They're known by various names: merry-go-rounds, carousels, roundabouts. These simple amusement devices date back to medieval times, when they had a more practical purpose as a training machine for knights in battle. Knights would sit on wooden planks arranged in a circle, suspended from a wooden centerpost. As they were spun around, the knights would try to thrust their lances through a small stationary ring that represented the head of their opponent in a jousting match. From this rather gruesome tradition, merry-go-rounds evolved into elaborate mechanical works of art that bring joy to young and old alike.

The dawning of the industrial revolution in the 1800s made two things possible: the mass-production of heavy machinery that was needed to create larger and larger amusement devices, and leisure time for workers which allowed them for the first time to relax on a day off. Private parks were created, usually at the end of trolley lines, in cities and towns across the United States. Each weekend, amusement parks drew thousands of families eager to unwind after a long week of work. One of these parks was located in Holyoke, Massachusetts.