# C. W. Parker Carousel

The C. W. Parker Carousel is a carousel built in 1912 that is currently operating in the Burnaby Village Museum at Deer Lake Park in Burnaby, British Columbia. The carousel was built by the C. W. Parker Company and is also known as the Parker #119 and the Burnaby Centennial Parker Carousel. The carousel was the 119th such machine built by the C. W. Parker Company, earning it its "Parker #119" nickname. The carousel contains 41 horses and operates at a pavilion known as the Don Wrigley Pavilion located at one of the museum's two entrances, earning the entrance the name "Carousel Entrance".

## History

The carousel was built in 1912 at Leavenworth, Kansas by Charles Wallace Parker who owned the C. W. Parker Company, and was the 119th one made by them. It was sold in 1913 for $5,886.00. The carousel toured Texas for two years with the Lone Star Circus. In 1915 the machine was shipped back to the factory.
It is believed that the machine was rebuilt by the factory. Some fancier horses and heavier rounding boards may have been added. Some of the horses were built in 1917 and some in 1920–1922. The history of the carousel from 1915 to 1936 is unknown. The carousel was purchased by Happyland, an amusement park in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1936.
The carousel remained at Happyland until the amusement park was demolished in 1957. It was moved to the new small pavilion in Playland, (another amusement park in Vancouver) until that too was demolished in 1972.
From 1972 to 1989, Parker #119 was operated outdoors, and was put away each winter.
In 1989 it was announced that the carousel would be sold off horse by horse at an auction in New York. Local residents came together to save the carousel and formed the "Friends of the Vancouver Carousel Society". It was at this time that the carousel was nicknamed the Parker #119.
In May 1989, the Burnaby Village Museum agreed to provide a home for the carousel and the "Friends", led by President Don Wrigley, set about raising the $350,000 to purchase the machine. Keith Jamieson, a carousel expert, was brought in to coordinate the rebuilding project. In 1990, the carousel was purchased. Funds were also raised to pay for the restoration. People who donated money could sponsor a horse and later name it. The museum agreed to build a new pavilion to house the carousel. The pavilion, named the Don Wrigley Pavilion was completed in 1993. The carousel was then named the Burnaby Centennial Parker Carousel.

## Carousel horses

The carousel's horses are listed here:
| # | Name | Sponsor | Color | Style |
| 1 | Captain Julius | Don and Dorothy Wrigley and Family | Grey | Jumper |
| 2 | Royal Burnaby Belle | Burnaby Area Royal Banks Staff | Sorrel | Jumper |
| 3 | Champion | Vancouver City Savings Credit Union | Brown black | Hunter's Pride |
| 4 | Firefly | Burnaby Firefighters Charitable Society Local 323 | Black | Stargazer |
| 5 | Phar Lap | Magaret Mitchell | Red chestnut | Cowboy |
| 6 | Scampering Dawn | Dennis and Cice Brown | Yellow-white | American Beauty Rose |
| 7 | Vanessa | Parkland Ventures Ltd. | Palomino | Jumper |
| 8 | Treasure | Elsie T. Gordon | Dark bay | Stargazer |
| 9 | Mignonette | Ethel and Faye Stebner, and Ken Diamond | Grey-white | American Beauty Rose |
| 10 | Valiant | Paula V. Tanchyk | Blue-black | Armored Horse |
| 11 | Vivian | Barbara Becher | Yellow-white | Lillie Belle |
| 12 | Nareena | Gary, Umeeda and Nareena Switlo | Brown roan | Stargazer |
| 13 | Nipoti | Bill and Ruth Copeland | Bay Ovaro Pinto | Flag |
| 14 | Mr. Ed | Ethel Stebner | Palomino | Jumper |
| 15 | Allegro | Harry and Hazel Sumner | Light bay | Jumper |
| 16 | John Ernest | Ernie and Pat Beaucamp | Chestnut Sorrel | Cowboy |
| 17 | Betty B. | The Beedie Group | Brown black | American Shield |
| 18 | Bingo | Gordon Robson | Chestnut | Hunter's Pride |
| 19 | Dyck | Margery M. Robinson | Dark liver chestnut | Jumper |
| 20 | Twister | Dennis and Flory Bosa | Strawberry roan Appaloosa | Flag |
| 21 | Centennial | Burnaby City Council | Palomino | Jumper |
| 22 | Tommy D. | Mayor Bill Copeland and Burnaby MPs | Cream white | Stargazer |
| 23 | Rose B. | Rose Bancroft Sr., George Bancroft, and Rose Bancroft | Brown black | Jumper |
| 24 | James | Rose and George Bancroft | Sorrel | Jumper |
| 25 | Pisces | Gin and Dorcas Farn | White | Jumper |
| 26 | Meg | Derek Corrigan | Dapple grey | Jumper |
| 27 | Wheeler | The Rotary Club of Burnaby - Deer Lake | Burgundy | Jumper |
| 28 | Guppy | Dorothy E. Wrigley and Cice Brown | Palomino | Jumper |
| 29 | Rebel | Burnaby South Secondary School | Dapple grey | Jumper |
| 30 | Royal Warrior | Buckingham Elementary School | Palomino | Jumper |
| 31 | Venus | Restaurant and Food Services Association of B.C. | Grey white | Jumper |
| 32 | The Colonel | Dr. E. M. Stevens | Buckskin | Jumper |
| 33 | Happy Marie | Marie and Fred Donatiello and Mary (Lily) McCormack | Blue roan | Jumper |
| 34 | Shannon | Instabox Vancouver | Sorrel | Jumper |
| 35 | Annie | Parklane Ventures Ltd. | Leopard spot Appaloosa | Jumper |
| 36 | Royal George | Roy Brainerd | Strawberry roan | Jumper |
| 37 | Old Paint$^1$ | Burnaby Village Museum Staff and Volunteers | Creamy white | Cowboy |
| 38 | Gold Heart Chariot$^2$ | Variety Club | White | N/A |
| 39 | A. Loving B. Caring C. Sharing D. Helping Hand$^3$ | Ronald McDonald Children's Charities of Canada | A & B: Black C & D: White | N/A |
| 40 | Wurlitzer Band Organ$^1$ $^2$ $^4$ | N/A | White | N/A |
| 41 | Senate Appointee and Franworth$^1$ $^5$ | Diamond Foundation | N/A | N/A |
Notes:
* Not on carousel
* Not really a horse, but considered one of listing purposes
* Is really four small metal ponies and a wheelchair
* Has many sponsors
* Is really two small metal ponies

### Carousel horse notes

This section notes horses that are not actually on the carousel and horses that are not really horses.
Some of the carousel's horses are not actually horses, but are listed as such for the purpose of creating a list on the carousel's horses. Examples of this are Horse #38, "Gold Heart Chariot" and Horse #40, "Wurlitzer Band Organ".
Horse #37, known as "Old Paint", was sponsored by the Burnaby Village Museum and was not restored, as a reminder to visitors of the sorry state the carousel was in when the museum first acquired it. The horse was named for the "old paint" that was originally on the carousel before it was restored. The horse is currently in a display case next to the carousel.
Horse #39 is really four small ponies and a wheelchair. This was placed to make the carousel accessible to toddlers and disabled people.
Horse #41 is really two small ponies. While originally on the carousel with Horse #39, they were removed to make room for Horse #39's wheelchair and placed, one each, at the museum's two entrances.
There were originally two chariots on the carousel. One has since gone missing while the carousel was under the ownership of a theme park. The ponies which now form Horses #39 and #41 were added to the area where the other chariot was originally placed. Horse #38 was also cut in half, removing the backdrop and adding more seats to the carousel (a plan to generate more income from the carousel by allowing more people to ride it, done by one of the carousel's theme park owners). When the carousel was bought by the museum, Horse #38 underwent restoration, adding a backdrop to it, making it a chariot once again.

## Carousel horse rows

Row 1: Outside: #1 Captain Julius, Middle: #13 Nipoti, Inside: #25 Pisces
Row 2: Outside: #2 Royal Burnaby Belle, Middle: #14 Mr. Ed, Inside: #26 Meg
Row 3: Outside: #3 Champion, Middle: #15 Allegro, Inside: #27 Wheeler
Row 4: Outside: #4 Firefly, Middle: #16 John Ernest, Inside: #28 Guppy
Row 5: Outside: #5 Phar Lap, Middle: #17 Betty B., Inside: #29 Rebel
Row 6: Outside: #6 Scampering Dawn, Middle: #18 Bingo, Inside: #30 Royal Warrior
Row 7: Outside: #7 Vanessa, Middle: #19 Dyck, Inside: #31 Venus
Row 8: Outside: #8 Treasure, Middle: #20 Twister, Inside: #32 The Colonel
Row 9: Outside: #9 Mignonette, Middle: #21 Centennial, Inside: #33 Happy Marie
Row 10: Outside: #10 Valiant, Middle: #22 Tommy D., Inside: #34 Shannon
Row 11: Outside: #11 Vivian, Middle: #23 Rose B. Inside: #35 Annie
Row 12: Outside: #12 Nareena, Middle: #24 James, Inside: #36 Royal George