About
Spokane's Looff Carrousel has left lasting memories on many youthful hearts, but
there are a few that have made a significant impact on the carrousel in return.
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Charles I.D. Looff
1852-1919
Looff's first carrousel was carved from scrap pieces of furniture wood and became the first carrousel at Coney Island. His career included nearly 40 carrousels, as well as, developing other rides and even amusement parks.
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Emma Vogel
1879-1938
Daughter to the renown carver, Emma is at the center of this carrousel's romantic plot twist of becoming a belated wedding gift.
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Louis Vogel
1879-1952
To operate and manage their wedding gift, Louis relocated from New York to Spokane. The location and career change also included added health benefits for Louis. In 1933 he began acquisition of Natatorium Park.
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Lloyd Vogel
1907-1965
Son to Emma and Louis Vogel, Lloyd continued the family's business and expanded his skillset into pyrotechnics. This small Spokane park enjoyed Lloyd's brilliant firework displays for years before his final works for the 1964-1965 World's Fair in New York.
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William (Bill) Oliver
1913-1975
Bill Oliver's story with the Looff Carrousel begins with his first ride at the age of two. His role evolved from rider to park worker, then to park vice president and operator to carrousel seller and restorer. He rang the bell for the carrousel's reopening in 1975.
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William (Bill) Fearn
19__-1995
A man with foresight and intuition, Bill Fearn took measures to protect the Looff Carrousel when Natatorium Park closed in 1967. As Spokane City's Parks and Recreation Director, he led the city in purchasing the Looff Carrousel.
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Bette Largent
Living in Spokane
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Gary Nance
Living in Spokane
In 1992, Bette began assisting and teaching workshops for the carrousel community. Largent led a team on Looff Carrousel's most recent large-scale restoration during the construction of its newest home.
Gary Nance has managed two websites dedicated to the Looff Carrousel and Natatorium Park. These websites provide a weather of information and documentation for these pieces of Spokane history.
Melissa Murakami
Illustrator
Melissa is a PNW-based illustrator and story artist with a passion for bringing out the kid in everyone. From a young age, she was drawn to stories and creating characters through art. It was tough to find a notebook page or homework sheet without some kind of doodle on it. Melissa grew her skills as a proud graduate of Whitworth University (class of 2018), giving her a soft spot for the city of Spokane. She went on to receive her MFA in Digital Arts and continues to grow and learn every day.
