John A. Miller, born August John Mueller (1872 – June 24, 1941), was an American roller coaster designer and builder, inventor, and businessman. Miller patented over 100 key roller coaster components, and is widely considered the "father of the modern high-speed roller coaster." During his lifetime, he participated in the design of approximately 150 coasters and was a key business partner and mentor to other well-known roller coaster designers, including Harry C. Baker and John C. Allen.

Biography Early life Miller was born in Homewood, Illinois, in 1872 and worked as a coaster builder from a very early age. At the age of 19, he started working with La Marcus Thompson and went on to serve as Thompson's chief engineer. By 1911, he was working as a consultant to the Philadelphia Toboggan Company He also worked with noted designers Frederick Ingersoll and Fred and Josiah Pearce.

In 1910, Miller designed a device that prevented cars from rolling backward down the lift hill in the event of pull chain breakage. It attached to the track and clicked onto the rungs of the chain. Known as the safety chain dog or safety ratchet, it evolved into the device on the underside of cars that makes the distinctive sound commonly heard on the lift hills of wooden coasters.

Miller's most important contribution to roller coaster technology, though, was the underfriction wheel. In 1919, he patented the "Miller Under Friction Wheel," also called the "upstop wheel", which consisted of a wheel that ran under the track to keep the coaster cars from flying off. This allowed designers to incorporate very steep drops, sharp horizontal and vertical curves, and high speeds. These are found on nearly every modern roller coaster in operation.

Miller & Baker Besides patenting ingenious inventions for coasters—including several types of brakes and car bar locks—Miller built his share of unusual "scream machines". In 1920 Miller went into business with Harry C. Baker as "Miller & Baker, Inc." and over the next three years they built popular coasters all over North America. Characteristics of their roller coasters are camelback hills (multiple straight or slightly angled drops that went all the way to the ground) and large, flat turns.

Miller & Baker built other types of amusement rides and structures as well. In addition to coasters, the firm constructed mill chutes and domed roof buildings for carousels and dance pavilions.

The John Miller Company After 1923, Miller continued to design and build coasters for his own company, The John Miller Company. Dip-Lo-Docus (c. 1923), billed as "The Jazz Ride", featured revolving three-seater cars, whereas Flying Turns (1929) consisted of cars with swiveling rubber wheels tearing through a half-cylindrical chute like a toboggan. The legendary Cyclone (1928–1958) at Puritas Springs near Cleveland, Ohio, was honored with a place on the Smithsonian Institution's list of Great Lost Roller Coasters. It was hidden so much by foliage that only the boarding platform was visible to riders before they began to race through the ravine. This 1928 ride was considered one of the golden-age classics of the period.

Later life and death Although many of his most famous roller coasters were built during the 1920s, Miller never stopped building roller coasters. He continued to travel to supervise site installations and consult on roller coaster design until his death. He died on June 24, 1941, while working on a roller coaster project at Playland Park in Houston, Texas, at the age of 69.

Roller coasters

During his lifetime, Miller designed or contributed to the design of approximately 150 roller coasters. Name Park Location Opened Closed Ref(s)Greyhound Lakewood Fairgrounds Atlanta, GA 1915 1974 Jack Rabbit Riverview Park Des Moines, IA 1915 1919 Dip-Lo-Docus Olympic Park Irvington, NJ 1923 ? Cyclone Puritas Springs Cleveland, OH 1928 1958 Greyhound Celoron Park Jamestown, NY 1924 1959 Flying Turns Euclid Beach Park Cleveland, OH 1929 1969 Ravine Flyer Waldameer & Water World Erie, PA 1922 1938 Thunderbolt Revere Beach Revere, MA 1921 1930 Thunderbolt Coney Island New York, NY 1925 1982 Beach Coaster Ocean View Pavilion Amusement Park Jacksonville, FL 1928 1949 Screechin' Eagle LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park Middletown, OH 1928 2002 Legend Arnolds Park Arnolds Park, IA 1930 Racer Kennywood Pittsburgh, PA 1927 Jack Rabbit Kennywood Pittsburgh, PA 1920 Thunderbolt Kennywood Pittsburgh, PA 1924 Big Dipper Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool, England 1923 Big Dipper Geauga Lake Aurora, OH 1925 2007 Classic Coaster Washington State Fair Puyallup, WA 1935 Jack Rabbit Seabreeze Amusement Park Rochester, NY 1920 Roller Coaster Lagoon Amusement Park Farmington, UT 1921 Zippin Pippin Bay Beach Amusement Park Green Bay, WI 1912 The Wild One Six Flags America Largo, MD 1917 2025 Jack Rabbit Clementon Park Clementon, NJ 1919 2002 Dips Buckroe Beach Park Hampton, VA 1920 1985 Screem Machine Splash Zone Water Park Wildwood, NJ 1919 1984 The Big Beast Edgewater Park Detroit, MI 1927 1981 Speed Hound Don Hanson's Amusement Park Harveys Lake, PA 1931 1980 Roller Coaster Riverview Park Des Moines, IA 1920 1978 Alps Willow Grove Park Willow Grove, PA 1905 1975 Comet Silver Beach Amusement Park St. Joseph, MI 1924 1971 Thriller Riverside Park Indianapolis, IN 1924 1970 Derby Racer Euclid Beach Park Cleveland, OH 1913 1969 Flying Dragon Walled Lake Park Walled Lake, MI 1929 1968 Jack Rabbit Natatorium Park Spokane, WA 1920 1968 Big Dipper Riverview Park Chicago, IL 1920 1967 Fireball Riverview Park Chicago, IL 1923 1967 Flying Turns Riverview Park Chicago, IL 1935 1967 Humming Bird Riverview Beach Park Pennsville, NJ 1923 1967 Pippin Riverview Park Chicago, IL 1921 1967 Sea Serpent Pacific Ocean Park Santa Monica, CA 1925 1967 Dips Buckeye Lake Amusement Park Buckeye Lake, OH 1924 1958 Giant Winnipeg Beach Manitoba, Canada 1919 1964 Skyrocket Fairyland Park Kansas City, MO 1923 1966 Aero Dips Euclid Beach Park Cleveland, OH 1909 1965 Jet Star Olympic Park Irvington, NJ 1925 1965 Deep Dip Coaster Fair Park Nashville, TN 1924 1964 Gee Wiz Riverview Park Chicago, IL 1912 1963 Crystal Flyer Crystal Beach Park Vermilion, OH 1926 1962 Big Dipper Jefferson Beach St. Clair Shores, MI 1927 1959 Comet Chain of Rocks Amusement Park St. Louis, MO 1926 1958 Cyclone Lake Ariel Amusement Park 1928 1955 Derby Racer Central Park 1912 1951 Rocket Lakeworth Park 1930 1951 Sky Rocket Steeplechase Island -1921 1951 Velvet Racer Ghost Town on the River 1936 1951 Pippin Coaster Rocky Glen Park Moosic, PA 1924 1950 Mountain Dips Coaster Rocky Glen Park Moosic, PA 1920 1939 Cyclone DandiLion Park 1929 1949 Deep Dipper Carlin's Park 1919 1949 Racer Dip Bay Shore Park 1920 1947 Skyrocket Meyer's Lake Park 1924 1946 Triple Racing Coaster State Fair of Texas 1936 1946 Skyrocket Palisades Amusement Park Fort Lee, NJ 1926 1944 Giant Coaster Central Park 1921 1942 Jack Rabbit Keansburg Amusement Park 1931 1941 Wildcat Enna Jettick Park 1921 1941 Flying Turns Steeplechase Park 1934 1939 Greyhound Hazle Park 1923 1939 Thunderbolt Moxahala Amusement Park 1928 1939 Whoopee Baby Scenic Neptune Beach 1927 1939 Whoopee Coaster Neptune Beach 1929 1939 Wildcat Merrimack Park Methuen, MA 1921 1938 Derby Racer Lakeside Amusement Park 1911 1937 Jack Rabbit Capital Beach Park 1918 1936 Racing Derby Ghost Town on the River 1910 1936 Gorge Ride Cascade Park New Castle, PA 1922 1935 Flying Turns Century of Progress 1933 1934 Cyclone Chester Park 1927 1935 Some Kick Venice Amusement Pier 1923 1934 Big Dipper Roton Point 1914 1933 Comet Pacific City San Mateo County, CA 1923 1933 Flash Riverside Park Indianapolis, IN 1924 1970 Flash White City Chicago, IL 1928 1933 Greyhound Riverside Amusement Park Agawam, MA 1915 1933 Lightning Riverside Amusement Park Agawam, MA 1920 1933 Racing Coaster White City Chicago, IL 1910 1933 Devil Liberty Pier 1925 1932 Jack Rabbit Riverview Park Chicago, IL 1914 1932 Derby Racer Riverview Park Chicago, IL 1910 1931 Big Dipper Krug Park 1918 1930 Jack Rabbit Racer Queens Park 1915 1930 Jack Rabbit Paxtang Park Harrisburg, PA 1923 1929 Pippin Luna Park Cleveland, OH 1923 1929 Roller Coaster Arnolds Park 1922 1929 Big Dipper Idora Park Oakland, CA 1922 1928 Giant Coaster Harlem Park 1912 1928 Greyhound Island Beach Park 1922 1928 Jack Rabbit Playland Park 1928 1928 Skyrocket Idora Park Oakland, CA 1927 1928 Thriller Exposition Park 1926 1928 Big Dipper Gordon Gardens 1922 1927 Jack Rabbit Rocky Springs Park 1918 1927 Racer Kennywood Pittsburgh, PA 1910 1926 Cannon Ball Riverview Park Chicago, IL 1919 1925 Comet Palisades Amusement Park Fort Lee, NJ 1921 1925 Jack Rabbit Revere Beach Revere, MA 1916 1924 Zip Lick Pier 1922 1924 Blue Streak Riverview Park Chicago, IL 1911 1923 Chase through the Clouds Silver Beach Amusement Park 1905 1923 Speed-O-Plane Kennywood Pittsburgh, PA 1911 1923 Deep Dipper Frederick Road Park 1920 1922 Giant Coaster Dips East End Park 1913 1922 Leap the Dips Forest Park 1907 1922 Great Mountain Ride Forest Park Highlands 1912 1921 The Gorge Cascade Park New Castle, PA 1903 1921 Royal Gorge Scenic Railway Riverview Park Chicago, IL 1908 1920 Jack Rabbit Riverview Park Chicago, IL 1915 1919 Velvet Coaster Riverview Park Chicago, IL 1909 1919 Scenic Railway White City Chicago, IL 1905 1916 Figure Eight Seabreeze 1903 1915 Royal Dip Coaster Playland Park 1915 1915 Dip The Dips Clyffside Park 1909 1913 Pikes Peak Scenic Railway Riverview Park Chicago, IL 1907 1911 Scenic Railway Kennywood Pittsburgh, PA 1904 1910 Scenic RailwayErie Beach Park 1910 1930 Deep Dips Olympic Park 1920 ? Derby Racer Electric Park ? ? Dips Liberty Park ? ? Figure 8 Hague Park ? ? Giant Coaster Lakewood Park 1923 1982 Greyhound Stanley Park ? L.A. Thompson Scenic Railway Lake Erie Park & Casino ? ? Pippin Wildwood Park ? ? Racer Dips Forest Park Highlands 1920 1940 Roller Coaster Woodlawn Park 1922 ? Scenic Railway Ghost Town on the River 1905 ? Sidewinder Legend City 1968 1983 Sky Rocket Coney Island Cincinnati, OH 1921 1944 Skyline Twister Rolling Green Park 1928 1972 Velvet Coaster Woodside Park 1925 ? Velvet Coaster Lakeside Amusement Park 1908 ? Skyrocket Playland Park Houston, TX 1924 1963 Big DipperLuna Park MelbourneMelbourne, Australia19231989Big DipperLuna Park SydneySydney, Australia19351979

Patents Number Date Description13,5881913, July 1reissue979,8751910, December 27979,9821910, December 27979,9831910, December 27Braking Apparatus979,9841910, December 27Chain Dog1,037,9571912, September 101,037,9581912, September 101,038,1741912, September 101,038,1751912, September 101,062,8381913, May 271,062,8391913, May 271,076,7791913, October 281,319,8881919, October 28Underfriction Wheel1,373,7541921, April 51,380,7301921, June 71,380,7311921, June 71,380,7321921, June 71,409,7501922, February 141,409,7511922, February 141,415,1871922, May 91,438,4521922, December 121,448,7631923, May 201,448,7641923, May 201,476,9951923, December 111,501,0601924, July 151,501,0611924, July 15 Track construction1,536,1221925, May 5Track construction1,536,4481925, May 5Coaster with tight turns1,539,0941925, May 26Ferris Wheel1,562,0351925, November 17Pleasure Railway Car1,562,0361925, November 17Pleasure Railway Structure1,591,7221926, July 6Amusement Structure1,593,5871926, July 27Pleasure Railway Structure1,605,3691926, November 2Truck for Pleasure Railway Cars1,606,7691926, November 16Roof Structure1,606,7701926, November 16Handle-bar Structure1,607,7711926, November 23Water-chute Structure1,613,1181927, January 4Pleasure Railway Structure1,629,5201927, May 24Pleasure Railway Structure1,645,2021927, October 11Roof Structure1,656,2181928, January 17Pleasure Railway Car1,825,4681931, September 29Pleasure Railway Structure

References

External links

John A. Miller site