The Boardwalk in Long Beach, California in 1910
Professor Sheldon first appeared on the scene in 1894 in Chattanooga giving seances. Written messages, verified by attendees, spirit rappings and spoken messages from the beyond were heard. According to the newspaper everyone left a believer. After travelling off and on in the South for a while the professor settles in St. Joseph, Missouri, by 1899.
His biography in the newspapers said that at 14 he became interested in the readings of Napoleon's palms by Madame Le Normand. For three years he read, and studied, her work. Then when he was 17 his father took him to India to study under a Brahmin sect. While there he graduated from the Occult College of India. After that he travelled the Far East studying and practicing palmistry. Eventually he arrived in France. There he studied psychology under the famous Professor Charcot at the University of Paris.
He travelled through Europe reading the hands of heads of state, royalty, actors and actresses. He even entertained at the White House. Sheldon also wrote palmistry columns for major newspapers in America and Europe. Thousands of palms had been read by him and people's questions on life answered. He only charged $1 a visit. If you could not come in person then you could send your $1 and a question to him at his mailing address.
He travelled through Europe reading the hands of heads of state, royalty, actors and actresses. He even entertained at the White House. Sheldon also wrote palmistry columns for major newspapers in America and Europe. Thousands of palms had been read by him and people's questions on life answered. He only charged $1 a visit. If you could not come in person then you could send your $1 and a question to him at his mailing address.
In 1900 he toured the West. He appears in newspapers in Seattle, Washington, Sacramento, California, Portland, Oregon, Butte, Montana, and Spokane, Washington over the next ten years.
In Seattle he was called the first licensed palmist in the city. In Sacramento he is a palmist and clairvoyant with over 200,000 readings in California. In Portland he also offers to train people to become a clairvoyant in 60 days or your money back. In Butte and Sacramento he offered his $5 readings for only $1.
In Seattle he was called the first licensed palmist in the city. In Sacramento he is a palmist and clairvoyant with over 200,000 readings in California. In Portland he also offers to train people to become a clairvoyant in 60 days or your money back. In Butte and Sacramento he offered his $5 readings for only $1.
When Prof. Sheldon wasn't touring, he lived in Long Beach, California. He had a store since 1902 on what was called The Pike near the beach.
The Pike was an amusement zone in Long Beach. It was founded in 1902 along the shoreline south of Ocean Boulevard with several independent arcades, food stands, gift shops, a variety of rides and a grand bath house. It gradually grew in length, was widened again and again and was later poured in concrete and illuminated with strings of electric bulbs and known as "The Walk of a Thousand Lights". The midway anchoring the widely dispersed attractions and "The Pike" changed context from the original wooden boardwalk to the entire amusement zone. As it grew from a simple beach access made of planks to a midway of concessions, it included The Plunge bathhouse, Sea Side Studio souvenir photography, the Looff carousel, McGruder salt water taffy, pitch and skill games, pony rides, goat carts, a fortune teller, weight guesser and a variety of dark and thrill rides, amusements and attractions large and small. Prof. Sheldon's place was a popular attraction.
The Pike was an amusement zone in Long Beach. It was founded in 1902 along the shoreline south of Ocean Boulevard with several independent arcades, food stands, gift shops, a variety of rides and a grand bath house. It gradually grew in length, was widened again and again and was later poured in concrete and illuminated with strings of electric bulbs and known as "The Walk of a Thousand Lights". The midway anchoring the widely dispersed attractions and "The Pike" changed context from the original wooden boardwalk to the entire amusement zone. As it grew from a simple beach access made of planks to a midway of concessions, it included The Plunge bathhouse, Sea Side Studio souvenir photography, the Looff carousel, McGruder salt water taffy, pitch and skill games, pony rides, goat carts, a fortune teller, weight guesser and a variety of dark and thrill rides, amusements and attractions large and small. Prof. Sheldon's place was a popular attraction.
By 1920 he was not touring and was just taking "walk in" customers and answering mail. He even had a license to do fortune telling from the City of Long Beach. At this time he decided to create a fortune telling deck of cards.
The Encyclopedia of American Playing Cards (aka the Hochman) lists this card as;
FT19 SHELDON’S FORTUNE TELLING, c1930. The fortunes are on both ends of this deck.
Unfortunately the deck does not leave us with any clues to who made them for Prof. Sheldon.
But when Professor Sheldon dies in 1930 in Long Beach a lawsuit in 1931 over his estate leaves us with a whole new story.
FT19 SHELDON’S FORTUNE TELLING, c1930. The fortunes are on both ends of this deck.
Unfortunately the deck does not leave us with any clues to who made them for Prof. Sheldon.
But when Professor Sheldon dies in 1930 in Long Beach a lawsuit in 1931 over his estate leaves us with a whole new story.
THE TRUE STORY
Professor Sheldon was neither a professor or W. A. Sheldon. His real name was Amasa Sheldon Weller. He was born October 12th in probably 1852 in Canton, St. Lawrence County, New York. The year of his birth fluctuates with the records, but 1852 appears the most correct.
Amasa's father, David, ran a livery stable and never took him to India. David spent his entire life in New York. Amasa's mother was a Sheldon. If you have already read the story about the Moulton's Pahlavi cards this name will sound familiar. Sarah Moulton's mother was a Sheldon. Sarah's and Amasa's mothers were distant cousins going back to Derbyshire, England, in the 1500s.
By the time A. W., as Amasa was usually known by, was a teenager, he had learned the trade of printing. By 1878 he was married and left New York. A. W. headed west and made a home in St. Paul, Minnesota. There he became a saloon keeper. Then in 1880 he gave that up and began running a hotel.
Things were going well for A. W.. Even his brother, Lorenzo, came from New York and opened a pawn shop nearby. Then on the night of December 5, 1883 a lamp exploded in the hotel kitchen and almost burned it down. A couple months after the repairs A. W. got into an argument with the cook, Ellen Sexton. He fired her for not fixing his guests a hot breakfast one morning. After refusing to leave, she then struck him across the face with a candle stick holder. That was the last straw. He gave up on the hotel business and started a jewelry store and also operated a small restaurant. By 1900 business was bad and he filed bankruptcy. He was over $8,000 in debt. Today that would be over $250,000. He headed to St. Joseph and made his new identity permanent.
Professor Sheldon was neither a professor or W. A. Sheldon. His real name was Amasa Sheldon Weller. He was born October 12th in probably 1852 in Canton, St. Lawrence County, New York. The year of his birth fluctuates with the records, but 1852 appears the most correct.
Amasa's father, David, ran a livery stable and never took him to India. David spent his entire life in New York. Amasa's mother was a Sheldon. If you have already read the story about the Moulton's Pahlavi cards this name will sound familiar. Sarah Moulton's mother was a Sheldon. Sarah's and Amasa's mothers were distant cousins going back to Derbyshire, England, in the 1500s.
By the time A. W., as Amasa was usually known by, was a teenager, he had learned the trade of printing. By 1878 he was married and left New York. A. W. headed west and made a home in St. Paul, Minnesota. There he became a saloon keeper. Then in 1880 he gave that up and began running a hotel.
Things were going well for A. W.. Even his brother, Lorenzo, came from New York and opened a pawn shop nearby. Then on the night of December 5, 1883 a lamp exploded in the hotel kitchen and almost burned it down. A couple months after the repairs A. W. got into an argument with the cook, Ellen Sexton. He fired her for not fixing his guests a hot breakfast one morning. After refusing to leave, she then struck him across the face with a candle stick holder. That was the last straw. He gave up on the hotel business and started a jewelry store and also operated a small restaurant. By 1900 business was bad and he filed bankruptcy. He was over $8,000 in debt. Today that would be over $250,000. He headed to St. Joseph and made his new identity permanent.
A. W. lost his wife about 1900 and headed farther West. He set up his home in Long Beach while he toured the West Coast and Montana. He even appeared in Boston and may have made a trip to London.
In Long Beach, being one of the very early residents of The Pike, he was very active in its development. He even served on the board of The Pike Association and was known as "The Father of the Pike". In 1914 he incorporated a jewelry business. It became known as The Jewel Palace and specialized in diamonds. Of course he still did palmistry next door.
In Long Beach, being one of the very early residents of The Pike, he was very active in its development. He even served on the board of The Pike Association and was known as "The Father of the Pike". In 1914 he incorporated a jewelry business. It became known as The Jewel Palace and specialized in diamonds. Of course he still did palmistry next door.
The Jewel Palace folded the next year. But in a couple years A. W. reopened a smaller version, with the same name, and combined it with a pawn shop.
"The Pike" was the actually the name of the wooden boardwalk connecting the Pine Street incline of the Long Beach Pier west along the shoreline to The Plunge bath house. It gradually grew in length, was widened again and again and was later poured in concrete and illuminated with strings of electric bulbs as "The Walk of a Thousand Lights", the midway anchoring the widely dispersed attractions and "The Pike" changed context from the original wooden boardwalk to the entire amusement zone. As it grew from a simple beach access made of planks to a midway of concessions, it included The Plunge bathhouse, Sea Side Studio souvenir photography, the Looff carousel, McGruder salt water taffy, pitch and skill games, pony rides, goat carts, fortune teller, weight guesser and a variety of dark and thrill rides, amusements and attractions large and small.
Eventually The Pike disappeared. Growing smaller and smaller to development the area was renamed Queen's Park in the late 1960s in homage to the arrival of the Queen Mary ocean liner in Long Beach. 1979 was the year the Long Beach city council refused to renew the land leases and demolished all of the structures and attractions it could that weren't trucked away.
About 1915 A. W. married again. This time to young lady half his age. After a couple years he realized she was not happy and they divorced. Shortly after she married a man her age named Arthur Looff.
The Looffs were the biggest name in Long Beach. Charles J. D. Looff was one of the first great American carousel master carvers, having installed the first successful carousel at Coney Island, New York, and developing amusements, carousels and roller coasters around the U.S.. Examples of his carousels at Santa Monica Pier (Looff Hippodrome of 1922) and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (With a brass ring feature from 1911) still stand. In 1911, Charles J. D. Looff installed a carousel at the Pike in Long Beach, and he took up residence with his son, Arthur Looff and the rest of his family in the second story above the shops in the carousel hippodrome building that would later become home to Lite-a-Line. The Lite-a-Line game combined the tactile mechanics of pinball with the random number selection of bingo.
About 1915 A. W. married again. This time to young lady half his age. After a couple years he realized she was not happy and they divorced. Shortly after she married a man her age named Arthur Looff.
The Looffs were the biggest name in Long Beach. Charles J. D. Looff was one of the first great American carousel master carvers, having installed the first successful carousel at Coney Island, New York, and developing amusements, carousels and roller coasters around the U.S.. Examples of his carousels at Santa Monica Pier (Looff Hippodrome of 1922) and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk (With a brass ring feature from 1911) still stand. In 1911, Charles J. D. Looff installed a carousel at the Pike in Long Beach, and he took up residence with his son, Arthur Looff and the rest of his family in the second story above the shops in the carousel hippodrome building that would later become home to Lite-a-Line. The Lite-a-Line game combined the tactile mechanics of pinball with the random number selection of bingo.
In 1916, Looff with his son, Arthur, designed and built Looff's Santa Monica Pier along the south side of the city's long, narrow, municipal pier. They constructed a large Byzantine-Moorish style "Hippodrome" building to house one of their ornate carousels, now known as the Santa Monica Looff Hippodrome. The Looffs also erected the Blue Streak Racer wooden roller coaster on their new pleasure pier, along with The Whip and the Aeroscope thrill ride.
The Looff Hippodrome Today
A. W. had actually done very well in his time in Long Beach. In 1920 he had purchased some property on one end of The Pike for $50,000. (Almost $700,000 today) He built an apartment building on the lot. Plus, he was known as a very generous man. He was always giving to charities and helping others. Once he bought a new electric wheelchair for a disabled friend. Then he decided to drive it down the street to surprise him. Unfortunately, he was struck by a car which broke his pelvis and destroyed the wheelchair.
A. W. and his ex-wife stayed on good terms plus he knew Arthur Looff well. When the couple had their only child, Wilda, A. W. was named the godfather. By 1930 the 76 year old was living with them and their 4 year old. Possibly because of his health. On September 13, 1930 A. W. passed away due to acute myocarditis and starvation toxemia following cirrhosis of the liver.
A. W. had one surprise left for everyone. In his Will he left everything, including the Jewel Palace, to little Wilda Looff, his goddaughter. A. W.'s business partner, Arthur Ostlund, at the Jewel Palace was in shock. He assumed the business would become his. But he lost his lawsuit and the Looffs were awarded everything. In today's money Wilda received almost $1,000,000.
Wilda grew up on The Pike and married Al Taucher. They eventually had a the largest shooting gallery in the country on The Pike for many years. Wilda would spend her entire life in Long Beach on, or near, The Pike.
A. W. and his ex-wife stayed on good terms plus he knew Arthur Looff well. When the couple had their only child, Wilda, A. W. was named the godfather. By 1930 the 76 year old was living with them and their 4 year old. Possibly because of his health. On September 13, 1930 A. W. passed away due to acute myocarditis and starvation toxemia following cirrhosis of the liver.
A. W. had one surprise left for everyone. In his Will he left everything, including the Jewel Palace, to little Wilda Looff, his goddaughter. A. W.'s business partner, Arthur Ostlund, at the Jewel Palace was in shock. He assumed the business would become his. But he lost his lawsuit and the Looffs were awarded everything. In today's money Wilda received almost $1,000,000.
Wilda grew up on The Pike and married Al Taucher. They eventually had a the largest shooting gallery in the country on The Pike for many years. Wilda would spend her entire life in Long Beach on, or near, The Pike.