# Lotus Isle

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**Lotus Isle Amusement Park** was an amusement park that operated from 1930 to 1932 on [Tomahawk Island](/source/Hayden_Island,_Portland,_Oregon) in [Portland, Oregon](/source/Portland,_Oregon).[2] Known as the "Wonderland of the Pacific Northwest", Lotus Isle was located just east of the more successful [Jantzen Beach Amusement Park](/source/Jantzen_Beach_Amusement_Park). Lotus Isle spread out over 128 acres (0.52 km2) and at the time was Portland's largest amusement park.[3]

## History

### 1930: Construction and opening

Lotus Isle Amusement Park opened on June 28, 1930, after a group of investors realized the success of the nearby [Jantzen Beach Amusement Park](/source/Jantzen_Beach_Amusement_Park). At the time of its opening, Lotus Isle was the largest amusement park in Oregon. The park consisted of forty attractions including [bumper cars](/source/Bumper_cars), a [rollercoaster](/source/Rollercoaster), a log cabin-style cafe,[4] and a [dance hall](/source/Dance_hall) called the Peacock Ballroom.[5] The Peacock Ballroom cost approximately $60,000 to construct.[6]

#### Injury and death incidents

A patron of the park allegedly sustained injuries while riding a rollercoaster in the park on July 13, 1930, and sought $25,000 in damages over the incident.[7]

On August 28, 1930, eleven-year-old Ronald Ralston drowned at the Lotus Isle beach after slipping from a ladder beneath the park's main diving board.[8] The following day, the park's owner, Edwin F. Platt, committed [suicide](/source/Suicide) in the park office by shooting himself in the heart.[9] Platt "spent a fortune" in constructing Lotus Isle, which cost between $500,000 and $600,000. According to *The Oregonian*, finances were given consideration in the inquiry following Platt's death.[10] Business at the park had not been as brisk as its investors had hoped for, and it experienced "internal discord" such as the discharge of its manager, [T. H. Eslick](/source/Tollemache_Heriot_Eslick),[10] who later sued the park for violating the agreement whereby he was brought on as manager.[11] Ralston's family pursued a lawsuit against the park seeking $25,000 in damages over his death.[12]

### 1930–1931: Subsequent season

On March 22, 1931, prior to the park's second season, an airplane crashed into the park's scenic railway in front of the Peacock Ballroom.[13] The pilot and his two passengers sustained minor injuries, but survived the crash.[13]

The park re-opened on May 16, 1931 under the management of promoted Al Painter,[14] with approximately $100,000 spent in improvements and new attractions.[15] Painter created a "Dance-A-Thon" event in the park's Peacock Ballroom, which held room for 6,600 dancers.[5] An 85-foot (26-metre) [ferris wheel](/source/Ferris_wheel) was introduced as a new attraction, as well as the "Y-Alps", a scenic [alpine-themed ride](/source/Summer_toboggan).[15]

During this time, [John Ringling](/source/John_Ringling) sold Lotus Isle a temperamental bull elephant named "Tusko" who soon destroyed several pavilions after being spooked by a low-flying stunt plane.[16] The elephant, which had previously rampaged through [Sedro-Woolley, Washington](/source/Sedro-Woolley,_Washington), eventually ended up in [Seattle](/source/Seattle)'s [Woodland Park Zoo](/source/Woodland_Park_Zoo).[5][17]

On August 24, 1931, almost a year after the drowning and Platt's suicide, the Peacock Ballroom burned to the ground after a [transformer](/source/Transformer) explosion ignited a fire on the building's [cupola](/source/Cupola) and roof.[5][18] The destruction of the Peacock Ballroom cost the park approximately $90,000 in losses.[18]

### 1932: Disestablishment

The park operated once more in the 1932 season before going into bankruptcy, after which liquidation of the park property began.[3][19]

## Attractions

- "Whiz" - wood [roller coaster](/source/Roller_coaster)
- Alpine Scenic Railway
- Bulldog Bumper Cars
- 100-foot (30-metre) neon Eiffel Tower sign at the entrance
- 1914 Herschell-Spillman menagerie [merry-go-round](/source/Merry-go-round) -- currently located in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park

## See also

- [Jantzen Beach Amusement Park](/source/Jantzen_Beach_Amusement_Park)
- [Oaks Amusement Park](/source/Oaks_Amusement_Park)

## References

1. ["Lotus Isle, New Resort, To Open Its Gates Today"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregonian/173330973/). *[The Oregonian](/source/The_Oregonian)*. June 28, 1930. p. 4. – via Newspapers.com.

1. Erickson, Steve (September 11, 1974). ["Developer envisions new splendor for once-popular Lotus Isle"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregonian/173336996/). *[The Oregonian](/source/The_Oregonian)*. p. 27. – via Newspapers.com.

1. Dick Pintarich (ed.) (2008). *Great and Minor Moments in Oregon History*. New Oregon Publishers. ISBN 978-0980243604.

1. ["Lotus Isle Plans Provide Fairyland"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sunday-oregonian/173337649/). *[The Oregonian](/source/The_Oregonian)*. April 6, 1930. p. 14. – via Newspapers.com.

1. Finn J. D. John (September 10, 2012). ["Lotus Isle, Oregon's most surreal amusement park"](http://offbeatoregon.com/1209b-lotus-isle-amusement-park-a-swindle-gone-awry.html). *Offbeat Oregon*. Retrieved August 20, 2015.

1. ["Lotus Isle Will Furnish Its Own Broadcast"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sunday-oregonian/173337394/). *[The Oregonian](/source/The_Oregonian)*. June 29, 1930. p. 6. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["$25,000 Damages Asked"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregonian/173356001/). *[The Oregonian](/source/The_Oregonian)*. September 6, 1930. p. 7. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Little Boy Drowns at Lotus Isle Beach"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregonian/173331119/). *[The Oregonian](/source/The_Oregonian)*. August 29, 1930. p. 1. – via Newspaper.com.

1. ["Head of Lotus Isle Shoots Self Fatally"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregonian/173336012/). *[The Oregonian](/source/The_Oregonian)*. August 30, 1930. p. 1. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Platt's Death Held Plain Suicide Case"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sunday-oregonian/173336278/). *[The Oregonian](/source/The_Oregonian)*. August 31, 1930. p. 14. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Lotus Isle Men Sued"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-sunday-oregonian/173336907/). *[The Oregonian](/source/The_Oregonian)*. August 31, 1930. p. 14. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Sues Over Boy's Death"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregon-daily-journal/173356220/). *[The Oregon Daily Journal](/source/The_Oregon_Journal)*. November 7, 1930. p. 6. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["All That Goes Up Must Come Down"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregon-daily-journal/173365749/). *[The Oregon Daily Journal](/source/The_Oregon_Journal)*. March 23, 1931. p. 1. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Lotus Isle"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregon-daily-journal/173365404/). *[The Oregon Daily Journal](/source/The_Oregon_Journal)*. May 16, 1931. p. 2. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Lotus Isle Opens Season; Improved Fun Devices Liked"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregon-daily-journal/173365956/). *[The Oregon Daily Journal](/source/The_Oregon_Journal)*. May 17, 1931. p. 6. – via Newspapers.com.

1. ["Lotus Isle"](http://www.pdxhistory.com/html/lotus_isle.html). *PdxHistory.com*. Retrieved June 18, 2018.

1. J. Kingston Pierce (February 22, 2003). ["Tusko the elephant rampages through Sedro-Woolley on May 15, 1922"](http://www.historylink.org/File/5270). *HistoryLink.org*

1. ["Lotus Isle Blaze Razes Dance Hall"](https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-oregonian/173356634/). *[The Oregonian](/source/The_Oregonian)*. August 24, 1931. p. 1. – via Newspapers.com.

1. Josh Thomas. ["Lotus Isle: Backfiring Bamboozle"](http://www.ccrh.org/comm/slough/hayden4.php). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20100613085702/http://www.ccrh.org/comm/slough/hayden4.php) June 13, 2010 at the Wayback Machine.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Lotus Isle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Isle) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotus_Isle?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.