DiverDriver
Thursday, November 11, 2004 3:18:14 AM
I found some old pics of Conklin Show's Patriot Unit that used to travel around New York State. I took these pics at a mall parking lot near Syracuse, New York in May of 1993. I only saw the unit once, and never knew what happened to it? As I remember, the rides were very sharp looking. It was a neat little unit that played small festivals. Anyone have any other info or other pics?? Enjoy the photos!!
http://community.webshots.com/user/rulrich2 
dccradio
Thursday, November 11, 2004 3:31:42 AM
Wow, some great looking rides and some great photos! Thank you for sharing them with us.
Mark H
Matthew
Thursday, November 11, 2004 3:42:01 AM
I never knew of this unit of Conklin's. It looks like that Conklin had two Sky Divers. The Trabant is very colourful.
Skywheelrider
Thursday, November 11, 2004 3:43:52 AM
Very nice, looked like a nice unit, the rides look sharp.
"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." -- Mark Twain
Scott
  •  Scott
  • 87% (Honored)
  • Operations Foreman
Thursday, November 11, 2004 3:59:53 AM
Great pics, and thanks for sharing but I didnt see a single kid ride on the lot. I saw the MGR but nothing more
britt
  •  britt
  • 97.96% (Exalted)
  • Operations Foreman
Thursday, November 11, 2004 7:37:00 AM
wasn't that the unit conklin put together to play some small spots as if i remember correctly they had a few spots in the carolinas. that unit was based in corfu ny as conklin bought powers old wq there when he moved amusements of rochester as it was at that time to burgaw nc.
korny_carny
Thursday, November 11, 2004 4:32:16 PM
that Merry Go Round looks like the one that use to attend the Kingston Ex when Conklin had the spot.
Bill P
  •  Bill P
  • 81.66% (Honored)
  • Operations Foreman
Thursday, November 18, 2004 3:32:33 PM
Conklin's Patriot unit started in the early 90's with a number of western NY spots. I'd refer to them as third level spots, no, I didn't say third rate. They were just some of the smaller spots. Many of us expected Conklin to use their specatcular ride arsenal to book bigger spots for this unit but it never happenedexcept for the Lewiston Peach Festival. In 1994 and 1995 there were 2 units with spectaculars like a Sky Diver and Toboggan. Biggest northern spot I heard of them playing was Clearfield, PA where they were supplemented by some independents and also rides from Bill Wilson's Empire Rides & Games.
towards the end I remember talking with people on the half of the show which played the Batavia, NY Fair in 1995. That year the one unit played northern spots mostly in Ohio. Business didn't seem too good that season. And I don't remember how much longer the unit lasted.
The Corfu winter quarters was used for winter storage thru 2000 or 2001. Sadly I remember that georgously restored Sky Diver stored OUTSIDE there when there was a barn it could have been parked in.

Rides I remember on the Patriot unit from the early 90's
MGR, Hi-5 wheel, scrambler, tilt, swinger, 1800 scooter, loop-o-plane, later on a round up, octopus, trabant, dark ride, sky diver, toboggan,zipper. There were probably more. I'll have to dig out my old photos and slides sometime.
BSA Mike
Saturday, November 27, 2004 10:07:59 AM