Part 601: “Custer’s Last Rally” at Ravinia Park
In 1908, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “I closed a contract for ‘Custer’s Last Rally’ at Ravinia Park for $3,150.00. It was a big show.”
Ravinia Park opened in 1904 on land purchased by A.C. Frost. It was intended to be a year round amusement park, complete with a pavilion, theater, spectator stadium, casino, skating rink, slide and a small hotel.
Although he referred to “Custer’s Last Rally,” he likely meant “Custer’s last stand fight spectacle” that was included in the 108Ravinia Park production – “The Battle of Little Big Horn.” Moses’ show was possibly held in the spectator stadium as a large outdoor spectacle.
The “Chicago Tribune” reported, “The ‘Battle on Little Big Horn’ – the Custer’s last stand fight spectacle – is drawing better than ever” (Chicago Tribune, 28 June 1908, page 64). The newspaper also noted that the three-act spectacle had considerably changed and was “a great deal improved.”
Ravinia park reopened during June of 1908 after the park shifted management. Early in 1908, an interesting article appeared in the “Chicago Tribune” – “Ravinia Park to Continue as an Amusement Resort. North Shore Pleasure Ground Will Be Operated Under a Lease, with Its Customary Features.”
The article reported, “Speculation as to the effects of the tangle of the affairs of the Chicago and Milwaukee electric road upon the management of Ravinia park was ended yesterday by an announcement that the park will be operated next summer under a lease.
President A. C. Frost built the park, as an adjunct to the trolley line, at an expense of $300,000. It never has been a profitable enterprise, for no outlay has been spared in giving the north shore suburbs the highest class entertainment procurable, chief among which have been the concerts of the Thomas and Damrosch orchestras.
It is expected that they extensions of the Northwestern elevated railroad of the Evanston terminal of the Milwaukee electric next summer will increase the number of park patrons to an extent that will make a continuation of this program possible.
Bion J. Arnold’s report of the expense of completing the Frost road into Milwaukee will be submitted today to the receivers. It will verify the estimates of the engineers of the road that about $600,000 is needed for the work” (Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb, 1908, page 7).
The park lease receiver was George M. Seward. Seward announced that the park would reopen June 20, 1908. The park was open by June 5. Admission to the park was set at twenty-five cents, with reserved seats in favorable locations costing an additional fifty cents to a dollar. On May 1, 1908, the “Inter Ocean” announced that park tickets would be available for sale in books of forty for $10.00. The hope was that 2000 books would sell in the first few days, helping the financial situation of the park (Inter Ocean, 1 May 1908, page 9).
Unfortunately, by 1910 the railroad failed and the property went into receivership. It was a group of North Shore residents who believed in the potential of Ravinia Park, purchasing the park and founding the Ravinia Company. The Company was under the leadership of philanthropist Louis Eckstein, who served as impresario for 20 years.
The park reopened in 1911, featuring classical music in the summer. Opera was added in 1912 and Ravinia soon gained the reputation as “America’s summer opera capital.” The park only went silent for five years during the great depression, but reopened by 1936. Today, Ravinia is internationally known for its music festivals. Here is the link to Ravinia Park: https://www.ravinia.org/Page/AboutUs
To be continued…
