John A.

Miller (born August John Mueller; 1872 – June 24, 1941) was an American roller
coaster designer and builder, inventor, and businessman. Miller patented over 100 key roller coaster
components, and is widely considered the "father of the modern high-speed roller coaster." Dur-
[1] [2]

ing his lifetime, he participated in the design of approximately 150 coasters and was a key business
[3]

partner and mentor to other well-known roller coaster designers, Harry C. Baker and John C. Allen.
Biography[edit]
Early life[edit]
Miller was born in Homewood, Illinois and worked as a coaster builder at a very early age. At the [2]

age of 19, he started working with La Marcus Thompson and went on to serve as Thompson's chief
engineer. By 1911, he was working as a consultant to the Philadelphia Toboggan Company He
[2] [4]

also worked with noted designers Frederick Ingersoll and Fred and Josiah Pearce. [5]

Miller in 1910 designed a device that prevented cars from rolling backward down the lift hill in the
event of pull chain breakage. It attached to the track and clicked onto the rungs of the chain. Known
as the safety chain dog, or safety ratchet, it evolved into the device on the underside of cars that
makes that distinctive clinkety-clank sound of wooden coasters.

A roller coaster wheel assembly. The underfriction wheels are on

the bottom. The three sets of wheels clamp onto the track.
Miller's most important contribution to roller coaster technology, though, was
the underfriction wheel. In 1919, he patented the "Miller Under Friction Wheel," also called the
[6]

"upstop wheel," which consisted of a wheel that ran under the track to keep the coaster cars from
flying off. This allowed the designers to use very steep drops, sharp horizontal and vertical curves
and high speeds. These are found on nearly every roller coaster in operation.
[1] [5]

Miller & Baker[edit]

Besides patenting ingenious inventions for coasters—including several types of brakes and car bar
locks—Miller built his share of unusual "scream machines." In 1920 Miller went into business
with Harry C. Baker as "Miller & Baker, Inc." and over the next three years, they built popular
coasters all over North America. Characteristics of their roller coasters are camelback hills (multiple
straight or slightly angled drops that went all the way to the ground) and large, flat turns. [1]

Miller & Baker built other types of amusement rides and structures as well. In addition to coasters,
the firm constructed mill chutes, and domed roof buildings for carousels and dance pavilions. [7]

The John Miller Company[edit]

After 1923, Miller continued to design and build coasters for his own company, "The John Miller
Company." The Dip-Lo-Docus (c. 1923), billed as "The Jazz Ride," featured revolving three-seater
cars, whereas the Flying Turns (1929) consisted of cars with swiveling rubber wheels tearing
through a half-cylindrical chute like a toboggan. The legendary Cyclone (1928–1958) at Puritas
Springs near Cleveland, Ohio was honored with a place on the Smithsonian Institution's list of
Great Lost Roller Coasters. It was hidden so much by foliage that only the boarding platform was
visible to riders before they began to race through the ravine. This 1928 ride was considered one of
the golden-age classics of the period. [1]

Later life and death[edit]

Although many of his most famous roller coasters were built during the 1920s, Miller never stopped
building roller coasters. He continued to travel to supervise site installations and consult on roller
coaster design until his death. He died on June 24, 1941, while working on a roller coaster project
at Playland Park in Houston, Texas, at the age of 69. [5]

Roller coasters[edit]
During his lifetime, Miller designed or contributed to the design of approximately 150 roller coast-
ers.[3]

Name Park Location Opened Closed Ref(s)

Greyhound Lakewood Fairgrounds Atlanta, GA 1915 1974 [8]

Jack Rabbit Riverview Park Des Moines, IA 1915 1919 [9]

Dip-Lo-Docus Olympic Park Irvington, NJ 1923 ? [10]

Cyclone Puritas Springs Cleveland, OH 1928 1958 [11]

Greyhound Celoron Park Jamestown, NY 1924 1959 [12]

Flying Turns Euclid Beach Park Cleveland, OH 1929 1969 [13]

Ravine Flyer Waldameer Park Erie, PA 1922 1938 [14]

Thunderbolt Revere Beach Revere, MA 1921 1930 [15]

Thunderbolt Coney Island New York, NY 1925 1982[a] [16]

Beach Coaster Ocean View Pavilion Amusement Park Jacksonville, FL 1928 1949[b] [17]

LeSourdsville Lake Amusement Park

Screechin' Eagle