In 1956, on empty land behind the Botsford Tile business on West Stadium Boulevard, 27-year-old Don Botsford constructed Ann Arbor's first commercial fitness center. From the outside it wasn't much to look at, just a simple 33 x 66-foot concrete block building with a Unistrut ceiling. Don built much of the structure himself, on property owned by his father Tom Botsford. The building still stands today, as part of Top of the Lamp at 415 S Maple Road. The Botsfords were an old Ann Arbor family, dating back to the pioneering days of the city. Don had graduated from Ann Arbor High School in 1946, and then attended Central Michigan University where he majored in physical education and minored in health education. Don felt that his hometown of Ann Arbor needed to improve its approach to the health and well-being of its citizens, and decided to take matters into his own hands. After years of working at his father's tile shop, and saving money for his dream, Don was finally ready to welcome the public into his new facility. He called it Ann Arbor Gymkhana.

The Newly Constructed Ann Arbor Gymkhana's Exterior Gave No Hints Of What Was Inside, Ann Arbor News, November 1956

gymkhana, noun: a meet featuring sports contests or athletic skills

Ann Arbor Gymkhana appeared in the city long before local businesses offered HIIT workouts, boot camps, pilates, CrossFit, barre classes, and all the other endless exercise options you can think of. Fitness machines weren't readily available. 1950s workouts typically involved calisthenics, and basic equipment like dumbbells and barbells. Extra frills might include hula hoops and jump ropes. Don Botsford's new business offered Ann Arbor a new twist to physical fitness: trampolines. In an Ann Arbor News article, Don boldly claimed "I bet I can get kids on a trampoline faster than on a dance floor". He declared his new business "the only one of its kind in the country, with its safe floor level type of trampolines, and its combination of weightlifting and gymnastics apparatus".

Advertisement for Ann Arbor Gymkhana's Grand Opening, Ann Arbor News, November 30, 1956

Don Botsford Watches Children On The New Trampolines At Ann Arbor Gymkhana, Ann Arbor News, November 1956

Ann Arbor Gymkhana - Interior, Ann Arbor News, November 1956

Weights & Trampolines

Opening the first commercial fitness center in town had its drawbacks. One obstacle was the reputation of weight lifting. According to Don Botsford, University of Michigan football coach Fritz Crisler gave his players detentions if he found out they were lifting weights. "They thought it would cause their players to lose all their coordination and become big, dumb weight lifters." Trampolines were also a relatively new method of exercise for Ann Arbor. Botsford himself had benefited from a combination of weight training and trampoline skills, and worked hard to convince townies of the health benefits. Safety was an important factor in using all of the equipment, and instructional classes were emphasized. Don Botsford also encouraged women to visit Gymkhana, an innovative view at the time. His enthusiasm for living a healthy lifestyle, along with his charisma, drew people of all ages to the new business.

Athletically, Ann Arbor Gymkhana was a great success. During the first eight years of business, Botsford coached weightlifters and trampolinists to win more than 125 awards in each sport, including some national and state titles. Many were in the Michigan Association of Gymnastics (MAG). One notable group to frequent the facility, and accumulate awards, was the Huntzicker family.

Tom Huntzicker Practices His Competitive Routine At Ann Arbor Gymkhana, Ann Arbor News, April 1960, Photographer Doug Fulton

Susie Huntzicker Practices Her Competitive Routine At Ann Arbor Gymkhana, Ann Arbor News, April 1960, Photographer Doug Fulton

George Huntzicker Practices His Routine For Michigan's Amateur Athletic Union Championship, Ann Arbor News, April 1961 Photographer Duane Scheel

George Huntzicker, who frequented Ann Arbor Gymkhana as a child, would go on to lead Ann Arbor High School to a State Championship in 1965 by placing first in trampoline, floor exercise, and vault. He attended the University of Michigan, joined the gymnastics team, and was NCAA champion on the trampoline in 1968 and 1970. George also won the silver medal in the 1970 World Trampoline Championships. Newt Loken, who coached the University of Michigan's gymnastic teams from 1947 to 1983, says he believes George Huntzicker excelled and went on to win the world championship largely due to Don Botsford's coaching skills at Ann Arbor Gymkhana.

"George Huntzicker, UM Gymnastics, trampoline, 1967/68; BL015420." In the digital collection Bentley Historical Library: Bentley Image Bank. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/b/bhl/x-bl015420/bl015420. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections.

Tramp-O-Leap

In the summer of 1960, Ann Arbor Gymkhana experienced some competition in the nearby city of Ypsilanti. A franchise known as Tramp-O-Leap, which billed itself as an outdoor "trampoline playground", was spreading around the United States and Canada. Ypsilanti Tramp-O-Leap opened at 205 Ecorse Road in July. It offered 10 floor level trampolines available for 50 cents per half hour, from 10 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week. Not to be outdone, Gymkhana installed four outdoor trampolines, also available for 50 cents per half hour, one month later. Don Botsford called Gymkhana's outdoor experience "Uppen-Gebouncen Floppenfielt". Ypsilanti Tramp-O-Leap didn't last long, but helped to fuel the growing trampoline craze.

Ypsilanti Tramp-O-Leap - Gymkhana's Competition, Ann Arbor News, July 1960, Photographer Duane Scheel

Newly Installed Outdoor Trampolines At Gymkhana, Ann Arbor News, August 1960, Photographer Duane Scheel

Spaceball

Many local residents who remember Ann Arbor Gymkhana will tell you it was THE PLACE TO PLAY SPACEBALL. The game first surfaced at Huron Valley Swim Club in Ann Arbor. When the response was favorable, Don Botsford installed Spaceball trampolines in Ann Arbor Gymkhana.

To understand Spaceball, it's helpful to know a bit about the history of trampolines. A gymnast named George Nissen is credited with designing the first commercial trampoline in the 1940s. His "tumbling device" was granted a U.S. patent in 1945. In World War II, the military used trampolines as training devices for pilots who handled difficult air maneuvers in combat. Near the end of the war George Nissen met a pilot named Scott Carpenter who had gone through the trampoline training. Carpenter would later become one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts and introduced the trampoline into space training at NASA. Together, George Nissen and Scott Carpenter would eventually create a game for astronauts using specially modified trampolines. Carpenter called it "the best conditioning exercise for space travel." Naming the game "Spaceball" was an obvious choice. Combining elements of volleyball and basketball, bouncing players try to put a ball through a hole in a net. If your opponent fails to catch the ball, you get a point. Behind each player a special Spaceball trampoline tilts vertically on each end so in addition to bouncing on your feet, you are able to fall backwards and rebound just as easily. The game combines aerobic exercise and manual dexterity with balance and body control, offering a great workout.

One group of female gymnasts who trained at Ann Arbor Gymkhana became well known in the niche world of Spaceball competition. (See advertisement below.) In 1965, four of these gymnasts traveled to New York City for a Sports Illustrated photo shoot covering the sport. "Like astronauts in orbit, the aerial gymnasts on these pages counteract the force of gravity as they volley the ball in a fast-moving new game called Spaceball." The photos displayed the gymnasts, clad in bright red leotards, on Spaceball trampolines.

Ann Arbor Gymkhana Advertisement, Michigan Daily, September 30, 1962

Children Fill Ann Arbor Gymkhana. (Spaceball court on upper right of photo.) Ann Arbor News, December 1963, Photographer Doug Fulton

Don Botsford And His Son Play Spaceball At Ann Arbor Gymkhana. (Notice the NISSEN logo, as in George Nissen, on the equipment.) Ann Arbor News, February 1980, Photographer Robert Chase

The Fitness Business

Behind the athletic success and good vibes of Ann Arbor Gymkhana was the stark financial reality of running a business. Despite his hard work, and the enormous support he gave local athletes, Don Botsford rarely turned a profit. In a 2001 Ann Arbor Observer article, the grim details were shared. According to Botsford, he earned just $5,800 in his first year of business and "didn't make anything". His income in 1959 was $1,200. In 1960 it was only $268. In 1961 Ann Arbor Gymkhana finished in the red with a loss of $246. Don shared that the business had about 200 regulars in its heyday, during the 60s and 70s. Thousands came to take trampoline lessons, casually jump, or play Spaceball, but "the numbers never added up". Ann Arbor Gymkhana was often crowded in the winter, but summers were lean. As a married man with four children, he worked multiple jobs outside of the fitness center to make ends meet. Sign painter, bookstore clerk, and selling hot dogs at A&W were all on the list.

Despite the financial struggle, Don Botsford was committed to keeping Ann Arbor Gymkhana open. He wasn't in it for the money, he was simply passionate about fitness. In 1965, he added a sauna - the first public sauna in Ann Arbor - to the building. In 1967, Ann Arbor Gymkhana doubled in size and enlarged shower and locker rooms. In 1971 the interior balcony was extended to make room for selling health supplements.

Ann Arbor Gymkhana Advertisement, Huron Valley Ad-Visor, September 6, 1967

Other fitness centers were starting to appear in the area, which took customers away from Ann Arbor Gymkhana. In 1974 a million dollar Vic Tanny health club was opened in Ann Arbor. It featured cardio equipment, a swimming pool, Finnish saunas, whirlpool mineral baths, handball and paddleball courts, sun & steam rooms, special diet plans, and lots of instructors. Vic Tanny advertisements featuring women in bikinis were a level of business competition that Ann Arbor Gymkhana had never seen before. Don Botsford's facility still appealed to children, but many local adults left him behind for the flashier new businesses in town. He decided that his business must grow with the times, and began to design a new dream facility.

Don Botsford With A Model Of A New Gymkhana Facility, Ann Arbor News, April 1978, Photographer Larry E. Wright

Unfortunately, a new Ann Arbor Gymkhana never came to be. After numerous attempts to secure the funds needed to build a state of the art fitness center, Don Botsford finally closed his business in 1986. Ann Arbor Gymkhana was just shy of 30 years old. He went on to pursue other ventures, namely a nature preserve on the edge of the city, but nothing had the spark of the original Ann Arbor Gymkhana. But Botsford never gave up on his commitment to bring the public a form of fitness that was fun; is obituary, published in 2011, mentioned "He was still actively instructing trampoline and spaceball at the time of his death".

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The city of Ann Arbor is usually fairly quiet on the 4th of July. There are no major fireworks displays, save for a couple small neighborhood celebrations. Residents often scatter across Michigan in search of lakes, cookouts, and holiday festivities. This wasn't always the case, however. Many older townies remember Ann Arbor's annual fireworks shows, and some even remember Nathan Kelsay, the man who made it all happen.

Nathan Kelsay

Nathan Braxton Kelsay Jr. was born January 23, 1917 in Columbia, Kentucky. After serving in World War II, he married Agnes Morris on June 6, 1946. They moved to Ann Arbor and Nathan worked as a meat cutter in local markets. In 1955 he opened his own business, Kelsay's Market, at 3008 Packard Road. Nathan was a colorful character in town known as a talented butcher, astute storekeeper, dedicated gun & saber collector (with many mounted above his meat counter), knowledgeable silver coin expert, habitual storyteller, and left-handed guy with a good sense of humor. In an interview for the Huron Valley Ad-Visor, he once declared "I love to talk to people. I like the feeling that goes with making someone happy by selling them something they want. I'd stay here (in the store) 24 hours a day if the good Lord would let me stand up that long." He lived with his family at 2672 Easy Street, on the edge of Buhr Park, half a mile from his market.

Kelsay's Market Advertisement, Ann Arbor News, February 1956

Kelsay's Market, 3008 Packard Road, 1972
 

Fireworks In Ann Arbor?

On July 4, 1957, Nathan, Agnes, and their sons, Pat & Mike, all loaded into the family car, left Ann Arbor, and headed to Ypsilanti's Waterworks Park to watch the holiday fireworks display. According to the Ann Arbor News, a heavy rainstorm at dusk soaked the area, delaying the 10:30 pm show until midnight. "...workers of sponsoring American Legion Post 282 were forced to dig up mortars used to fire the works, dry them out and replace them along the Huron River at Waterworks Park." By the time the show began, many children in the crowd were asleep or crying to go home. Disappointed and frustrated by the evening in Ypsilanti, Nathan Kelsay made the decision to personally bring a 4th of July celebration to Ann Arbor.

The following week, Nathan Kelsay reached out to local businessmen friends, John Frisinger & Edward Hewitt, about his dream of bringing 4th of July festivities into the city of Ann Arbor. Together they founded the Spirit of '76 Club, solely focused on raising money for a local fireworks display. They placed donation jars on the counters of establishments around town, and convinced 38 local business owners to donate to their cause. The energetic butcher and his friends were successful fundraisers; having raised $1,500 they hired the highly regarded American Fireworks Company of Hudson, Ohio. The city of Ann Arbor approved the use of Buhr Park as a fireworks venue, and a spectacular show was planned for July 4th, 1958.

Buhr Park Fireworks, 1958 - 1968

When the big day arrived, the streets around Buhr Park were clogged with traffic. Roughly 20,000 people turned out for the July 4, 1958 Ann Arbor fireworks display, and the evening was memorable, to say the least. An editorial published the following day in the Ann Arbor News exclaimed "A most hearty "Well Done! - Thanks a million' goes to those whose many hours of hard work really paid off in the quality of the fine July 4 fireworks display at Buhr Park, out on Packard Rd. The hour-long show, proposed by Mr. N. B. Kelsay, really showed, after so many years, that Ann Arbor can present an outstanding celebration such as the occasion really merits. The tireless efforts of Mr. Kelsay, Ed Hewitt and John Frisinger were welcomed by a huge crowd of eager watchers..." 

Buhr Park Fireworks Advertisement, Ann Arbor News, July 1959

Buoyed by the triumph of their hard work, the Spirit of '76 Club wasted no time in starting plans for the 1959 holiday. July 4, 1959 in Ann Arbor featured another fireworks show at Buhr Park, organized by the Spirit of '76 Club, which had added three new members: Betty Flanders, Ralph Moore, & George Ralph. The list of businesses that donated grew significantly too, with lots of local residents wanting to be associated with the successful event. The American Fireworks Company was rehired. Washtenaw County's Junior Deputies were brought in to help control the flow of traffic and parking, and an ice cream truck created "happy bedlam", according to a local parent on the scene.

Fireworks Display Over Buhr Park, Ann Arbor News, July 4, 1959

Nathan Kelsay was determined to make Ann Arbor's 4th of July fireworks an annual event, with every display bigger and better than the last. His ultimate goal was to make the show the second largest in the state of Michigan, outdone only by Detroit's fireworks. Despite the long days he worked at his market, he devoted countless hours of his own time to 4th of July fundraising and planning. "The public has been wonderful to us," Kelsay said in an interview. "Their contributions to our cannisters, along with important contributions of area businessmen, contractors and other groups, have this thing going." The Buhr Park fireworks show continued through 1960 and 1961, with Nathan Kelsay and his team working behind the scenes.

In 1962, the Sertoma Club of Ann Arbor assisted the Spirit of '76 Club with fundraising efforts. The Washtenaw County Electrical Contractors made a special contribution and funded free ice cream for all children attending the fireworks at Buhr Park. 1962's show also featured a special ear-splitting finale with the ignition of 192 shells. July 4, 1963's fireworks show was jointly presented by the Sertoma Club and the Spirit of '76 Club. 1963's festivities featured Ann Arbor Gymkhana members on trampolines performing before the fireworks display at Buhr Park.

Spectators Head Towards Buhr Park For Fourth of July Fireworks, Ann Arbor News, July 4, 1963

Fireworks Over Buhr Park, Ann Arbor News, July 4, 1963

If successful fireworks shows are based on the number of spectators, Ann Arbor's July 4, 1964 show was Nathan Kelsay's best work. After a dismal donation year, the Spirit of '76 Club ramped up last minute efforts to raise the funds needed for the fireworks. They managed to pay all of the 4th of July bills, and even used leftover funds to donate a flag pole to Buhr Park. This 7th annual show drew a crowd of between 80,000 and 100,000 spectators. The Ann Arbor Police department stepped in to assist with crowd control and traffic chaos.

1965, 1966, and 1967 all saw decreased numbers of spectators for Ann Arbor's 4th of July fireworks displays, as well as a decrease in monetary donations. While many local residents still enjoyed the annual show, some Buhr Park neighbors had grown frustrated with the crowds that tore up lawns, trampled landscaping, left trash, and were drunk & disorderly. Teen boys tossing a lit firecracker into the 1965 crowd was the first of many complaints that began to surface. 1967's show was also hampered by unseasonably cold weather. Despite all these setbacks, Nathan Kelsay persevered. Unfortunately, in 1968, donations around the city ran dry. The Spirit of '76 Club was not able to raise enough money to support a fireworks show and July 4, 1968's festivities at Buhr Park were cancelled.

Boys Search Buhr Park For "Souvenirs" The Morning After Fireworks Show, Ann Arbor News, July 5, 1967

Buhr Park Fireworks, 1969 - 1975

The cancelling of 1968's fireworks disappointed the city and inspired many local residents to get involved in 1969. The Pittsfield Business and Professional Women's group stepped up to assist with fundraising. Several local Kiwanis clubs donated to the cause. Most notably, the Ann Arbor Junior Chamber of Commerce (aka the Jaycees) assumed the Buhr Park fireworks display as a community project. With the backing of these organizations, the Spirit of '76 Club was able to bring back the July 4th festivities for 1969 and 1970, and much of the pressure was taken off of Nathan Kelsay.

Nathan B. Kelsay Accepts Donation To Fireworks Show From Kiwanis Members, Ann Arbor News, May 1969

The fourth of July celebrations from 1971 to 1975 were overseen by the Ann Arbor Jaycees, with the Spirit of '76 Club's support in the background. There were a few problems: one show started an hour late due to a broken safety fence, 2 heart attacks were experienced in the crowd during one show, a police officer directing traffic was injured in 1974 when he was hit by a 16 year old driver. There were also updates and more successes, like the addition of the Ann Arbor Civic Band's performances before the fireworks display.

A Crowd At Buhr Park Waits For The Fireworks Show, Ann Arbor News, July 4, 1975

Fireworks Explode Over Buhr Park, Ann Arbor News, July 4, 1975

Buhr Park Fireworks, 1976

The United States Bicentennial Celebration, July 4, 1976, was what Nathan Kelsay and his cohorts had always dreamed of celebrating, and the reason their group was originally named The Spirit of '76 Club. As the date approached, Kelsay, The Spirit of '76 Club, and the Ann Arbor Jaycees (now chaired by Mike Kelsay, Nathan's son) worked hard to plan the best 4th of July celebration the city had ever seen. There would be sports demonstrations, a community barbecue, multiple musical performances, and even a magician in a strait jacket who would escape while dangling from a helicopter. The highlight would be the most elaborate fireworks show in the city's history. On June 16, 1976, just weeks before the biggest Buhr Park celebration of them all, Nathan Kelsay died of a heart attack. He was 59 years old. The fireworks committee members were stunned and heartbroken. It was decided that all of Ann Arbor's 4th of July festivities that year would be dedicated to the memory of Nathan Kelsay and his tireless enthusiasm for bringing fireworks to the city.

Nathan Kelsay Chats About The Buhr Park Fireworks Show, Ann Arbor News, April 1976

1976 Fireworks Advertisement, Ann Arbor News, July 1976

Buhr Park Fireworks, 1977 - 1978

An effort was made to keep the Buhr Park fireworks display alive in 1977, after Nathan Kelsay's death. In 1978, everything fell apart. The Kelsay family sold Kelsay's Market, which had been the longtime headquarters for fireworks fundraising. Numerous complaints about the fireworks shows had surfaced in the Buhr Park neighborhood and around the city, and many residents started to feel that the event was unruly and unsafe. On July 4, 1978, a 19-year-old woman in the Buhr Park fireworks crowd was rushed to the hospital after someone threw a lit firecracker in her face and gashed her chin open.

The End Of Ann Arbor's Fireworks

In 1979, it was announced that the Ann Arbor fireworks show would be relocated to the Ann Arbor Airport, ending the Buhr Park tradition started by Nathan Kelsay. The event was taken over by numerous city organizations and, in 1991, came to a quiet end. Local residents simply lost interest, and there was no one with the enthusiasm of Nathan Kelsay to keep the show going. In 1994, the Ann Arbor News ran an article titled "Community spirit has fizzled for fourth of july tradition", which summed up the situation. In 2002, the Ann Arbor News ran another article lamenting the loss of the fireworks. Interviewed for the article, Bob Kerschbaum, who still lived by Buhr Park with his wife, recalled "It was a really wonderful time. People really got together and made it that one special day, like Christmas. It was something all our kids looked forward to. Everybody was busy the whole day." In 1991, the year the fireworks came to an end, the city of Ann Arbor organized a 4th of July parade. Now, in 2024, Ann Arbor still celebrates with an annual 4th of July parade, which is overseen by the Ann Arbor Jaycees. 

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