About C. W. Parker
Lived 1864 – 1932 (aged 67–68). C. W. Parker was an American entrepreneur and businessperson.
Charles Wallace Parker (1864–1932), was an American manufacturer of carousels (merry-go-rounds). He was self-titled the "Amusement King". He also called himself "Colonel Parker" although he never served in the military.
Early life Parker was born in 1864 in Griggsville, Illinois; the family moved to Abilene, Kansas in 1869.
Parker's first venture into the amusement business was purchasing a traveling shooting gallery, a type of carnival game. He began manufacturing jumping carousels, first powered by steam, and later by electricity.
Around 1925, the company started producing carousels with aluminum horses rather than wood.
Legacy C. W.'s son, Paul Parker, also manufactured carousels, running the company from 1930 to 1955.
In 2019, a 1930s Parker carousel (#600) formerly located at Roaring Rapids Pizza in Eugene, Oregon, was donated to the now-defunct International Museum of Carousel Art owned by the Perron family.
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Important facts
People in C. W. Parker's life
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Related people
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Contemporaries
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Frequently asked questions
Who was C. W. Parker?
American manufacturer of amusement devices
When was C. W. Parker born?
C. W. Parker was born in 1864.
When did C. W. Parker die?
C. W. Parker died in 1932.
What was C. W. Parker's occupation?
C. W. Parker was an entrepreneur and businessperson.
What nationality was C. W. Parker?
C. W. Parker was American.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). C. W. Parker. https://biography.guide/c-w-parker/
MLA: "C. W. Parker." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/c-w-parker/.
Chicago: "C. W. Parker." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/c-w-parker/.
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