John Miller's Roller Coasters
John Miller was a prolific designer and builder of coasters. In a single year, Miller would design and build as many coasters as other designers would build in a lifetime. In 1920, for example, Miller built 15 coasters in various cities throughout the United States. What's more, Miller built roller coasters in countries all over the world.
Miller formed a partnership with Harry C. Baker in 1920 under the name Miller and Baker, Inc.
Their 1923 catalogue describes the company as follows:
Designers and Builders of Amusement Parks, Miller Patented Under Friction and Under Friction Locking Device Coasters, Miller Dome Roof Carousel Buildings and Dome Roof Dance Pavilions, Old Mills, Mill Chutes, Fun Houses, Miller's Tandem Seat Serpentine Coasters, Mechanical Devices of every description, Equipment and Machinery for all Amusement Park Devices and Sales Agents for the Dodgem, the Whip, and Aero-Plane Swings.
Included in the catalogue is this partial list of coasters built during the "past three seasons" (i.e., 1920, 1921, and 1922):
- Big Dipper, River View Park, Chicago, Ill.
- Big Dipper, Riverside Park, Des Moines, Iowa
- Big Dipper, Venice Pier, California
- Big Dipper, Woodlawn Beach, Buffalo, N.Y.
- Deep Dipper, Liberty Heights Park, Baltimore, Md.
- Deep Dipper, Frederick Road Park, Baltimore, Md.
- Deep Dipper, Rockaway Beach, Long Island, N.Y.
- Lightning Dipper, Riverside Park, Springfield, Mass.
- Lightning Dipper, Sea Breeze, Rochester, N.Y.
- Krug's Flyer, Toronto, Canada
- Pippin Dips, River View Park, Chicago, Ill.
- Pippin Dips, Lagoon Resort, Salt Lake City
- Deep Dips, Fort Wayne, Ind.
- Deep Dips, Lawrence, Mass.
- Deep Dips, Mid City Park, Albany, N.Y.
- Deep Dips, Ingersoll Amusement Center, Detroit, Mich.
- Deep Dips, Columbia Park, Hoboken, N.J.
- Deep Dips, Olympic Park, Newark, N.J.
- Thunderbolt Coaster, Revere Beach, Boston, Mass.
- Sky Rocket, Pleasure Beach, Bridgeport, Conn.
- Sky Rocket, Coney Island Park, Cincinnati, Ohio
- Thriller, Palisades Park, N.J.
- Thriller, Auburn, N.Y.
- Jack Rabbit, Kennywood Park, Pittsburgh, Pa.
- Jack Rabbit, Rockford, Ill.
- Cascade Dips, Cascade Park, New Castle, Pa.
- Deep Dipper, Riverview Beach, Pennsville, N.J.
- Deep Dipper, Island Beach, Burlington Island, N.J.
- Deep Dipper, Electric Park, Kansas City, Mo.
- The Thriller, Arnolds Park, Dickinson, Iowa
- Big Dipper, Sant (sic) Mateo, California
- Big Dipper, Idora Park, Oakland, California
- Deep Dipper, Santa Monica, California
- Thunderbolt Coaster, Rockaway Beach, N.Y.
- Sky Rocket, Salisbury Beach, Mass.
- Big Dipper, Habana Park, Havana, Cuba
- Deep Dipper, Hillside Park, Belleville, N.J.
- Big Dipper, Gordon Gardens, Cleveland, Ohio
- Deep Dipper, Suburban Gardens, Washington, D.C.
- Deep Dipper, Erie, Pa.
- Big Dipper, Luna Park, Detroit, Mich.
- Deep Dipper, Keansburg, N.J.
Miller and Baker ended their partnership in 1923.
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