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Oaks Park Rink - 4/13 Wood & 4/18 Wurlitzer Portland, Oregon Foot of S.E. Spokane St. Organ installation timeframes: Wm. Wood: 1922 - 1955 Wurlitzer: 1955 - present |
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Oaks Park four-manual Wurlitzer console, March 2001
The Oaks Park organ is based around a four-manual Wurlitzer from Portland's
Broadway Theatre. It was moved to the rink in 1955.
Changes from the original specification include: removal of the Dulciana, addition of an 8 Gamba, and addition of an 8 English Post Horn. The Kinura was also exchanged with another set.
Steve Bray of Portland was responsible for the most recent rebuild of the instrument.
All pipework is mounted on a platform hanging over the skate floor and is totally unenclosed. Past organists have used the Crescendo pedal to control the volume although it is not functional today.
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See a short video of skaters doing the "Old Timer Hop!"
(Windows Media format)
c.1964
The Oaks Wurlitzer is definitely a "working" organ. Note the well-used foot rest on the bench!
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Many of the regular Oaks Park organists have their own neon signs for use while they are playing. Here, neon for Jonas Nordwall, Mark Gerlack and the late Gerry Gregorius is stored in the relay room.
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Access to the pipes is via this ladder in the relay room. It takes you up and over the skate floor! ----> Don Simmons was a very popular organist at the rink for many years until his death in 1985. Though in his seventies, he played daily for the skaters. Keith Fortune and Gary Russell are the current regular organists. Together with the late Jerry Jorgensen, Keith produced an Acorn Recordings CD release of skating music played on the Oaks Park Wurlitzer. It is available by contacting Oaks Park at (503) 236-5722. |
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More information on the Oaks Park Wurlitzer is available here: http://www.rbollinger.com/html/oaks_dkgrn_wurlitzer.html
In June 1948, the Willamette River flooded. The main skate floor was a total lost. In 1948, a new "floating" skate floor was installed.
1948 flood
1948
Workmen complete the new skate floor, built to float above flood stage of the nearby Willamette River. The Oaks has had two major floods since this time and the floor has been saved because it floats!
 Bill Blunk with the earlier Wm. Wood console |
The Oaks rink previously had a William Wood theatre organ installed in 1922. This instrument started out as a 2/5 and was expanded over the years to be a 4/13. The instrument did not have a combination action. The original Wood instrument including the four-manual console was purchased by Richard & Mary Pitts of Newport, Oregon. Bob Miller may have also acquired parts of the original instrument, but this cannot be confirmed. |
According to Mary Pitts, the organ was removed from the rink in 1955 and went first to a roller rink at the Point Adams Army Base. It is unknown if the instrument was actually installed there or just stored. Richard Pitts bought the organ in 1963.
Oaks Park Rink building, 2001
 © 2000 Oaks Park |
Visit the Oaks Park web site:http://www.oakspark.com |
Surrounded by the same stately trees for which it was named, The Oaks, in Portland, Oregon in 1997 celebrated its ninety-second consecutive year of operation, making it one of the oldest continuously operating amusement parks in America. Built by the Oregon Water Power & Navigation Company, the park opened its gates on May 30, 1905 to Portlanders who arrived by foot and on horseback, in automobiles and by boat from the Willamette River. In keeping with the design of other "Trolley Parks" across the country, most of its visitors disembarked from trolley cars which ran along the Portland-to-Oregon City tracks forming the eastern boundary of the park.
Main gate of Oaks Amusement park
In 1925 Edward H. Bollinger purchased the operating company from the widow of Mr. Cordray who had purchased it from the Water and Power company when laws were changed prohibiting utility companies to own entities not directly related to their main business. Edward's son Robert had helped his father purchase the 44 acres in 1943 with a "gentleman's handshake agreement". Upon remarriage, Edward did not update his Will so the park passed to his 2nd wife, Robert's step mother. Robert purchased the park from her in 1949.
Oaks Park admission ticket signed by owner Edward Bollinger, 1927
On January 1, 1985, Robert's assets (including some he hadn't planned on) were used to create a private non-profit organization to perpetuate the park for families of the Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, Washington area. The City of Portland wanted the park very much but they were not interested in keeping the rink and amusement park operational. A group called "Friends of Oaks Park" was formed to help organize various fund-raising activities supporting restoration of the park and Wurlitzer organ.
The Oaks Skating Rink is part of the amusement park and is home to three active skating clubs. All three are recognized by the USA Roller Skating Association. The floor is of wood construction with a size of 100' x 200', which is large by most standards. It is maintained meticulously and is in excellent condition. Each year in June, Oaks Park hosts the Northwestern Regional Championship comprised of skaters from Alaska, Hawaii, Washington, Idaho, Utah, Montana and Oregon. Those skaters who place in the top three of their event qualify to skate the U.S. National Roller Skating Championships.
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Oaks Park, c.1909
Program for an event at Oaks Park,
date unknown
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