John Miller (entrepreneur)

Not to be confused with John A. Millar.

John A. Miller (born August John Mueller in 1872, Homewood, Illinois - died June 24, 1941, Houston, Texas) was an American roller coaster designer and builder, inventor, and businessman. Having patented over 100 [1] key roller coaster components, he is considered to be the "father of the modern high-speed roller coaster."[2] During his lifetime, he designed (singularly or with a partner) nearly 140 coasters[3] and remained a mentor and key business partner to other coaster designers, including Harry C. Baker and John C. Allen.

Biography

Early life

Miller was born in Homewood Illinois and worked as a coaster builder at a very early age.[2] At the age of 19, he started working with La Marcus Thompson and went on to serve as Thompson's chief engineer.[2] By 1911, he was working as a consultant to the Philadelphia Toboggan Company[4] He also worked with noted designers Frederick Ingersoll and Fred and Josiah Pearce.[5]

Miller in 1910 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 that distinctive clinkety-clank sound of wooden coasters.

A roller coaster wheel assembly. The underfriction wheels are on the bottom. The three sets of wheels clamp onto the track.

Miller's most important contribution to coaster technology, though, was the underfriction wheel. In 1919,[6] 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 the designers to use very steep drops, sharp horizontal and vertical curves and high speeds.[1] These are found on nearly every roller coaster in operation.[5]

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.[1]

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.[7]

The John Miller Company

After 1923, Miller continued to design and build coasters for his own company, "The John Miller Company." The Dip-Lo-Docus (c. 1923), billed as "The Jazz Ride," featured revolving three-seater cars, whereas the 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.[1]

Later life

Although many of his most famous coasters were built during the 1920s, Miller never stopped building 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 coaster project at Playland Park in Houston, Texas, at the age of 69.[5] He is interred in the Homewood Memorial Gardens in Homewood, IL.[8]

Coasters

During his lifetime, Miller designed or contributed to the design of nearly 140 roller coasters, including the following[3]

Name Park Location Operational
Greyhound Lakewood Fairgrounds Atlanta, Georgia 1915 - 1974
Jack Rabbit Riverview Park Des Moines, Iowa 1915 - 1919
Aeroplane Riverview Park Des Moines, Iowa 1920 - 1978
Dip-Lo-Docus Riverview Park Des Moines, Iowa ca. 1923 - ?
Cyclone Puritas Springs Cleveland, Ohio 1928 - 1958
Greyhound Celoron Park Jamestown, NY 1924 - 1959
Flying Turns Euclid Beach Park Cleveland, OH 1929 - 1969
Ravine Flyer Waldameer Park Erie, PA1922 - 1938
ThunderboltRevere BeachRevere, MA1921 - 1930
Thunderbolt Coney Island New York NY 1925 - 1982 [lower-alpha 1]
The Beach Coaster Ocean View Pavilion Amusement Park Jacksonville, FL 1928 - 1949 [lower-alpha 2]
Screechin' Eagle Americana Park/
LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park,
Middletown, OH 1927 - 2011 [lower-alpha 3]
The Legend Arnold's Park Amusement ParkArnolds Park, IA 1927 -
Racer KennywoodPittsburgh, PA 1927 -
Jack Rabbit KennywoodPittsburgh, PA 1920 -
Thunderbolt[lower-alpha 4] Kennywood Pittsburgh, PA1924 -
Big Dipper Blackpool Pleasure Beach Blackpool, England1923 -
Big Dipper Geauga Lake Aurora, OH 1926 - [lower-alpha 5]
Coaster Thrill Ride Washington State Fair Puyallup, WA 1935 -
Jack Rabbit Seabreeze Amusement ParkRochester, NY 1920 -
(The White) Roller Coaster Lagoon Amusement ParkFarmington, UT 1921 -
Zippin Pippin Bay Beach Amusement Park[lower-alpha 6] Green Bay, WI 1912 -
The Wild One[lower-alpha 7] Six Flags America[lower-alpha 8]Largo, MD 1917 -
Jack RabbitClementon ParkClementon, NJ1919 - 2007
DipsBuckroe Beach Park-1920 - 1985
Screem MachineSplash Zone Water Park-1919 - 1984
Big BeastEdgewater Park-1927 - 1981
Speed HoundDon Hanson's Amusement Park-1931 - 1980
Roller CoasterRiverview Park Des Moines, Iowa1920 - 1978
AlpsWillow Grove Park-1905 - 1975
CometSilver Beach Amusement Park-1924 - 1975
DipsRiverside Park-1924 - 1970
ThrillerRiverside Park-1924 - 1970
Derby RacerEuclid Beach Park Cleveland, OH1913 - 1969
Flying DragonWalled Lake Park-1929 - 1968
Jack RabbitNatatorium Park-1920 - 1968
Big DipperRiverview ParkChicago, IL1920 - 1967
FireballRiverview ParkChicago, IL1923 - 1967
Flying TurnsRiverview ParkChicago, IL1935 - 1967
Humming BirdRiverview Beach Park-1923 - 1967
PippinRiverview ParkChicago, IL1921 - 1967
Sea SerpentPacific Ocean Park-1925 - 1967
DipsBuckeye Lake-1924 - 1966
GiantWinnipeg Beach-1919 - 1966
SkyrocketFairyland Park-1923 - 1966
Aero DipsEuclid Beach Park Cleveland, OH1909 - 1965
Jet StarOlympic Park-1925 - 1965
Deep Dip CoasterFair Park-1924 - 1964
Gee WizRiverview ParkChicago, IL1912 - 1963
Crystal FlyerCrystal Beach Park-1926 - 1962
Big DipperJefferson Beach-1927 - 1959
CometChain of Rocks Amusement Park-1926 - 1958
CycloneLake Ariel Amusement Park-1928 - 1955
Derby RacerCentral Park-1912 - 1951
RocketLakeworth Park-1930 - 1951
Sky RocketSteeplechase Island-1921 - 1951
Velvet RacerGhost Town on the River-1936 - 1951
Mountain Dips / "Giant" CoasterRocky Glen ParkMoosic, PA1920 - <1946
CycloneDandiLion Park-1929 - 1949
Deep DipperCarlin's Park-1919 - 1949
Racer DipBay Shore Park-1920 - 1947
SkyrocketMeyer's Lake Park-1924 - 1946
Triple Racing CoasterState Fair of Texas-1936 - 1946
SkyrocketPalisades Amusement ParkFort Lee, NJ1926 - 1944
Giant CoasterCentral Park-1921 - 1942
Jack RabbitKeansburg Amusement Park-1931 - 1941
WildcatEnna Jettick Park-1921 - 1941
Flying TurnsSteeplechase Park-1934 - 1939
GreyhoundHazle Park-1923 - 1939
ThunderboltMoxahala Amusement Park-1928 - 1939
Whoopee Baby ScenicNeptune Beach-1927 - 1939
Whoopee CoasterNeptune Beach-1929 - 1939
WildcatMerrimack Park-1921 - 1938
Derby RacerLakeside Amusement Park-1911 - 1937
Jack RabbitCapital Beach Park-1918 - 1936
Racing DerbyGhost Town on the River-1910 - 1936
Gorge RideCascade ParkNew Castle, PA1922 - 1935
Flying TurnsCentury of Progress-1933 - 1934
CycloneChester Park-1927 - 1935
Some KickVenice Amusement Pier-1923 - 1934
Big DipperRoton Point-1914 - 1933
CometPacific City-1923 - 1933
FlashWhite CityChicago, IL1928 - 1933
GreyhoundRiverside Amusement ParkAgawam, MA1915 - 1933
LightningRiverside Amusement ParkAgawam, MA1920 - 1933
Racing CoasterWhite CityChicago, IL1910 - 1933
DevilLiberty Pier-1925 - 1932
Jack RabbitRiverview ParkChicago, IL1914 - 1932
Derby RacerRiverview ParkChicago, IL1910 - 1931
Big DipperKrug Park-1918 - 1930
Jack Rabbit RacerQueens Park-1915 - 1930
Jack RabbitPaxtang Park-1923 - 1929
PippinLuna ParkCleveland, OH1923 - 1929
Roller CoasterArnolds Park-1922 - 1929
Big DipperIdora ParkYoungstown, OH1922 - 1928
Giant CoasterHarlem Park-1912 - 1928
GreyhoundIsland Beach Park-1922 - 1928
Jack RabbitPlayland Park-1928 - 1928
SkyrocketIdora ParkYoungstown, OH1927 - 1928
ThrillerExposition Park-1926 - 1928
Big DipperGordon Gardens-1922 - 1927
Jack RabbitRocky Springs Park-1918 - 1927
RacerKennywoodPittsburgh, PA1910 - 1926
Cannon BallRiverview ParkChicago, IL1919 - 1925
CometPalisades Amusement ParkFort Lee, NJ1921 - 1925
Jack RabbitRevere BeachRevere, MA1916 - 1924
ZipLick Pier-1922 - 1924
Blue StreakRiverview ParkChicago, IL1911 - 1923
Chase through the CloudsSilver Beach Amusement Park-1905 - 1923
Speed-O-PlaneKennywoodPittsburgh, PA1911 - 1923
Deep DipperFrederick Road Park-1920 - 1922
Giant Coaster DipsEast End Park-1913 - 1922
Leap the DipsForest Park-1907 - 1922
Great Mountain RideForest Park Highlands Amusement Park-1912 - 1921
The GorgeCascade ParkNew Castle, PA1903 - 1921
Royal Gorge Scenic RailwayRiverview ParkChicago, IL1908 - 1920
Jack RabbitRiverview ParkChicago, IL1915 - 1919
Velvet CoasterRiverview ParkChicago, IL1909 - 1919
Scenic RailwayWhite CityChicago, IL1905 - 1916
Figure EightSeabreeze-1903 - 1915
Royal Dip CoasterPlayland Park-1915 - 1915
Dip The DipsClyffside Park-1909-1913
Pikes Peak Scenic RailwayRiverview ParkChicago, IL1907 - 1911
Scenic RailwayKennywoodPittsburgh, PA1904 - 1910
Scenic RailwayErie Beach Park-1910 - 1930
Deep DipsOlympic Park-1920 - ?
Derby RacerElectric Park-? - ?
DipsLiberty Park-? - ?
Figure 8Hague Park-? - ?
Giant CoasterLakewood Park-1923 - 1982
GreyhoundStanley Park-? - ?
L.A. Thompson Scenic RailwayLake Erie Park & Casino-? - ?
PippinWildwood Park-? - ?
Racer DipsForest Park Highlands Amusement Park-1920 - 1940
Roller CoasterWoodlawn Park-1922 - ?
Scenic RailwayGhost Town on the River-1905 - ?
SidewinderLegend City-1968 - 1983
Sky RocketConey IslandCincinnati, OH1921 - 1944
Skyline TwisterRolling Green Park-1928 - 1972
Velvet CoasterWoodside Park-1925 - ?
Velvet CoasterLakeside Amusement Park-1908 - ?
Skyrocket [lower-alpha 9] [9][10] Playland Park (Houston, Texas)[11] Houston, TX 1924 - ca.1932

1941 - ca.1963

  1. torn down 2000
  2. torn down/dismantled 1950
  3. Torn down/Dismantled August 16, 2011. Parts of the track and the cars will be going to Texas, where it will become part of the National Roller Coaster Museum & Archives (NRCMA) in Arlington, Texas.
  4. Originally named "Pippin," this coaster was redesigned in 1968 by Andy Vettel
  5. SBNO
  6. Originally located at East End Park then Libertyland, both in Memphis, TN
  7. Originally named "The Giant Coaster," this coaster was redesigned in 1932 by Herbert Schmeck
  8. Relocated from Paragon Park, Nantasket Beach, MA in 1986
  9. relocation project only, from Luna Park, Houston (1924-1934)

Patents

Number Date Description
13,5881913, July 1reissue
979,8751910, December 27
979,9821910, December 27
979,9831910, December 27Braking Apparatus
979,9841910, December 27Chain Dog
1,037,9571912, September 10
1,037,9581912, September 10
1,038,1741912, September 10
1,038,1751912, September 10
1,062,8381913, May 27
1,062,8391913, May 27
1,076,7791913, October 28
1,319,8881919, October 28Underfriction Wheel
1,373,7541921, April 5
1,380,7301921, June 7
1,380,7311921, June 7
1,380,7321921, June 7
1,409,7501922, February 14
1,409,7511922, February 14
1,415,1871922, May 9
1,438,4521922, December 12
1,448,7631923, May 20
1,448,7641923, May 20
1,476,9951923, December 11
1,501,0601924, July 15
1,501,0611924, July 15 Track construction
1,536,1221925, May 5Track construction
1,536,4481925, May 5Coaster with tight turns
1,539,0941925, May 26Ferris Wheel
1,562,0351925, November 17Pleasure Railway Car
1,562,0361925, November 17Pleasure Railway Structure
1,591,7221926, July 6Amusement Structure
1,593,5871926, July 27Pleasure Railway Structure
1,605,3691926, November 2Truck for Pleasure Railway Cars
1,606,7691926, November 16Roof Structure
1,606,7701926, November 16Handle-bar Structure
1,607,7711926, November 23Water-chute Structure
1,613,1181927, January 4Pleasure Railway Structure
1,629,5201927, May 24Pleasure Railway Structure
1,645,2021927, October 11Roof Structure
1,656,2181928, January 17Pleasure Railway Car
1,825,4681931, September 29Pleasure Railway Structure

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Rutherford, Scott (2000) The American Roller Coaster, MBI Publishing Company, Wisconsin. ISBN 0760306893.
  2. 1 2 3 Cartmell, Robert (1987). The Incredible Scream Machine: A History of the Roller Coaster. Fairview Park, OH: Amusement Park Books, Inc. pp. 117–136. ISBN 0879723416.
  3. 1 2 Marden, Duane. "John A. Miller". Roller Coaster DataBase. Retrieved 24 August 2013.
  4. Urbanowicz, Steven J. (1987). The Roller Coaster Lover's Companion. New York: Citadell Press. ISBN 0806523093.
  5. 1 2 3 "John A. Miller". MIT Inventor of the Week Archive. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  6. US patent 1319888, John Miller, "Pleasure railway structure", issued 1919-10-28
  7. Miller and Baker Inc. 1923 Catalogue (reprint). Natrona Heights, PA: Amusement Park Journal. 1923.
  8. Habben, David. "John A. Miller (1872-1941)". Retrieved 24 Aug 2013.
  9. Inc, Nielsen Business Media (1942-03-07). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc.
  10. "Roller Coaster - Playland Park (Houston, Texas, USA)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2015-11-19.
  11. "Playland Park (Houston, Texas, USA)". rcdb.com. Retrieved 2015-11-19.

External links

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