The collection, 1955-2010, and undated (4 cubic feet) documents Ray Genter’s fascination with, and collecting of, carnival equipment and collectibles under the business name of Genter Bros. Shows and Rides, Inc., and his carnival, Great Lakes Amusement.
Boxes 1-6 include subject files of general carnival and circus information; financial records of the purchase and sale of equipment and collectibles; catalogs and fliers; advertisements; insurance; various forms; correspondence with committees, suppliers, and concessionaires; contact information of various suppliers and concessionaires as well as fair committee members; and information documenting how the Muskegon Optimist Club, of which Ray was a member, brought circuses to Muskegon. A few newspaper clippings (copies) are included. Of particular interest to carnival historians will be the material concerning the formation of the Amusement-Safety Act of 1966 and its related board, as documented in the minutes and correspondence of the Michigan Amusement Association, an organization of carnival owners, 1985-1987. These folders are organized alphabetically and chronologically.
Boxes 7-8 include the route lists, 1984-1987, and financial documentation, forms, booking agreements, inspection logs, correspondence, and other materials relating to specific route locations and events. This information is alphabetical by town or event. Materials vary from folder to folder, but most include some correspondence and accounts.
Posters and window cards of circus and carnival advertisements, mostly late 20th century and Michigan-related, are included in an oversized folder at the end of the collection.
Processing Notes: A few general Muskegon, Michigan, items of historical value were transferred to the Michigan Vertical Files-Muskegon folder. All information with account or social security numbers, or other personal information such as income, health, or governmental financial support, were withdrawn from the collection, including job and housing applications, cancelled checks, and bank balance statements, as well as duplicate and blank forms and stationery, miscellaneous notes, illegible materials, and miscellaneous information or newspaper clippings. Withdrawn material totaled 2 cubic feet. In addition, several publications by the Michigan Association of Fairs and Exhibitions were separately cataloged. Non-Michigan publications are normally withdrawn from a collection during processing, but since many carnival suppliers are national, these were left in the collection to provide information to researchers.
Special Note: Those with allergies should use the collection with care as it has a mildewed odor, although there is no mold in the papers themselves.
Biography:
Ray Genter was born on April 28, 1935 in Ludington, Michigan, and grew up across the street from the local fairgrounds. As a child, Ray became ill from drinking some pink lemonade at a carnival one night and since then has been fascinated with carnivals. He helped when the carnivals came to town. Ray preferred working in the cookhouse, but also helped set up the merry-go-round, ferris wheel, and even fed the elephants.
As an adult, Ray married his first wife. He attended model builders’ conventions. He later married Sharon Genter with whom he attended circuses and carnivals. Beginning about 1970, Ray began purchasing carnival equipment and rides. He purchased his first carnival ride, a King Combination, from a man with an amusement park, Deer Park, later Michigan Adventure. A train ride and additional rides soon followed. This was done under the business banner of Genter Bros. Shows and Rides, Inc.
Soon, with his son, Rick, Ray owned and operated a small carnival, from 1980 through 1986, under the name Great Lakes Amusements Co., Inc. Their route included the center of the state, mostly small town celebrations, including Greenville’s Danish Festival, Red Flannel Days, Lakeview, Six Lakes, Muskegon and North Muskegon, among others. Ray also helped booked carnivals, went out with the Lee Elliott Shows, and loaned carnivals when they needed money. There is, regrettably, no documentation of these activities in the collection. The Genters employed local teens who had a B average or better in their carnival. They had strict rules about appearances and demanded access to showers for their crew. As a smaller operation with mainly older rides, they cut corners where they could to survive.
While operating the carnival, Ray and Sharon and their family also simultaneously owned and operated Flowers by Ray and Sharon. In 2010, they were named as one of the top 200 florists in the U.S. They have owned and operated their floral business for over 40 years, and in 2010 owned stores located in North Muskegon, Muskegon Township and Norton Shores.
In 1987 with insurance costs rising, and being pulled between the two businesses, the Genters stopped operating the carnival and sold off their equipment.
For fun, Ray began creating a miniature carnival in 1985. It included 127 rides, 74 shows, 275 concession stands, and about 15, 000 miniature pieces. The miniature display was donated in 2009 to the International Independent Showman’s Museum in Gibsonton, Florida, where it will be displayed in the future. He also collected an extensive collection of thousands of posters and circus and carnival books, pamphlets, dime novels, and other collectibles, many of which were sold in 2010. Ray remains actively interested and involved in carnivals and circus history and organizations.
In 2010 Ray and Sharon lived in White Hall, Michigan. They are lovely people. (This information is from an interview Marian Matyn conducted with Ray and Sharon Genter on October 26, 2009, and an article about Ray’s miniature carnival entitled, “It’s the little things…”, in the Muskegon Chronicle, October 12, 2009.)
