Treasure at Kit Carson County Fairgrounds

Those humble signs for carousel led us to an arena that was all but shuttered for the season.  Before the painted concrete walls of the fairground arena lay a great surprise - a manicured lawn surrounding the most magnificently painted carousel with its doors up and staff ready at the lever.

Carousel rides!

“Would you like to ride the carousel? It’s only 25 cents.”

Pause.

Over her shoulder, Amy could see that David had gone into the accompanying museum to inquire about the bathroom. “Let me ask my husband.”

Amy sped off and quickly returned with David. Of course we wanted to ride the carousel!

In our excitement, David buried his need to find relief and we got in line with our ride tokens.  The line for the carousel had at that point grown to a total of three people (a young couple and their toddler).  It seemed we were the only other people on the grounds.

As the docent told us a little about the carousel, our eyes widened as we realized the meaning of the gem we happened upon.

The Kit Carson Carousel dates back to 1905 and is billed as the only antique carousel in America still having original paint on both its scenery panels and on its the animals. In addition, it is the 6th carousel manufactured by the Philadelphia Toboggan Company and the only surviving menagerie (having other animals in addition to horses) carousel manufactured by this company.  The menagerie is indeed exotic with Victorian sensibilities.

This moving museum is fully operational. On this early carousel each stationary animal is painted as its own intricate masterpiece. They are pegged to a suspended platform which spins at 12mph, much faster than the 8mph that might be felt on a carousel with leaping animals.  It whirls at a speed that is fast enough to make you a little dizzy from the long ride. The Wurlitzer Monster Military Band Organ was painstakingly restored by a master organ technician and now plays its original tunes from the turn of the century.  Melodies of the band organ echo with the rousing fullness and clarity of a well-tuned orchestra.

Gypsy camels for Mary and Kellianne to rumble over, should they ever butt heads in Kansas!

Fit for a proper Shiek of Araby and a Bedouin dream.

This one is for Mary.

This band organ has more than enough brass to sing of days past.  Its enormous sound surrounds you with its melodies.

Most remarkable of all, a Federal grant during the Dust Bowl Era brought a large amount of grain to the county and nowhere to store it. The carousel was filled top to bottom with grain and remained forgotten for many years.  Decades later, the shell was unpacked to reveal the carousel preserved in layers of grime and decaying grain.  Kit Carson County declared a mission to restore the carousel during the bicentennial thus beginning their painstaking restoration. Animals were restored down to their original Japanese paint.  Carousel-riders are given plenty of opportunity to admire the craftsmanship.  Each animal and saddle has its own "story."

Kellianne and Inessa will have to work this one out.

This one is for Shelley.

The tribal horse is one of David's favorites.

This tall giraffe has a monkey under its saddle and a snake wrapped around its neck.

During the restoration, eaves which had rotted away were rebuilt based on surviving pieces and paint. The canvas paintings in the center of the carousel were conserved and restored, and the full band housed within the organ make the carousel feel like a ride through Mary Poppins' Jolly Holiday.

Canvasses restored to their original paint.

 
In 1981, a theft ring specializing in antiques attempted to steal the carousel's lion, but it was found too heavy to lift from its post.  Instead, the thieves left with three small horses and a donkey.  The town was so distraught by the crime that it immediately began an awareness campaign to prevent any potential sale of the animals. A reward for any tips leading to the recovery of the animals and capture of the thieves proved successful when one of the thieves' disgruntled girlfriends contacted the police. After five months, the missing animals were recovered from a warehouse in Salina, KS. The return of the animals to the menagerie was heralded with a citywide celebration.

 

The muscular lion is carved with cherubs and painted with a chivalric saddle.

 

The unexpectedly hefty and easily identifiable lion would have been difficult to sell.

The culmination of many years of artful work and funding comprised this National Historic Landmark and the wonder before us. The carousel is a sensory smorgasbord. And you can touch it!  We left gleaming from the exhilarating ride and its history.

 

A few more pictures, and at last we remembered what brought us here in the first place. We soon found relief at the fairground's arena.