Colorado History: Playground Genius Invents Signature Merry-Go-Round

Over the years, Colorado has served as the birthplace of innumerable inventions, some of which have become household names. Inventions such as Otterbox phone cases, the notorious wheel boot you might find on your vehicle if illegally parked for too long, and even Crocs all originated in the Centennial State.

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However, one lesser-known invention that was created nearly 100 years ago is likely not on every Coloradan's radar, despite its familiar name and presence in playgrounds everywhere.

Unique Merry-Go-Round was Invented in Colorado

These days, every person who made memories on a playground likely spent some of their childhood on a merry-go-round. While the merry-go-rounds we see on playgrounds today have become commonplace, a slightly different version of the equipment was created nearly a century ago in Colorado.

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This particular type of playground equipment is known as the Karymor Merry-Go-Round and was invented by a man known as a "playground genius" named Ralph Franklin Lamar in Pueblo, Colorado.

Lamar filed for his first two merry-go-round patents in 1927 and roughly a year later, his steel supplier called the invention "the greatest development in the history of the playground industry."

While not considered the safest of playground equipment, Karymor Merry-Go-Rounds sold like hotcakes until the 1950s, at which time roughly 40 merry-go-rounds were removed from parks due to safety concerns.

Unfortunately, Lamar would only briefly enjoy the success of his invention as he tragically passed away in 1933 in a bizarre accident involving a car that had caught fire on a fairly busy Pueblo street.