Indianola's original coaster was an Ingersoll Figure 8 that stood just across E. 19th from the pavilion on the N. 4th St. side of the park.

The Ingersoll Figure 8 coaster hauled visitors up about 40 feet above the ground to a small pavilion that marked the coaster's high point. The car was then released and descended back to the ground on a figure 8 track with a number of hills and dips. On its descent, the car attained speeds of 10-15 miles per hour. A complete ride lasted a couple minutes.

Though tame by today's standards, the Figure 8 was hugely popular in its day.

Figure 8 Advertisement

The Ingersoll Figure 8 from The Ohio State Journal, June 8, 1908
In the first decades of the 20th Century, hundreds of Figure 8 coasters were built all across the nation. Today, only one survives. The 1902 "Leap the Dips" coaster still operates at Lakemont Park in Altoona, Pennsylvania. Almost identical to Indianola's coaster, it gives a sense of what it must have been like back in the day.

For the 1909 season, the Figure 8 was joined by the park's second coaster, The Blue Streak.

The Blue Streak took up most of the southeastern corner of the park, displacing the tennis courts and sporting fields that had formerly been there.

From start to finish, the coaster ran a course of about a half a mile.

About half the course ran parallel to the busy Big Four Railroad tracks not 50 feet away. Part of the outbound trip aimed the rider perpendicular to the tracks before dramatically veering south. It must have been thrilling when trains were on the tracks.

New technology allowed the Blue Streak to be a much wilder ride than its predecessor. The hills were higher (up to 60 ft). The dips were lower. The turns were sharper.

The new coaster was also much, much faster (up to 60 m.p.h.). By comparison, a Model T Ford had a top speed of 45 m.p.h. For a time the Blue Streak was billed as the fastest coaster in the state of Ohio.

Indianola's third roller coaster was The Thriller. It replaced the Blue Streak and was added during the park's massive remodeling in 1922-23.

Except that it was higher and faster than the Blue Streak with sharper turns and steeper drops, there isn't much information on The Thriller. There are, however, pictures:

The Thriller, from The Ohio State Journal, July 15, 1923