Indianola Park (demolished)

Introduction

Text-to-speech Audio

This amusement park resided in the university district of Columbus, Ohio from 1905 to 1937. Affluent businessmen Charles Miles and Frederick Ingersoll designed and owned the park. The park became the home field for the Columbus Panhandles football team for half a decade. The team left for Neil Park in 1916 for unknown reasons. The attraction flourished until 1920 when new owners bought the park and remodeled it. In 1927, the park sold some of its lands to the Columbus Board of Education for the construction of the Indianola Junior High School. The park struggled due to the Great Depression and failed to attract enough visitors to stay open.

Images

Indianola Park Swimming Pool (1908)

Indianola Park Entrance (1905)

Football at Indianola Park (1910)

"Union County Folks to Hold a Picnic," (Marysville Union County Journal), 14 July 1922, p. 1

"What Others Say," (Salem News), 11 Oct 1929, p.2.

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Indianola Park opened as a Columbus amusement park in 1905. Its several roller coasters and massive pools attracted customers from across Ohio. The dentist-turned-developer Charles Miles financed the entire park, while Frederick Ingersoll designed it. The success of the many Luna Parks persuaded Miles to take a risk and create his amusement park. The park also featured roller dance halls, a scenic railroad, restaurants, and several athletic fields. The football field became the home of the Columbus Panhandles in 1909. Joseph Carr, the owner of the Panhandles arranged to have the majority of their games played on the road. Most of the team was employed by the railroad, which allowed them to ride the train for free and not have to spend money on stadium rentals, promotion, or security. In 1916, the Panhandles decided to move to a different venue, at Neil Park, the reason for the move is unknown.

In 1923, the park changed management. The new owners invested several thousand dollars on renovations. The new Jazz Age them to remodel the dance pavilion. The famous swimming pool required major repairs as well. In the 1920s, the park sold some of its lands for the construction of the new Indianola Junior High School. This reduced the park to just its core, which included the dance hall and the pool. The park remained open until 1937. The toll of the Great Depression and the reduced size of the park made it impossible to keep open. In 1948, the park was converted into the Indianola Park Shopping Mall

Sources

Braunwart, B & Bob Carroll. THE PANHANDLES: LAST OF THE SANDLOTTERS. (1979). Accessed May 6th 2021. https://www.profootballresearchers.org/coffin-corner70s/01-08-013.pdf

Kellough, D K. "Entrance", Indianola Park. February 8th 2015. Accessed May 6th 2021. http://www.indianolapark.com/entra.html.

Kellough, D K. "Sports", Indianola Park. February 8th 2015. Accessed May 6th 2021. http://www.indianolapark.com/entra.html.

Kellough, D K. "1910s", Indianola Park. February 8th 2015. Accessed May 6th 2021. http://www.indianolapark.com/entra.html.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

http://www.indianolapark.com/entra.html

http://www.indianolapark.com/sports.html#:~:text=In%201916%2C%20The%20Panhandles%20left,disbanded%20after%20the%201922%20season.

https://newspaperarchive.com/marysville-union-county-journal-jul-14-1922-p-1/

https://newspaperarchive.com/salem-news-oct-11-1929-p-2/