Lotus Isle Amusement Park was an amusement park that operated from 1930 to 1932 on Tomahawk Island in

Portland, Oregon Portland ( ) is the List of cities in Oregon, most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon, located in the Pacific Northwest region. Situated close to northwest Oregon at the confluence of the Willamette River, Willamette and Columbia River, ...

. Known as the "Wonderland of the Pacific Northwest", Lotus Isle was located just east of the more successful

Jantzen Beach Amusement Park Jantzen Beach Amusement Park was a popular amusement park from 1928 to 1970 in Portland, Oregon, on Hayden Island in the middle of the Columbia River. ''"The Coney Island of the West"'' opened on May 26, 1928, as the largest amusement park in t ...

. Lotus Isle spread out over and at the time was Portland's largest amusement park.

History

1930: Construction and opening

Lotus Isle Amusement Park opened on June 28, 1930, after a group of investors realized the success of the nearby

. At the time of its opening, Lotus Isle was the largest amusement park in Oregon. The park consisted of forty attractions including

bumper cars Bumper cars or dodgems are the generic names for a type of flat amusement ride consisting of multiple small electrically powered cars which draw power from the floor or ceiling, and which are turned on and off remotely by an operator. They are ...

, a

rollercoaster A roller coaster is a type of amusement ride employing a form of elevated railroad track that carries passengers on a train through tight turns, steep slopes, and other elements, usually designed to produce a thrilling experience, though some r ...

, a log cabin-style cafe, and a

dance hall Dance hall in its general meaning is a hall for Dance, dancing, but usually refers to a specific type of twentieth-century venue, with dance clubs (nightclubs) becoming more popular towards the end of the century. The palais de danse was a term ap ...

called the Peacock Ballroom. The Peacock Ballroom cost approximately $60,000 to construct.

Injury and death incidents

A patron of the park allegedly sustained injuries while riding a rollercoaster in the park on July 13, 1930, and sought $25,000 in damages over the incident. On August 28, 1930, eleven-year-old Ronald Ralston drowned at the Lotus Isle beach after slipping from a ladder beneath the park's main diving board. The following day, the park's owner, Edwin F. Platt, committed

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

in the park office by shooting himself in the heart. Platt "spent a fortune" in constructing Lotus Isle, which cost between $500,000 and $600,000. According to ''The Oregonian'', finances were given consideration in the inquiry following Platt's death. Business at the park had not been as brisk as its investors had hoped for, and it experienced "internal discord" such as the discharge of its manager, T. H. Eslick, who later sued the park for violating the agreement whereby he was brought on as manager. Ralston's family pursued a lawsuit against the park seeking $25,000 in damages over his death.

1930–1931: Subsequent season

On March 22, 1931, prior to the park's second season, an airplane crashed into the park's scenic railway in front of the Peacock Ballroom. The pilot and his two passengers sustained minor injuries, but survived the crash. The park re-opened on May 16, 1931 under the management of promoted Al Painter, with approximately $100,000 spent in improvements and new attractions. Painter created a "Dance-A-Thon" event in the park's Peacock Ballroom, which held room for 6,600 dancers. An

ferris wheel A Ferris wheel (also called a big wheel, giant wheel or an observation wheel) is an amusement ride consisting of a rotating upright wheel with multiple passenger-carrying components (commonly referred to as passenger cars, cabins, tubs, gondola ...

was introduced as a new attraction, as well as the "Y-Alps", a scenic alpine-themed ride. During this time,

John Ringling John Nicholas Ringling (May 31, 1866 – December 2, 1936) was an American entrepreneur who is the best known of the seven Ringling brothers, five of whom merged the Barnum & Bailey Circus with their own Ringling Brothers Circus, Ringling Br ...

sold Lotus Isle a temperamental bull elephant named "Tusko" who soon destroyed several pavilions after being spooked by a low-flying stunt plane. The elephant, which had previously rampaged through

Sedro-Woolley, Washington Sedro-Woolley ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, Skagit County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. It is part of the Mount Vernon, Washington, Mount Vernon–Anacortes, Washington, Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Stat ...

, eventually ended up in

Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

Woodland Park Zoo Woodland Park Zoo is a wildlife conservation organization and zoological garden located in the Phinney Ridge neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, United States. The zoo is the recipient of over 65 awards across multiple categories. The zoo has a ...

. On August 24, 1931, almost a year after the drowning and Platt's suicide, the Peacock Ballroom burned to the ground after a

transformer In electrical engineering, a transformer is a passive component that transfers electrical energy from one electrical circuit to another circuit, or multiple Electrical network, circuits. A varying current in any coil of the transformer produces ...

explosion ignited a fire on the building's

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, usually dome-like structure on top of a building often crowning a larger roof or dome. Cupolas often serve as a roof lantern to admit light and air or as a lookout. The word derives, via Ital ...

and roof. The destruction of the Peacock Ballroom cost the park approximately $90,000 in losses.

1932: Disestablishment

The park operated once more in the 1932 season before going into bankruptcy, after which liquidation of the park property began.

Attractions

* "Whiz" - wood

roller coaster A roller coaster is a type of list of amusement rides, amusement ride employing a form of elevated Railway track, railroad track that carries passengers on a roller coaster train, train through tight turns, steep slopes, and other elements, usua ...

* Alpine Scenic Railway * Bulldog Bumper Cars * neon Eiffel Tower sign at the entrance * 1914 Herschell-Spillman menagerie

merry-go-round A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (International English), or galloper (British English) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular platform with seats for riders. The seats are tradit ...

-- currently located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park

References

External links

* {{Hayden Island, Portland, Oregon 1930 establishments in Oregon Amusement parks in Oregon Defunct amusement parks in the United States History of Portland, Oregon Hayden Island, Portland, Oregon Northeast Portland, Oregon 1932 disestablishments in Oregon