's many rides, show and exhibits. The 'Third Degree' advertised 'a smart show for smart people', when in reality it featured a moving sidewalk that transported people past snow and mountain scenery. There was a Crooked House to explore, the City Jail to escape from and the Society Whirl. One of the more interesting exhibits was the 'Infant incubators' which showed the latest in medical technology. Premature infants were given free care by trained nurse in an era when it wasn't readily available at local hospitals.
"Additional attractions opened later that summer and into the fall season. Another hippodrome opened on the pier adjacent to the dance hall. It featured an ornate Philadelphia Toboggan Company carousel. The Mystic Maze and Panama Canal exhibit also found space on the pier." pp. 42 and 43
[pp. 44 and 45 photo of Fraser's Million- Dollar Pier]
[p.46 postcards 1912 Carousel; Front of the Dragon Gorge Scenic Railroad; Dance Pavilion; Night Scene of Ocean park and Santa Monica from the Pier.]
[p.47 postcards of Fraser's Million-Dollar Pier Auditorium, 1911; entrance to the Frasier Pier, 1912.]
"The new Neptune Theater, an early nickelodeon, and the Merryland penny arcade opened for business on Ocean Front Walk across from the Thompson Scenic Railroad. By 1911 penny arcades were becoming amusement park mainstays. For a penny, people could drive slot cars, have their strength tested, or watch historical events in a hand cranked kinetoscopes(sic). Couples could have the emotion of their kiss measured, and men could look at what at that time were considered rather erotic shots of women clad in bathing suits.
" . . .
"That fall it began to look like the Ocean Park area would soon have two additional piers. Jones sued Fraser and won the franchise to build a small 400 foot by 100 foot pier next to the Million-Dollar pier. He wanted Fraser to tear down the small portion of the pier on his side of the property line.
"But the big news was Great Western Amusement Company's pier project across from the Decatur Hotel immediately south of Fraser's pier. Plans showed a pier 1000 feet long, 263 feet wide with a gigantic entrance arch 113 feet wide, 94 feet high and 60 feet deep. The Tivoli Cafe was to be on the south side of the arch in a 50 foot square tower, 135 feet high. A large 105 foot high racing roller coaster with 13,000 feet of track would occupy an area of nearly two acres. A casino, ferris wheel and several other concessions would be built on the remaining space, and at night 10,000 light bulbs would illuminate the entire pier. Work didn't start on the pilings until mid May 1912, and by then there was no rush to finish it for the coming summer season." p. 47
[p. 48 photo and postcard Along Ocean Front Walk just north of the Dragon Gorge Railroads, 1911; Dragon Gorge Scenic Railroad car on a high turn, 1911]
[p. 49 photo Ocean Front Walk at the Fraser Pier. The Dragon Gorge, the large ornate structure with the towers, was an early roller coaster. The white hippodrome building in the center housed a Looff carousel.]
[p. 50 a schematic map of Fraser Pier, 1912]
[p. 51 photos: The Crooked House on the Fraser Pier; the Tombs, 1911; Castle Court on the Fraser Pier, 1911.]
"The Venice/Ocean Park area had become the finest amusement center on the west coast . . . Besides the innovative rides, dance halls, theaters, plunges, and bowling alleys, there were a dozen places for a game of chance. Hype and innovation were the rule, and it was on the Venice Pier that Felix Simmonds, a concessionaire, claimed to have invented the hamburger. In 1912, the bathing beauty contest was started as a promotional feature for the Los Angeles Examiner newspaper.
" . . .
"Venice was , in those days, a place of wonder. It was a dream of genteel good come to life . . ." p. 52 [which also has a photo of 1912 Hippodrome Carousel.]
" . . . shops included a wide selection of picture postcards, plaster of paris Italian stautes, coral beads and mother of pearl necklaces. Outside on the piers and on Ocean Front Walk, vendors pushed little carts. "Hokey-Pokey's-two for five," they called. They sold little squares of ice cream. Others sold candied apples, endless twists of long pearly white salt water taffy, clouds of pink cotton candy, strawberry phosphates, and cream puffs filled with custard. . . " p. 53[[which has a photo of the aftermath of the September 3, 1912 Fraser Pier fire.]
"The Ocean Park amusement area seemed to be awash in new pier proposals when the Mountain Roll Company announced their plans in July 1912 to build yet another pier. This one was to be medium in size;. 225 x 900 feet. An eight track mountain roll feature was planned as the main attraction and the remaining space to be used for concessions.
"Jones and Fraser meanwhile continued their squabble until that summer the court finally ruled in Jones' favor. It seemed that when Jones and Fraser were partners there was a transfer of 100 feet of property, which had become the entrance of the Million-Dollar Pier. Jones claimed half of it, so the pier entrance would have to be cut in half. He could then build a larger pier, 150 x 400 feet.
"Unfortunately, most of the new Ocean Park pier projects were prematurely derailed when fire broke out on Fraser's Million-dollar Pier at 5 p.m. on September 3, 1912. Diners first noticed flames in the Casino restaurant. The cause was thought to be either a cigarette or a defective flue in the kitchen. A stiff shore breeze, fanning the flames, spread it quickly to other structures on the pier and to the buildings across Ocean Front Walk. Seven hundred firefighters from twelve municipal fire companies, some as far away as downtown Los Angeles, took three and one half hours to get the fire under control. The problem in fighting the fire was a lack of water pressure. They managed to stop the fire at the Ocean Park Bathhouse when the wind shifted to an offshore breeze.
"The fire totally destroyed the pier, all of the amusements and six square blocks of businesses including many nearby hotels on Pier and Marine Streets. In all 225 structures burned. The loss was set at $3,000,000 with little of it covered by insurance. The business outlook for Ocean Park was bleak that fall, especially when Fraser, who was having a dispute with Santa Monica, talked of selling his beach property and moving out of town." p. 53
"Electric tram service on Ocean Front Walk between Venice and Ocean Park began operation in 1916." p. 51
Jeffrey Stanton Venice of America: 'Coney Island of the Pacific,' Donahue Publishing: Los Angeles, CA, 1987. 176 pp., 1919, 1918, 1917, 1916, 1915, 1914, 1913
Chapter 3: Growth through the Teens (1913-1919)
"Ocean Park businessmen were systematically rebuilding their burned out business district. . . .
"Fraser was discouraged and ready to leave when local businesses persuaded him to proceed with his new pier . . . The State Amusement Company, run by Ernest Pickering, signed a long term lease to operate the pier's amusements.
" . . .
"In April Santa Monica filed an injunction to stop Fraser from building his pier. The city claimed that they owned 42 feet of ocean frontage at the foot of Pier Avenue, which in their eyes was merely an extension of the street. Fraser had previously given the city an easement to extend a sewer outfall there, but didn't deed them the land. Actually the injunction only prevented Fraser from building his pier entrance buildings adjacent to Ocean Front Walk. He was able to continue construction by setting the pier pilings further out than he had inteded on the sand beyond the disputed property line.
"The pier was rushed to completion and reopened on May 30, 1913. It was a much simpler design with a broad boardwalk running down the center of the pier. Various rides, booths and concessions were on either side. The pier, with is salt water fire prevention system using ten hydrants and a powerful steam pump, was supposed to be essentially fireproof.
"Many of the attractions on the old pier were rebuilt. The 200 x 230 foot Dance Hall stood on the the ocean end. Harry Hines directed his orchestra in the $50,000 structure. The bowling alleys and billiard hall were adjacent to it, and beyond them was the Rosemary Theater. A Parker carousel opened on the south side of the pier next to the Crazy House. Other attractions included the Breaker's Cafe, Crooked House, La Petite Theater, Roller Skating Rink, City Hall, Baby Incubators, Puzzletown and Mystic Maze. The pier lacked thrill rides its first season, but it did attract its share of tourist dollars.
" . . .
"Venice and Ocean Park businessmen were constantly campaigning for lower Pacific Electric trolley rate . . . The Pacific Electric company . . . finally obliged and began offering special twenty-five cent half-fare days to the beach, mostly on summer Thursday.
" . . .
"A new round of competition between the two pier areas occurred during spring 1914. Fraser won his court case against the city of Santa Monica and was now able to build his pier entrance at Ocean Front Walk. He decided to go ahead and rebuild the Casino.
"Promoters managed to successfully raise the capital to begin construction of the Ben Hur Racer on the north side of his pier. The three-in-one project contained a big racing roller coaster designed by William Labb, a 7000 seat bandstand on a broad plaza and a 56 foot diameter carousel within the structure. An immense electric sign with the picture of Ben Hur driving a chariot adorned the top of the bandstand. The coaster was 75 feet high, 4200 feet in length and extended 700 feet over the ocean. It took much longer to build than expected, but it did manage to begin operation in late summer." p. 55
"Pickering joined Kinney in 1914.
" . . .
"Venice 's fascination with new forms of transportation extended to the automobile as well. Road racing, the most exciting spectator sport of the era, captured the public's fancy and also that of the Board of Trustees, who authorized the 1915 Venice Grand Prix on the streets of Venice. It was roughly a triangle course down Electric Avenue, Rose Avenue, and Compton Road (Lincoln Boulevard). The curves were banked for high speed turns. Eight thousand dollars in prize money was offered.
"A Saturday afternoon St. Patrick's Day crowd of 75,000 watched the 300 mile road race from the bleachers and anywhere they could find a view. Seventeen drivers entered some of the fastest racing machines of their day; Bugatti, Simplex, Stutz, Mercer, Peugeot, Maxwell, Napier, Chevrolet, DeLage and Hercules. Mechanical problems plagued most of the drivers as one after another dropped out of the grueling race. Dave Lewis was in the lead on the 80th lap with just 17 laps to go when engine trouble forced out of the race. Barney Oldfield's Maxwell went on to an easy victory. Billy Carlson, also driving a Maxwell, finished second just 41 seconds behind Oldfield. Only eight of the seventeen entries finished the race. Average speed of the winner in the four and one-half hour race was 68.5 mph.
"The race was considered a success despite injuries to bystanders when a scoreboard toppled, and the death of an elderly spectator who wandered on to the course and was struck by a car. However, the city lost $10,000 due to gate crashing and the sale of 1000 counterfeit tickets by con men. Despite 40,000 paid admissions, thousands rushed the gates and sneaked in when ticket takers were unable to handle the large crowd." p. 60
"Venice was beginning to play an important part in the motion picture business which was quick to take advantage of the town's unique architecture and colorful amusement district. Nearby studios like Biograph and Bison in Santa Monica and the Ince Studio in Culver City sent film crews to Venice. Charlie Chaplin starred in the Kid at the Auto Races, while Mary Pickford and Harold Lloyd each played the lead in movies along the Venice canals. Movie companies became so numerous and disruptive to local business that for a time in 1915 there was talk of banning them. However no action was taken and in later years movies like The Camera Man starring Buster Keaton and several 'Our Gang' comedies were filmed along the beach front and on the pier." pp. 62 and 63
". . . The Venice/Ocean Park area had four permanent movie theaters: the California and Neptune Theaters on Ocean Front Walk near Windward, and the Dome and Rosemary Theaters on the Ocean Park Pier. Also, Venice's large auditorium on the pier was often used to show movies. Sound from its fine organ was a welcome addition to those silent films. Admission then was ten cents for all seat, although some theaters charged only a nickel for children." p. 63
"Ocean Park amusement interests suffered another setback that winter when a fire broke out in the Dance Pavilion on the Ocean Park Pier at 1 a.m. just as Christmas ended. The night watchman discovered the blaze in the check room and immediately called for help. The fire, fanned by a slight sea breeze, began its march up the pier. It consumed the Pioneer Bowling Alleys, Eskimo Village, Paris by Night, numerous small concessions and half the lofty Ben Hur Coaster before the combined fire brigades of three beach cities stopped it behind the Rosemary Theater. One-third of the pier was in ruins. The water-soaked Indian Village survived, but its merchandise was stolen when it was put out on the pier sidewalk.
"The origin of the fire was thought to be arson. A concessionaire saw two men in a boat rowing away from the pier shortly before the blaze spread, but nothing was ever proven. When the firemen were cleaning up, they pulled down some of the Japanese gambling game wheels and found intricate electric wiring on the under side of the spindles. The games were rigged!
"The first priority of the State Investment Company, operators of the Fraser Pier, was to build a temporary dance hall. Dance halls were more essential to nearby business interests than most people realized. Once their small 60 x 80 foot hall opened on February 12, 1916, other business' receipts improved dramatically." p. 64
"However, the company had much more ambitious plans. Obtaining the lease on the Jones Pier gave them control of 500 feet of beach frontage. They planned to rebuild the pier, erect a big first class cafe at the northwest corner of Ocean Front Walk and the pier entrance, add a big parking lot similar to the one on the Abbot Kinney Pier, . . .
"By April work on their new concrete dance hall near the end of the pier was nearing completion, and it looked like they would make the Easter Sunday opening. H.W. Schlueler leased space on the Great Western Pier at Ocean Front Walk. He razed the Pier Athletic Club where many famous boxers trained and the adjacent shooting gallery to make space for a 165 foot square building. It would be part dance hall and part concert hall. The dance hall section would be under an enromous 100 foot diameter concrete dome.
"Tom Prior and Fred Church leased space on Ocean Front Walk between the Fraser Pier's two entrances. They planned to introduce a new concept in amusement park rides, a racing carousel. They called their ride the 'Great American Racing Derby'. The inside portion of the ride was a standard carousel with 62 jumping horses and menagerie animals. However, on the outside rim of the 72 foot diameter machine were forty racing horses grouped four abreast in ten distinct races. The horses, which were set in six foot long tracks, would move back and forth as the side rotated, sometimes nosing ahead to gain the lead, other times suddenly falling back. The ride would slowly gain speed until it reached 25-30 mph, then the bell signifying victory for each of the lead horses would ring and the ride would slow down to a stop. The winners of each race would receive free repeat rides.
"It was impossible to determine ahead of time which horse would win since the cables that moved the horses back and forth criss-crossed beneath the platform. The cable pulling the outside horse in one row might be pulling the second horse out in the row ahead. . . .
{Prior and Church opened their ride February 4, 1917.}
"The Dome Dance Pavilion, however did open on time for the Fourth of July weekend. Ben Laietsky's Orchestra provided the music. The dance hall did record business on July 4th. 34,000 tickets were sold at five cents each to 68,000 dancers during the all day and evening dance sessions. Dance sessions in those days were usually three slow numbers long; combinations of fox-trots, one-steps and waltzes. When it was over they would clear the floor for a new group. In the evening Tex La Gronge entertained pier spectators with a thrilling daredevil aerial show surrounded by fireworks." p. 65
[page 66 photo Main promenade on the rebuilt Fraser Pier, 1913.]
[page 67 photo of the opening of the Ben Hur Racer roller coaster in Ocean Park, 1914]
[United States entered the Great War on April 6, 1917.]
"The Venice Vigilance Committee was formed and sought out anyone making disloyal remarks. Sometimes they were over-zealous and harassed shopkeepers of Germanic origin. Slackers and idlers, also considered disloyal, were picked up in periodic raids on the pier." p. 66.
" . . . Venice was almost the only place in the vicinity of Los Angeles where drinking was still legal. . . .
"Nearby Santa Monica voted to go 'dry' on January 1, 1918. Venice's election of the liquor laws was to be that April. Both sides were campaigning for their cause, sometimes fighting unfairly. Just days before the election the Grand Jury began to dig into alleged fraud and false voter registration in Venice. It was an open secret that almost anyone who would vote 'wet' could obtain free lodgings in Venice. . . . The 'wets' carried the April 7th election by 509 votes. Venice and Vernon were now the only places in Los Angeles County where one could buy a drink or a bottle of liquor.
"The war effort did little to restrict additions in the amusement zone. Church- Prior installed another Great American Racing Derby on the Venice Pier between the Auditorium and Melodia. It was a larger machine, 315 feet in circumference with 64 horse in rows of four set on the racing rim. It was a much more efficient design with no inner carousel. . . . "
"Tom Prior, who operated the business, seemed to be at odds with the politicians in both Venice and Santa Monica. When the trustees insisted that he cease playing his Race Thru the Clouds calliope, he severed relations. He scheduled a religious music concert one month later to prove to his foes that his calliope could play reverent and subtle music.
"He also sued the city of Santa Monica for unreimbursed expenses incurred in the building of a bandstand in conjunction with his Racing Derby on the Ocean Park Pier. In January 1918 he removed the ride from the pier and attempted to demolish the building. Fraser called in the police to stop him. Prior claimed that Santa Monica's restrictions, particularly those against games of chance, were bad for business. This was hard to fathom since just the previous season his ride had 211, 993 customers during the period from June 1 to Sepember 16.
"W.H. Labb and William Ellison . . . took over the management of the Fraser Pier . . . they had ambitious plans . . .
"When the Armistice was signed November 11, 1918, California was in the midst of a killer influenza epidemic. At first the flu epidemic wasn't feared, for county health officials like Dr. J.L. Pomeroy were certain that Southern California's sunshine would prevent it. But by late October the flu spread and the health department overseeing Venice and Santa Monica was forced to close schools, theaters, saloons and all places where soft drinks and ice cream were sold. The latter places had to establish a sanitation and sterilization system for glasses before they were allowed to reopen. Regulations were quirky and often silly. Music and liquor were allowed in restaurants, but no dancing. Bars and saloons had to shut down but not package liquor stores.
"At first the flu seemed to spare Venice. Perhaps washing down the streets with salt water did the trick, or due to the lack of medical facilities the afflicted just went elsewhere. Regardless, Venice was well enough to lift the quarantine for the Armistice Day celebration. Only one dance hall and two theaters were closed, while nearby Santa Monica was shut down tight. Everyone thought the epidemic was over when an alarming increase occurred--169 new cases and six deaths were reported the week of December 12th. Everyone wore flu masks on the streets, and the flu bandits were having a splendid time robbing businesses. The influenza epidemic was still around but abating by the end of January 1919.
" . . .
"That summer the district attorney clamped down on all the so called 'games of chance' in both pier districts. It affected all those games where a prize was given, but not amusement games where admission was charged like skee ball and bowling. While there had been previous crackdowns on gambling style games, this time it looked like the games would have to change to those involving skill only . . .
"In Ocean Park concessionaires were becoming extremely unhappy with pier management. They and the local business owners demanded that Labb and Ellison advertise, put in real attractions and decent entertainment on the pier. The American concessionaires felt that the Japanese concessionaires were getting a better deal . . . Ernest Pickering purchased the Fraser Million-Dollar Pier on July 2, 1919. . . . the Rosemary Theater's move{d} into the old Racing Derby building along Ocean Front Walk . . . " p.69