$50 can be yours!! Historical CP challenge...

http://www.etsy.com/listing/109046586/vintage-postcard-cedar-point-ohio-river

Look at the picture closely. You can enlarge it with your mouse. This is a picture from the park in 1961. The area that the Scamper coaster took over in 1962-1969 (area of current Matterhorn ride). There are two rides behind the boats. The first rides "sign" is shown as an arch (between the boats, right above the heads of the people). It's somewhat known that this was a Flying Skooter type ride. Let me know if it wasn't. ANYHOW.... Here's the mystery: the yellow/white striped tent ride to the right. Hint: it's not Zugspitze (it didn't come to the park until 1966 and Himalaya didn't show up until 1970). So what the heck is it? If you know, send me a message under my screen name. I won't just accept the answer: it's called_______. You must provide some documentation:whether an ad with name of the ride(s), old newspaper article, again some documentation. The $50 can be yours if you're the first to provide it. Don't post the answer on the site (again, email me/private message me) , but it IS OK to post if you are 100% positive in what these rides official names are(especially the one under the yellow/white tent), again just prove it. I'll be waiting to mail you the $50.

Are you sure it's not Flying Coaster? I don't have a "smoking gun," but follow me here:

This scan of a circa 1961 Sandusky Register article isn't very good, but it seems to show the possibility that the ride could have been under cover.

On the postcard, I've indicated a building that I believe is a restroom.

The 1969 map shows that same restroom building in relation to the Scrambler. In fact, I'm sure it's in the same place as the current restroom building.

Finally, the 1966 map shows the locations of Scrambler and Flying Coaster, with Flying Coaster appearing twice as large.

On the postcard, I believe Scrambler is hidden behind the boat on the right, adjacent to the restroom building and to the rear of the mystery ride. That would match how the rides are in relationship to each other on the 1966 map.

Earlier today I spent about an hour researching this. I actually came to the conclusion that it was Flying Coaster, but I couldn't find any concrete evidence to back it up. Walt, you did a great job of explaining this and giving logical proof despite the lack of hard evidence. If this isn't Flying Coaster, then I'm clueless as to what it is.

This is why this is such a mystery. The above postcard pic is definitely from 1961, before Scamper was built the year after in that spot. Yes that restroom (on the postcard) IS the same one pictured on the 1969 map and would be in the same area, correct. But there's two problems: on your newspaper scan that little white bubble (to the 3/4 right) that says flying coaster was on top of a ticket booth outside the ride area (not under a tent). The other problem is that I know the location of Flying coaster in 1961 and it was on the plot of land that became home to Earthquake in 1965 (across from Cadillac Cars). Check out footage from this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEXfYyfZE1s (Note time 3:22-3:28). Note red/blue Pagoda gift shop (to the left by 2nd tree) and then Flying Coaster (over to the middle right) across from Cadillac Cars station. I also have an overhead aerial view postcard from 1961 placing Flying Coaster in that future Earthquake spot from 1961-1963.
You're correct in the fact that Flying Coaster was moved to that spot in 1964 and 1965. (I have a 8x10 photo on my office wall dated 1965 clearly showing this. I will try to post if you want to see. But in 1962 and 1963 there was Scamper and to the right of that coaster: funky rides called the Astronaut and the Octopus. Flying Coaster wasn't there during those years. Also there's four mistakes/problems with that 1966 brochure map being printed prematurely (before the season) one in that Flying Coaster's last season was definitely in 1965 and the ride replacing it in that same location in 1966: Trabant (wrongly stated as Flying Coaster on that brochure map). Also I'm 100% positive that Scrambler didn't move to that spot until 1965 where it's sat until today. I wish I could see a better scan of your SR newspaper pic, it sounds interesting about the possibility of a canopy overhead (can you see the ride covered overhead?, its hard to see on computers sometime), but since your pic is dated 1961 and I have two references for Flying Coaster being somewhere else during that time, I don't feel as though its the ride under the yellow/white tent, so the mystery remains...

UPDATE!!! I still have the $50 for someone......
OK, this is where it gets even stranger....I just found this picture on the 'net (taken from the Jumbo Jet coaster) of the Himalaya ride (when it sat next to JJ, by the beach, this would be more than 10+ years after the postcard pic). http://thelostcoaster.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/jumbotrack.jpg

Keep in mind that this new pic is from a SIDE view of the Himalaya but notice the FAR RIGHT canopy colors behind the 1970's Himalaya, also the trim going around the roof and the slanted ramps and compare that to the FRONT view of the yellow/white tent ride in the 1961 postcard pic. They are eerily similar looking. We've always been told that the Himalaya was introduced to the park in 1970 (with the Million Dollar midway) but....is it possible there was an even earlier version that was there in 1961 or that leftover canopy/roof pieces from the 1961 ride were possibly recycled for Himalaya later on? Now I'm really curious to what the 1961 ride was.....

^That makes sense. This mystery is driving me crazy!

My dad has pictures from that timeframe, but they are all black and white and really hard to focus on anything in the pics.

^ I'm sure you're right. I have some B/W pics from my relatives of the 62' season and I talk to a guy who has been going to the park every year since 1962 that doesn't know of that ride. (the postcard pic is from the year before). I'm sure an old time forum member like Pete, Jeff, or someone else will figure this out or maybe I will myself. It might be a leftover ride from the 1950's era or might have been a moving temporary ride. Whatever the case, the similarities between it and the Himalaya from 10+ years later are weird.

I've been trying to figure this one out but so far it has me stumped. I know its not the flying coaster as speculated but it does look like a Hymalaya type ride. I have a large collection of pictures from the sixties I need to look through...

Is it certain that the postcard is from 1961? Is it possible the person selling it is mistaken? I don't know, that's the only thing I can think of right now...

Can't prove it, but I think it is the Matterhorn in a different dress. Riders would enter from the top...instead of bottom like today's. Thanks for the pics! I remember when that was the "back" of the park!!

http://i1260.photobucket.com/albums/ii572/CPpixx/100_2242_zps0d7b3979.jpg

To get your mind flowing even more. The above photo is an aerial "overhead" shot of the same area. Note the yellow/white tent ride w/hole in middle of canopy.

It's not Matterhorn or Himalaya (1972 and 1970).

^^ I personally own the 1st linked postcard. Just posted the link that was already online to make it easier to see. Both of these postcard pics are definitely from 1961 because it's the first year the concrete midway extended to the boat lagoon docks (midway ended at the old Carousel location in 1960, where Midway Market is today), and I know what rides were in this exact location the following year 1962 (Scamper, Astronaut, and Octopus.). There was a temporary funhouse called the Hafbraus Haus in that location at the beginning of 1962 also.

On a related note that hopefully will help....I'm currently in contacts with concessionaire family that used to own these rides at CP back in the 50's and 60's so I'm hoping they're of some help. Good luck if you find this out!!

Scrambler?

Are we sure it's even a ride? It looks like it has grass underneath, not concrete, although the photo is too blurry to tell for sure.

I think David B is right...Matterhorn....looks to me like it hasn't moved since 1961, or, it left & made a comeback. The boats in the postcard are in the lagoon underneath where the Iron Dragon gets fogged near the ride end today. Striped tent is where Matterhorn is today & zooming in under the right side of the tent, those cars in there sure look like Matterhorn cars (I'm using an iPod mini). The walk up ramp to Matterhorn looks like it is today too.....was this question too easy?

Definitely not where Matterhorn is today. The green/flower oval area to the right of that yellow/white structure is where the Sky Ride station is today.

^ I originally thought the other ride on the left (in your pic/my postcard pic) was possibly the Scrambler (introduced in 1960) at first also until I found its location in 1961 to be to the left of the front of where Game Day grille is now. The long time Calypso site before Raptor moved it (by tunnel under Raptor track leading to Blue Streak). The postcards mystery ride tent site today = plot of grass to the right of current day Scrambler. Walt's right about that.

Problem is Matterhorn definitely didn't come to the park until 1972. (11 years after these pictures). Not disagreeing about the similarities of mystery ride w/Matterhorn/Himalaya but it isn't either of them.

^^^ We don't know that for sure it is a ride, but it appears so.

I'm going to dig deep into my newspaper archives to see if I can solve this until I hear back from concession family member I spoke of. I'll keep you updated....

How about the "super himalaya"?

This maybe too simple but it looks like a Merry-go-Round.

^ I thought that at one time. But nope, if you enlarge the 1st linked photo at the top, note the size of the people in the foreground standing by the docks and move them back toward the structure to see how tall and massive the height is on that covered canopy building. I've already established it's not Super Himalaya or Matterhorn because of these pictures being taken 11-13 years before those rides were introduced but I do feel as though it's an earlier unknown similar version of one of them that has been undocumented up until now. I'll search for an answer later on today in the Town Hall Museum....

Update: (my 2 pics are in the TH museum but no answers there either!! After observing Matterhorn on opening day, the canopies are very similar to that of the 61'mystery ride but the ride structure is different. It does seem like the 1961 pics are "Matterhorn in a different dress" like the above poster stated, almost like a combination hybrid of the Himalaya and Matterhorn. Still searching for answers....