South St Joseph




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Lake Contrary Facts Lake Contrary got it's name from Contrary Creek which was the original water source for the lake. Contrary Creek was named so because it's waters flow North, which is "contrary" to other creeks & rivers in the area that run South.



Lake Contrary Amusement Park Facts

  • 1878 - Known as a resort area with some boating
  • 1890 - Horse Race Track constructed
  • 1900 - Horse stable for 250 horses
  • 1900 - Large Grandstand added
  • 190?- Figure 8 Roller Coaster
  • 190?- The Old Mill (Like the Tunnel of Love)
  • 190?- 52 animal carousel - horses with real horsehair tails.
  • 1908 - Fire started in an illusion show-north half of the park destroyed.
  • 19??- Airplane Ride was added
  • 1910 - Chute The Chute - Drag people up steep incline in a boat, then plunge them into the water below.
  • 19??- Dodgem bumper cars added.
  • 1924 - Lotus Club & 3 cottages burned.
  • 193?- The Giant Dipper roller coaster was added - Said to have been one of the tallest roller coasters in the country at that time.
  • 1949 - The pak was flooded - 4 feet of water but recovered.
  • 1952 - The park was flooded - 9 feet of water - several rides were destroyed.
  • 1962 - A storm blew a tree onto the Giant Dipper roller coaster, causing $15,000 in damage.
  • 1964 - The park closed permanently





    • Figure 8 Roller Coaster - Named so because the track was laid out in the shape of a figure eight.




    The floods of 1949 & 1952 devastated the amusement park. The park's carousel is shown here engulfed in water.




    Divers jump off the Casino Theater & boathouse, circa 1909. The theater was on the second floor and seated 1,800 people.




    A horse track was constructed around 1890. The track later included the large grandstand pictured in the background and stable space for 250 horses.




    Maples Nightclub located near Lake Contrary during the years when the Amusement park was a hot spot.



    Pavillion at Lake Contrary
    At one time, there was a Pavillion at Lake Contrary. It is now gone.



    Lake Contrary
    Shooting the Chutes, one of the many attractions at the Lake Contrary Amusement Park. Thousands of visitors a day, many traveling by streetcar, came to have a good time on the rides. There was also dancing, horse racing, restaurants and boat rides. At least 2 catastrophies besieged the park. In 1908, a fire broke out in the "Purgatory & Paradise" area causing extensive damage. The Missouri River Flood of 1952 ravaged the park and efforts to restore it to it's former glory failed, so it was torn down in the early 1960's.




    The Lotus Club was the social center at Lake Contrary until it burned to the ground in the 1920's. The building featured a large dining room, dance floor and hotel rooms.




    Stock Yard Exchange Building




    This is a look at the cattle pens of the Producers Livestock Marketing Association at the St Joseph Stockyards as they appeared in the 1960's.



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