White City (also known as White City Amusement Park) was an amusement park in Indianapolis, Indiana, in what is now Broad Ripple Park that was in operation from May 26, 1906, until June 26, 1908. The trolley park was constructed and owned by the Broad Ripple Transit Company.John McDonald, Lost Indianapolis (Arcadia Publishing 2002) Similar to nearby rivals Riverside Amusement Park and Wonderland, White City was inspired by an exhibit in the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Although the park's grand opening was immensely successful, White City's existence was the briefest of the three, having been open for two and one-half seasons before burning to the ground. Throughout the park's existence, advertisements touted White City as "the amusement park that satisfied".David J. Bodenhamer and Robert Graham Barrows, The Encyclopedia of Indianapolis (Indiana University Press 1994)

Origin and grand opening White City arose during the national wave of increasing interest in amusement parks. The third of three major Indianapolis amusement parks to be opened in the space of three years, White City was incorporated on October 4, 1905. Officers of the corporation included Leon Bailey of New York City and Indianapolis residents Raymond Van Camp, Robert Light (president of the Broad Ripple Rapid Transit Company), Milton Huey, and John W. Bowles.Articles of Association for White City Amusement Company, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007 Light suggested the northern Indianapolis site for White City as he realized that placing the park at the end of the streetcar line would virtually guarantee a profit for his railway company.Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007 Park manager W. C. Tabb started to construct a boardwalk through and around a grove of tall trees and connecting various rides and exhibits."White City Aglow for its Opening," Indianapolis Star, 6 May 1906, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007

In the months prior to its grand opening, the park had already become a favorite destination as thousands of people visited the site to watch the construction process. On May 26, 1906, White City officially opened its six iron entrance gates to the public for the first time."Entrance to White City," photograph, Indianapolis Star, 27 May 1906, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007 Park management increased local interest on Opening Day by hiring an airship (the White Eagle, owned by Horace Wild) to hover "thousands of feet over the park" as its occupants dropped money orders redeemable at the office of the Indianapolis Star."White City Lagoon – Looking Down the Chutes," Indianapolis Star, 25 May 1906, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007

The park's main entrance was topped with an arch that was similar to that of Frederick Ingersoll's Luna Parks and local competitor Wonderland (all of which were patterned after the entrance of Coney Island's Luna Park). Also similar to Wonderland, White City's main entrance was framed by two office buildings. After a visitor paid twenty cents to pass through the arch, the customer stepped onto the boardwalk while facing White City's bandstand.

Attractions and exhibits

Although White City was situated on land adjoining White River (as was Riverside Amusement Park to the south), the park's primary drawing cards were the rides and live entertainment. Along with contemporary staples Shoot-the-Chutes, merry-go-round, roller coasters (including a scenic railway through the park's many trees), a funhouse, and other mechanical rides, White City featured a baby incubator exhibit (made popular by Luna Parks on Coney Island and in Pittsburgh, but originated in the 1898 Trans-Mississippi Exposition),Hannah Lieberman, "Incubator Baby Shows: A Medical and Social Frontier," The History Teacher, November 2001, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007"White City Growing," Indianapolis Star, 27 May 1906, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007 a simulation of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, and a firefighting exhibit ("Fighting the Flames") around a center court. Rides called "Razzle Dazzle", "Hale's Tour of the World", "The Hereafter", "Bump-the-Bumps", and "Loop the Loop" also proved popular with the people who visited the park."White City Aglow for its Opening", Indianapolis Star, 27 May 1906, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007 A concrete walkway over the Shoot-the-Chutes was a popular attraction in its own right as people would stand on the concrete arch to watch the riders plunge into the lake below."White City Lagoon — Looking Down the Chutes," Indianapolis Star 26 May 1906, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007 Postcards with pictures from this vantage point were reliable sellers in the early part of the twentieth century.

Live entertainment in the form of marching bands (military and civilian), animal acts, acrobatics, and vaudeville was a staple of White City. A renovated theater building was transformed into a roller skating rink, and a dancing pavilion and a restaurant were built from scratch. An arcade (including a shooting gallery) was built alongside the midway near the Shoot-the-Chutes' lake. Other attractions included "The Fun Factory" and the Mystic Cave. A baseball diamond was also built.

Aquatic activities were available when the park opened, with a community swimming pool and boat rides on the White River. In 1908, a two-story pavilion was opened at the riverside, along with a promenade. In addition, a large pool framed with a concrete-lined "bathing beach" was under construction as the park entered its third season of operation.

Establishment and competition

White City was the third of the three Indianapolis amusement parks to have opened (Riverside Amusement Park unveiled its mechanical rides in 1903, while Wonderland had its grand opening a week before White City in 1906), and the competition amongst the three trolley parks was intense for the brief existence of White City. The three parks battled for newspaper space in 1906, buying advertising on a regular basis to tout the parks' (especially Wonderland and White City) "newest attraction".By 1907, Riverside Amusement Park stopped buying ads in the Indianapolis Star as management opted to reduce advertising and construction costs. The Indianapolis News continued to run articles on Riverside Amusement Park as Wonderland and White City continued their advertising battles in the Star. At that time, it became evident that, despite the continuing popularity of the three parks, Indianapolis could not sustain all three as the nationwide amusement park boom started to subside in the latter third of the first decade of the twentieth century.

While Riverside Amusement Park tried to survive by reducing expenditures (it stayed in business until 1970), White City and Wonderland tried different tacks in trying to boost their attendance to overcome the increased costs of insurance and construction. White City started to emphasize its live performances and its natural settings (offering more activities near the bank of the White River), while landlocked Wonderland continued the upgrading of its mechanical rides. In 1907, White City added "Paris by Night", "Kemp's Model City", a "mysterious flying lady", and a billiard hall. White City was the first Indianapolis amusement park to open that year, and its management took advantage by advertising "all roads lead to White City" in the week before the opening of Wonderland.White City advertisement, Indianapolis Star 5 May 1907, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007 White City (and Riverside) had live acts presenting a Wild West theme that was becoming a national rage at that time. On April 19, 1907, White City management announced plans for the construction for the "world's largest swimming pool" to be opened in 1908."Contract is Let for Pool," Indianapolis Star 19 May 1907, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007

Despite attempts to differentiate White City from the other two Indianapolis parks, many of its newer offerings were usually duplicated at one or both of its competitors, from the Wild West theme to albino aerialists to additional animal acts. All three parks offered pyrotechnics for their Decoration Day celebrations, but White City also offered a re-enactment of the Thaw-White Tragedy in which New York City architect Stanford White was shot by Harry Thaw after the latter accused the former of seducing Thaw's wife, Evelyn Nesbit.The incident was documented in a 1907 film, The Unwritten Law: A Thrilling Drama Based on the Thaw-White Tragedy, starring Nesbitt as herself. http://movies.amctv.com/person/52271/Evelyn-Nesbit/details

As the dog days of summer 1907 ensued, White City increased its emphases on water activities and its picnic grounds as weekly promotions not involving the mechanical rides appeared regularly in editions of the Indianapolis Star and the Indianapolis News."Eat; Run Races; Dance and have Tug of War," Indianapolis News 20 July 1907, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007"Newsboys and Carriers will Enjoy an Outing," Indianapolis News 24 July 1907, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007"Plans Old Settlers' Meetings," Indianapolis Star 11 August 1907, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007"Editors Uncork Fun Barrel at Park," Indianapolis Star 31 August 1907, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007 As the market begins to contract, White City survived the 1907 season while Wonderland almost succumbed to the competition. Only a reincorporation saved Wonderland for another season; after an infusion of new investments and an expansion of the park's facilities, the park in eastern Indianapolis managed to stay in business until it was destroyed by fire in 1911."Articles of Association for White City Amusement Company," Indiana State Archives, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007Near Eastside Timeline - The Polis Center"Fire Causes $20,000 Loss at Wonderland," Indianapolis News, 28 August 1911, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007

Demise Prior to the 1908 season, White City had also changed management, with James L. Wood taking charge of the park. Wood reversed his predecessor's plans emphasizing natural attractions and activities (but not cancelling the construction of the almost-completed swimming pool) as he added the "human roulette wheel", a haunted house ("The London Ghost Show"), a new motion picture theater, and an alligator show which Wood claimed he "dug up in a Cincinnati vaudeville show"."Equilibrists This Week at White City Park," Indianapolis Star 7 June 1908, cited in Indianapolis Amusement Parks 1903-1911: Landscapes on the Edge - Connie J. Zeigler, Indiana University 2007