Faribault is about to get its 15 minutes of fame in the national spotlight. A major cable network just completed filming a segment featuring one of the best-known carnival rides in the U.S., the Tilt-A-Whirl. For over 80 years the Tilt-A-Whirl was manufactured in Faribault, Minnesota. Icons like the Tilt-A-Whirl are the fabric of American culture and Rick’s Restoration, located in Las Vegas, is fa
mous for restoring these priceless gems. The project will be to recondition an individual ride “car”, which was donated by Harley’s Auto Salvage in Faribault. Three cars were saved by the salvage yard’s late founder, Harley Pettipiece. “Dad dreamed of restoring a car and putting it in his backyard,” said son, Gary Pettipiece. “When the girls called to see the cars, I told them that the only way I would donate them was if they agreed to use them as a tourist attraction in Faribault and that they could never be sold for profit . . . Dad would be pleased.”
Herbert Sellner invented the Tilt-A-Whirl in 1926, at his home in Faribault. Family legend states that Herb experimented with a chair placed on the kitchen table. Herb's son, Art, sat in the chair while Herb rocked the table back and forth. Over the next year, the first 14 Tilt-A-Whirls were built in Herb's basement and yard. In 1927, Sellner Manufacturing opened its factory in Faribault and the ride debuted that year at the Minnesota State Fair. Tilt-A-Whirl and other rides continued to be manufactured at the iconic Faribault facility until the company was sold in February 2011. The girls are two local business owners, Tami Schluter, of the Historic Hutchinson House B&B, and Peggy Keilen, of Faribo Air Conditioning & Heating. “This has been an idea floating around Faribault for a long time,” said Keilen, “it was just a matter of securing a car.” Once they had the cars in their possession, Schluter e-mailed the show’s producer in New York. “I sent an e-mail late on a Thursday evening and the show’s producer called the next morning to say they were “very excited” about the project. We’re hoping that by showcasing the restoration we can bring Faribault some notoriety. This is just one of so many great Faribault stories and a community asset that we thought would pique some national interest for Faribault.” Schluter said. Financial support is being sought from the community for the $8,500 price tag. “Unfortunately, if we want to have our restoration featured on the TV show, we need to collect the funds within a 4-week time period, said Schluter, I guess that’s what they call “the magic of television”. An account has been established at Reliance Bank of Faribault. Anyone interested in contributing should make checks payable to the Faribault Foundation, a non-profit (501c3) organization whose mission is to develop, manage, and administer financial resources to promote and enhance the quality of life for the greater Faribault community. Your donation is tax-deductible. Former Sellner employees estimated the cost of restoration to be approximately $8200, so when the estimate to restore the car was so close to the local estimate, it was decided that the national exposure out-weighed the “buy local” mentality. “Let’s not forget, we still have 2 other cars to restore, said Keilen, our local artisans can restore those as more funds are collected.”
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