In the winter of 1893, Daniel B. Trimper arrived with his family from Baltimore and brought the first mechanical rides to Ocean City. His amusement complex would eventually include two hotels, game and food stands and numerous rides including a Ferris wheel.
His first ride was a small hand-cranked carousel but within a few years he changed the Boardwalk forever with more and bigger rides. In 1912, Trimper purchased a steam-powered carousel from the Herschell-Spillman Company of North Tonawanda, N.Y. It featured 48 hand-carved wooden animals and included a tiger, a frog, an ostrich, a pig and a sea serpent as well as the traditional horses.
This carousel — in operation for over 100 years year — was recently restored and continues to delight visitors to the south end of the Boardwalk today.
Photo by Joyce Cross