Vernon Keenan (1886–1964) was an American

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 ...

designer best known for his involvement with the

Cyclone In meteorology, a cyclone () is a large air mass that rotates around a strong center of low atmospheric pressure, counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern Hemisphere as viewed from above (opposite to an ant ...

Coney Island Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in the southwestern section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The neighborhood is bounded by Brighton Beach to its east, Lower New York Bay to the south and west, and Gravesend to ...

Biography

Vernon Keenan was born in

Henry County, Kentucky Henry County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky bordering the Kentucky River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,678. Its county seat is New Castle, but its largest city is Eminence. T ...

, on August 8, 1886. His parents were Andrew J. Keenan and Anna Belle Grigsby, both born in Kentucky. Vernon was the oldest child in a family of seven children. In 1900 Andrew Keenan, Vernon's father, was listed as a lock keeper on the Kentucky River in Clover Bottom, Woodford County, Kentucky. Andrew Keenan worked at various locks along the river, including the ones in

Jessamine County, Kentucky Jessamine County () is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 52,991. Its county seat is Nicholasville. The county was founded in December 1798. Jessamine County is part of the Lexington-Fay ...

, and

. When Vernon filled out his Military Registration Card in June 1917 for the

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

Draft he was living in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus (, ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities in Ohio, most populous city of the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 United States census, 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the List of United States ...

, with his wife Ula (born in

West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...

) and one child. "At that time he was employed as a Civil Engineer at the Ingersoll Construction Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. Vernon and Ula had four children, three daughters and one son, Vernon Keenan Jr. Vernon Keenan Sr. died in November 1964 and is buried in Oak Park Cemetery, New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. Vernon's parents, Andrew and Anna Keenan, are buried in the Dutch Track Cemetery, North Pleasureville, Henry County, Kentucky.

Early life

The earliest coaster to be credited to Keenan is the 1918-built ''Giant Roller Coaster'' at Rexford Park. During this time he met Harry C. Baker who was the manager of the park. The two would go on to build the Coney Island Cyclone together.

Coney Island Cyclone

In 1927, Jack and Irving Rosenthal purchased land at the intersection of Surf Avenue and West 10th Street and, with a $100,000 investment, they hired Keenan to design a new coaster. Harry C. Baker supervised the construction, which was done by area companies including National Bridge Company (which supplied the steel) and Cross, Austin, & Ireland (which supplied the lumber). The Cyclone was built on the site of America's first roller coaster, known as Switchback Railway (which opened on January 16, 1884). Its final cost has been reported to be around $146,000 to $175,000. When it opened on June 26, 1927, a ride cost only twenty-five cents (, compared to the $10 fee to ride ). After the success of this endeavour, Keenan and Baker once again teamed to build one of the most debated roller coasters of the 1920s, the ''Blue Streak'' at Woodcliffe Pleasure Park. Keenan went on to serve as the manager at

Crystal Beach Park Crystal Beach Park was an amusement park in Crystal Beach, Ontario from 1888 to 1989. It was serviced by the ''SS Canadiana, Canadiana'' passenger ferry in Buffalo, New York, Buffalo, making it a popular tourist destination for both Canadians and ...

in 1929. According to a letter written in 1974 by Vernon Keenan II, the elder Keenan also designed coasters for Chicago World's Fair and the

1939 New York World's Fair The 1939 New York World's Fair (also known as the 1939–1940 New York World's Fair) was an world's fair, international exposition at Flushing Meadows–Corona Park in Queens, New York City, New York, United States. The fair included exhibitio ...

National Amusement Devices

Keenan joined National Amusement Devices in the late 1930s and served as chief coaster engineer. During this period he designed, among others, the ''Atom Smasher'' at

Rockaways' Playland Rockaways' Playland was an amusement park that operated from 1902 to 1987 in Rockaway Beach in Queens, New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern t ...

, a coaster featured extensively in the 1952 movie ''

This Is Cinerama ''This Is Cinerama'' is a 1952 American documentary film directed by Mike Todd, Michael Todd Jr., Walter A. Thompson and Fred Rickey and starring Lowell Thomas.

''. He also designed the

Comet A comet is an icy, small Solar System body that warms and begins to release gases when passing close to the Sun, a process called outgassing. This produces an extended, gravitationally unbound atmosphere or Coma (cometary), coma surrounding ...

Lincoln Park Lincoln Park is a park along Lake Michigan on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. Named after US president Abraham Lincoln, it is the city's largest public park and stretches for from Grand Avenue (500 N), on the south, to near Ardmore Avenu ...

, which opened in 1946.

Coasters

Coasters that have been attributed to Keenan include

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Keenan, Vernon Amusement ride manufacturers People from Henry County, Kentucky Roller coaster designers 1886 births 1964 deaths