​The W.E. "Bill" Mason Carousel was manufactured in England by Savage & Co. for the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Expositions "Joy" Zone, a carnival-like entertainment area. The Exposition was hosted to celebrate the completion of the Panama Canal and reflected the rise of the United States to the world stage. The Exposition occupied the Presidio's bayfront and much of today's Marina District. It was a milestone in San Francisco history.
This carousel has a long and colorful history. Originally, it was manufactured as a steam engine operated merry-go-round. A merry-go-round could be taken apart into many pieces and travel with a carnival or circus to different locations. After the 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, the merry-go-round was sold to a traveling circus. Much of the history of its history with the circus has been lost.​
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In 1930, the merry-go-round was sold to The Foley & Burke Carnival where the decision was made to convert it from steam operated to an electric engine. Steam was very dangerous and resulted in many of the fires that destroyed amusement parks at that time. The process of traveling and being taken down and reassembled hundreds of times took its toll on the merry-go-round, and many of the original horses were replaced over the years with other horses produced in the USA.
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The outside row on the carousel was made by an up-and-coming entertainment manufacturer C.W. Parker. These are some of the first horses that the company produced. The interior rows are made up of horses that are carvings by C.J. Spooner, Herchsal & Armitage and Charles Dare. The original horses from the "merry-go-round" days were made by G & J Lines rocking horse company. These horses were converted to "flyers or gallopers" by cutting and lifting the legs, to satisfy the increasing demand in Europe for horses to go on merry-go-rounds. There are eight of these 1915 horses remaining on the carousel.
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In 1980, the carousel was discovered in a bay area warehouse in a state of deterioration. Bill Mason arranged for the purchase of the carousel by BJWRR and brought it in pieces to Campbell for storage while the building that would eventually house the carousel was constructed. After ten years of work by over 200 individual volunteers and many from local organizations, the attraction opened to the public July 4, 1991. Volunteers continue to manage the ongoing restoration of the carousel horses and maintenance of the carousel's machinery. The BJWRR carousel is the only carousel recognized by the National Association of Carousels 12 months of the year, weather permitting. The carousel has seen thousands of people, young and old, ride this treasured piece of history.
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