It had actually begun earlier, in the East Bottoms, down the slope from the Cliff Drive, as the brainchild of Michael Heim, owner of Heim Brewery, but was moved and greatly expanded in 1907. 53,000 people attended the grand re-opening.
It was the era of Prohibition, so when the new park applied for a liquor license, the liquor board tried to stifle the sale of alcohol by invoking the provision that no more licenses would be issued until the city reached a population of 400,000. The oddity of a lack of beer at a brewery-sponsored park didn’t seem to keep the crowds away. Later the new location was able to sell beer.
It was a popular attraction by day, no doubt, but the newness of electric illumination made it a must-see nighttime destination.
Its features included a lagoon, called Mirror Lake, as shown on this map, and lavish landscaping, as well as rides and attractions.
“Valued at $75,000.00 in the 1920′s, the fountain was said to be one of only three Dunlap Illuminated Fountains in existance.” “It was reportedly purchased in Europe by Michael Heim, and its display was thought to have been inspired by a similar tableau which had first been presented in Paris.” (Enlarge pic to see that this is a real person.)
She would stand, still as marble, depicting some Biblical or historical event, while a narrator described it. The book goes on to describe a Mrs. Pearl Goelz, who was one of the performers. In a 1969 newspaper story, said she had been chosen, nine years running, as Queen Electra in the park’s Mardi Gras bash. This entitled her to lead a parade and to flip the switch, bringing to life the many thousands of lights.
Now, Mrs. Goelz had also worked as a telephone operator and as a stenographer for a real estate office, in part of the nine years she did the performances.
Mrs. Goelz would appear nightly in the “Fountain Pictures” performance, earning $25 for each evening’s fifteen-minute, nine-scene performance. Pretty good money for an entire day’s work, in those years, and she made it in far less. In fairness, I don’t know how early she had to show up, nor how late she was there after her fifteen minutes of performing.
Her husband would drop her off and pick her up. When he went away to war, her dad took her. (What, did she not drive? Perhaps few women drove in those days. What a glorious time it must have been.) Anyway, she and three other performers were assisted by a wardrobe mistress, below, to speed the changing process. They also used props and small furniture.
“The crowd was held spellbound, by the beauty of the girls, enhanced by the colorful moving lights.” This, friends, is what has been missing from my Friday night entertainment pursuits.
http://kchistory.org/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/Mrs&CISOPTR=1089&CISOBOX=1&REC=6
