The Dragon's Gorge - Part 2

The Dragon’s Gorge

Part 2 - The Dragon Flies West

Estimated Read Time: 9 min

This is Part 2 in a 3 part series on La Marcus A. Thompson’s Dragon Gorge. If you haven’t already read Part 1, you are welcome to do so here.

With Scenic Railways popping up at expositions, parks, and boardwalks east of the Mississippi, La Marcus A. Thompson began looking to the west coast for expansion opportunities. In 1906, it was reported that Thompson was eyeing sites in San Diego, Venice, Long Beach and later, Santa Cruz. And then in 1909, the Thompson Scenic Railway Company built a massive mountain-themed roller coaster for the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition in Seattle.

The L. A. Thompson Scenic Railway, Venice, California | Source: Department of Archives and Special Collections, William H. Hannon Library, Loyola Marymount University

Building on this concept, in 1910 Thompson began work on a new Scenic Railway in Venice, California. Simply named, “Scenic Railway”, or the “L. A. Thompson Scenic Railway”, the ride would reach 80 feet into the sky and stretch hundreds of feet over the ocean on 225 pier pilings. Instead of looking like a typical wooden roller coaster or a housed-structure, like The Dragon's Gorge at Luna, the entire ride was crafted to look like a large mountain range. This construction required 280,000 feet of lumber, 30 tons of plaster and cement, and 1.5 tons of hardware. With high mountain peaks, canyons, grottos, tunnels, streams, and waterfalls, the attraction was a scenic wonder. When it opened in the spring, thousands of riders descended upon the ride, gladly tossing over their dimes for a chance to zip around the mountain peaks. With the success of the Scenic Railway, Thompson knew that there was a strong market for amusement around Venice and began planning his next thrill.

For his next construction, Thompson would reach back to the Pleasure Railway patent based on his "Dragon's Gorge" design. But whereas the Coney Island attraction was shoehorned into an existing footprint, in California, Thompson had room to expand. He purchased 500-feet of ocean front property at Kinney and Raymond avenues, in Ocean Park. Located between Venice and Santa Monica, just north of the Scenic Railway, a new building would stretch north-to-south along the shore. Thompson secured his approvals and on January 16, 1911, his company began construction on the new building. 

This new attraction would feature the iconic arch cutout and offer spectators a view of the familiar rocky scenery and thrills they were about to enjoy. On each side of the arch, the building stretched along the midway with an array of storefronts, allowing the Thompson Scenic Railway Company to sublet space out to other businesses. The whole structure was dotted with 4,000 electric light bulbs (with 3,000 more inside the building), shining as a “good second to the sun in the matter of brilliancy." Rather than capping the structure with a traditional roof, the new scenic railway would extend above the ceiling of the building, curving and soaring around themed mountain peaks sprung from the top and ocean-facing sides of the structure. And just like in Coney Island, the building’s central arch would be flanked by two guardian dragons. The ride, as well as the entire building, would be called "Dragon Gorge". 

Title: Dragon Gorge, Ocean Park, Cal | Date: 1911/1912 | Collection: Historic Postcards | Owning Institution: University of Southern California Digital Library | Source: Calisphere | Permalink: https://calisphere.org/item/06d8d23aca96c29918bedac7d03b17b5/

The "Dragon Gorge" ride would soft open on the evening of May 6, 1911, with a formal opening the following day. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the building and watched as fully loaded cars zipped around the rocky peaks and through the cavernous center of the building. Reports make it clear that the attraction was a scenic wonder and featured immense rock work and tunnels. The Los Angeles Times raved: "many amazing and startling places will the passengers pass through, over, and under before they reach the unloading station". Unfortunately, I couldn’t find specific details on which show-scenes were included on the ride (in the way Luna's "The Dragon's Gorge" featured news-of-the-day settings and cycloramas). 

The ride layout allegedly featured "several wonderful drops and dips...which have never before been attempted" and it was even reported that "two dips pass right under the main entrance, below the ocean level." The ride also featured the latest safety innovations. To assure the cautious public, one reporter highlighted the signal block system, on-board brakemen, and that "clutches, called 'safety-dogs', come into play instantly if the train should by any means come to a standstill on one of the heavy grades". Safety dogs are the famous roller coaster component known for giving coasters their well-known clanking sounds while on lift hills and steep inclines. 

In addition to providing a larger, safer, improved ride experience, the Dragon Gorge structure housed a variety of other shops and amusements. Approximately 40 different businesses set up shop in the Dragon Gorge building, including popcorn stands, cigar shops, clothes retailers, cleaners, boardwalk games, and places to grab a drink, or a bite to eat. On the south end of the building, a "foolish house" amusement was opened and in July, on the north end of the building, the elaborate "Revolving Grotto Cafe" opened. The Cafe's dining room, themed to look like a rocky cavern with scenic effects, featured a 40-foot revolving floor that made a complete turn every 10 minutes. This novelty was combined with an open kitchen, fine dining service, orchestra (with popular music acts), private ladies dining room, and a commanding view of Santa Monica, the beach, and the mountains beyond. It was the height of fine dining and theming.

The Dragon Gorge enjoyed its inaugural 1911 season largely without incident and it quickly became a famous Ocean Park icon. Bands played around the building and businesses and apartments advertised their location in proximity to the impressive amusement structure. But a setback occurred in November, when strong southern California winds tore through Venice and caused damage to the amusements. One report stated that a mountain peak from the Scenic Railway blew off to an unknown area while at the Dragon Gorge, there would be "big work for scenery builders before the canvas and slatwork landscapes are back in place". And then the following year, in a dramatic mystery, the body of a man was found hanging beneath the Dragon Gorge’s structure in an apparent suicide attempt. The resulting investigation and aftermath was quite a scandal. But still, the attraction enjoyed success well into the 1912 season. 

Title: Dragon Gorge, Venice, Calif | Date: [18- -] | Collection: Santa Monica Image Archives | Owning Institution: Santa Monica Public Library | Source: Calisphere | Permalink: https://calisphere.org/item/2c220752fb7010136b5b649c29f32ebf/

But then the dragons breathed fire, yet again. 

On September 3, 1912, a grease fire broke out in the kitchen of a midway casino, near the Dragon Gorge. The fire quickly spread and soon, the wooden casino structure was entirely engulfed. High winds whipped flames around the amusement district, lashing south to the massive “Fraser’s Million Dollar Pier” and north to the Dragon Gorge building. Once ablaze, Thompson’s structure went quickly. Charles Hile (sometimes spelled Hyle), a west coast operational manager for the Thompson Scenic Railway Company, watched the amusement burn. As reported in The Los Angeles Times:

“The sight was far from spectacular to Hyle’s eyes, as he had no insurance and watched $100,000 worth of his own property go up in flames. The gorge burned in the space of a few minutes. The painted canvas minarets and towers blazed up and sent millions of sparks flying out to sea. Floating out over the water they had the appearance of immense swarms of glow worms.” 

Feasting on wooden structures and fueled by high winds, the Ocean Park fire would ultimately consume 5 city blocks and cause an estimated $2,000,000 in damage. One person died when, becoming cornered by the flames, he and others jumped off of a pier and into the ocean; he could not swim. 

The race to rebuild the Ocean Park amusement district kicked off immediately. The day after the fire, banks and concessioners took to the press to announce that new, better, “fireproof” buildings and amusements would be built. The Pacific Electric Railway Company, which ran the famed Red Car trolley system (and benefited from boardwalk amusements driving weekend fares and selling beach-front real estate), donated the efforts of 150 employees to help clear the debris. Within a week, a new pile driver was on site to help rebuild Fraser’s Pier, adjacent to the Dragon Gorge. There was to be a new pier, a new casino, and new hotels, each built of concrete, stone, or other non-flammable materials. 

Plans were also announced for the Dragon Gorge to be rebuilt. Charles Hile declared that he took out a new building permit the day after the fire, and that construction was to begin immediately. Hile claimed that the new structure would be larger, more elegant, and cost even more than the original building did. Within a week of the blaze, Hile and other concessioners were meeting to discuss a new, modern amusement district and La Marcus Thompson telegraphed from the east coast, stating that he was in route to Venice—and “as soon as he arrives the order to begin work will be given”. 

But plans quickly fell apart. The concept for another Dragon Gorge gradually morphed into a 7-story hotel. Thompson, it seems, never arrived in California and negotiations on rebuilding stalled over disagreement on construction requirements and an ordinance to extend city fire limits. Perhaps ironically, the new fire codes made construction more costly while the increasing price of insurance (from fires and accidents) squeezed the Thompson Scenic Railway Company from the other side. In a mere two months, it was clear the development was dead in the water. Thompson’s company would hold onto the property for the rest of the decade, eventually selling the plot. 

California’s Dragon Gorge would remain dormant. 

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Cover Photo: Eric Wienberg Collection of Malibu Matchbooks, Postcards, and Collectables [digital resource], Pepperdine University Special Collections and University Archives