Delmar Gardens
Encyclopedia
Delmar Gardens of Oklahoma City was an amusement park
in Oklahoma City
that operated from 1902 to 1910.
After the emergence of New York's Coney Island
, the fad of waterside amusement parks graced with wooden boardwalk
s spread across the country. Although Oklahoma City was only founded in 1889, civic leaders were eager to provide similar facilities in Oklahoma Territory.
John Sinopoulo and Joseph Marre, who trained at the original Delmar Gardens in St. Louis
, built the park on the east bank of the North Canadian River
on property owned by civic leader and developer Charles Colcord's Colcord Park Corporation. The park was located on about 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) between Reno, Western and the river. Today's Wheeler Park constituted the southeast boundary of the complex. The park boasted of a 3,000 seat theater, dance pavilion, a horse racing track, baseball field, swimming pool, exotic animal zoo, railway, a boardwalk beer garden, amusement rides, a penny arcade, a floating wedding chapel, and a hotel and restaurant. The Gardens and Park were served by the city's extensive trolley service, which brought visitors from suburbs miles away in a matter of minutes.
Sinopoulo was a Greek immigrant who wanted to build a stylish amusement complex that held a uniting theme throughout a park setting. He used an elaborate Art Nouveau styling that blended blissfully with the surrounding woods and river. The interior of the Delmar Garden Theater was designed in intricate Victorian gingerbread, with Art Nouveau accents. Orchestra seating held leather upholstered opera chairs, box seats contained comfortable wicker chairs and love-seats, and three horseshoe shaped balconies were equipped with steep pitch bleachers. While the auditorium had soft gas lighting, the heavily draped stage was brilliantly illuminated by electric switchboard lighting. Built to be a vaudeville house, Delmar Garden Theater also installed film equipment in 1903 to feature The Great Train Robbery
, which ran for eleven weeks. Regardless of the fact that film showings at the Delmar proved to be successful, management preferred to continue mainly as a two-a-day vaudeville venue, with only an occasional movie thrown in at the end of a weak vaudeville program. (One advantage for vaudevillians appearing on the family oriented Delmar stage was that they could also present "adult material" in late night sketches at the Delmar Saloon).
During its short lifespan Delmar Gardens served as Oklahoma City's premiere playground, drawing thousands of visitors and attracting entertainers like Lon Chaney Sr. and Buster Keaton
, boxers John L. Sullivan
and Jack Dempsey
, and the legendary race horse Dan Patch
. Lon Chaney, Sr. was appearing at Delmar Theater in 1905 when he rescued a beautiful 16 year-old songbird from a flooded basement dressing room. Her name was Cleva Crieghton, and after a whirlwind courtship the couple married in Oklahoma City. Whether or not they took advantage of the romantic Delmar Garden floating chapel is lost to time. In 1904 Tom Mix
performed at Delmar Gardens with the Oklahoma Cavalry Band, where he met and became engaged to Kitty Jewel Perrine, daughter of the Perrine Hotel owner where Tom was renting a room.
Delmar Gardens was adjacent to Wheeler Park and the city's first zoo. On May 13, 1902, James B. Wheeler deeded land to the City of Oklahoma City, roughly from the Frisco railroad tracks (today's I-40 realignment) to the Canadian River, "to be perpetually used by party of second part as a public park for the free use and benefit of the citizens of Oklahoma City." As part of the conveyance, the park's name would never be changed.
The entire complex, however, fronted a prairie river, and not the Atlantic Ocean. Swarms of mosquitoes that accompanied the river's annual flooding contributed to Delmar Gardens' demise, and the advent of prohibition was the death blow. It closed in 1910, and the buildings were razed the following year. The zoo, which opened in 1904, moved to Northeast 50th and Eastern Avenue after most of the animals were killed in a major flood in 1923, and became the foundation of today's Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
With the exception of Wheeler Park, little evidence of Delmar Gardens and its environs remains today. On June 16, 1928, John J. Harden opened his mission revival style Market Theatre (also 3000 seats) on the far northwest corner of the Delmar site. The 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) structure, built at a cost of $500,000, featured farmers' fresh produce on the first floor, with concerts, dances, boxing matches and roller skating on the second floor. Hank Williams Jr., Bob Wills
and Count Basie
have performed there. Now operated as the Oklahoma City Farmers Public Market, the facility's boxoffice lobby, balcony, and stage remain intact. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
Then Senator Barack Obama
made a Presidential campaign stop at the Farmer's Market on March 19, 2007.
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
in Oklahoma City
Oklahoma city
Oklahoma City is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma.Oklahoma City may also refer to:*Oklahoma City metropolitan area*Downtown Oklahoma City*Uptown Oklahoma City*Oklahoma City bombing*Oklahoma City National Memorial...
that operated from 1902 to 1910.
After the emergence of New York's Coney Island
Coney Island
Coney Island is a peninsula and beach on the Atlantic Ocean in southern Brooklyn, New York, United States. The site was formerly an outer barrier island, but became partially connected to the mainland by landfill....
, the fad of waterside amusement parks graced with wooden boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
s spread across the country. Although Oklahoma City was only founded in 1889, civic leaders were eager to provide similar facilities in Oklahoma Territory.
John Sinopoulo and Joseph Marre, who trained at the original Delmar Gardens in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, built the park on the east bank of the North Canadian River
North Canadian River
The North Canadian River is a tributary of the Canadian River, approximately long, that flows through New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma in the United States....
on property owned by civic leader and developer Charles Colcord's Colcord Park Corporation. The park was located on about 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) between Reno, Western and the river. Today's Wheeler Park constituted the southeast boundary of the complex. The park boasted of a 3,000 seat theater, dance pavilion, a horse racing track, baseball field, swimming pool, exotic animal zoo, railway, a boardwalk beer garden, amusement rides, a penny arcade, a floating wedding chapel, and a hotel and restaurant. The Gardens and Park were served by the city's extensive trolley service, which brought visitors from suburbs miles away in a matter of minutes.
Sinopoulo was a Greek immigrant who wanted to build a stylish amusement complex that held a uniting theme throughout a park setting. He used an elaborate Art Nouveau styling that blended blissfully with the surrounding woods and river. The interior of the Delmar Garden Theater was designed in intricate Victorian gingerbread, with Art Nouveau accents. Orchestra seating held leather upholstered opera chairs, box seats contained comfortable wicker chairs and love-seats, and three horseshoe shaped balconies were equipped with steep pitch bleachers. While the auditorium had soft gas lighting, the heavily draped stage was brilliantly illuminated by electric switchboard lighting. Built to be a vaudeville house, Delmar Garden Theater also installed film equipment in 1903 to feature The Great Train Robbery
The Great Train Robbery
- Events :* Great Gold Robbery of 1855, took place during a train and sea journey from London to Paris on May 15* Great Train Robbery , took place near Linslade in England on August 8...
, which ran for eleven weeks. Regardless of the fact that film showings at the Delmar proved to be successful, management preferred to continue mainly as a two-a-day vaudeville venue, with only an occasional movie thrown in at the end of a weak vaudeville program. (One advantage for vaudevillians appearing on the family oriented Delmar stage was that they could also present "adult material" in late night sketches at the Delmar Saloon).
During its short lifespan Delmar Gardens served as Oklahoma City's premiere playground, drawing thousands of visitors and attracting entertainers like Lon Chaney Sr. and Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
, boxers John L. Sullivan
John L. Sullivan
John Lawrence Sullivan , also known as the Boston Strong Boy, was recognized as the first heavyweight champion of gloved boxing from February 7, 1881 to 1892, and is generally recognized as the last heavyweight champion of bare-knuckle boxing under the London Prize Ring rules...
and Jack Dempsey
Jack Dempsey
William Harrison "Jack" Dempsey was an American boxer who held the world heavyweight title from 1919 to 1926. Dempsey's aggressive style and exceptional punching power made him one of the most popular boxers in history. Many of his fights set financial and attendance records, including the first...
, and the legendary race horse Dan Patch
Dan Patch
Dan Patch was the outstanding pacer of his day. Dan Patch broke world speed records at least 14 times in the early 1900s, finally setting the world's record for the fastest mile by a harness horse during a time trial in 1906, a record that stood unmatched for 32 years.-Life:He was a brown...
. Lon Chaney, Sr. was appearing at Delmar Theater in 1905 when he rescued a beautiful 16 year-old songbird from a flooded basement dressing room. Her name was Cleva Crieghton, and after a whirlwind courtship the couple married in Oklahoma City. Whether or not they took advantage of the romantic Delmar Garden floating chapel is lost to time. In 1904 Tom Mix
Tom Mix
Thomas Edwin "Tom" Mix was an American film actor and the star of many early Western movies. He made a reported 336 films between 1910 and 1935, all but nine of which were silent features...
performed at Delmar Gardens with the Oklahoma Cavalry Band, where he met and became engaged to Kitty Jewel Perrine, daughter of the Perrine Hotel owner where Tom was renting a room.
Delmar Gardens was adjacent to Wheeler Park and the city's first zoo. On May 13, 1902, James B. Wheeler deeded land to the City of Oklahoma City, roughly from the Frisco railroad tracks (today's I-40 realignment) to the Canadian River, "to be perpetually used by party of second part as a public park for the free use and benefit of the citizens of Oklahoma City." As part of the conveyance, the park's name would never be changed.
The entire complex, however, fronted a prairie river, and not the Atlantic Ocean. Swarms of mosquitoes that accompanied the river's annual flooding contributed to Delmar Gardens' demise, and the advent of prohibition was the death blow. It closed in 1910, and the buildings were razed the following year. The zoo, which opened in 1904, moved to Northeast 50th and Eastern Avenue after most of the animals were killed in a major flood in 1923, and became the foundation of today's Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
With the exception of Wheeler Park, little evidence of Delmar Gardens and its environs remains today. On June 16, 1928, John J. Harden opened his mission revival style Market Theatre (also 3000 seats) on the far northwest corner of the Delmar site. The 40000 square feet (3,716.1 m²) structure, built at a cost of $500,000, featured farmers' fresh produce on the first floor, with concerts, dances, boxing matches and roller skating on the second floor. Hank Williams Jr., Bob Wills
Bob Wills
James Robert Wills , better known as Bob Wills, was an American Western Swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader, considered by music authorities as the co-founder of Western Swing and universally known as the pioneering King of Western Swing.Bob Wills' name will forever be associated with...
and Count Basie
Count Basie
William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years...
have performed there. Now operated as the Oklahoma City Farmers Public Market, the facility's boxoffice lobby, balcony, and stage remain intact. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.
Then Senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
made a Presidential campaign stop at the Farmer's Market on March 19, 2007.
External links
- http://webinfo2.mls.lib.ok.us/okimages/okimages.asp?WCI=ViewEssay&WCU=000000041
- http://dougdawg.blogspot.com/2006/08/delmar-garden-wheeler-park.html