The photos were taken in 1969, and were published in 1970 in the SDC Guidebook offered for sale at the Hospitality House. The photos featured in this series are of "lost" arts and crafts and attractions that were at Silver Dollar City over 40 years ago. The photos were taken the summer that the Beverly Hillbillies visited. I first visited SDC in 1970 with my family when I was 8 years old. The photos depict the SDC I knew as a kid. Hope you like what you see... http://www.flickr.com/photos/juniordugan
Those are some great pictures! I like seeing how the City was back in the day! I wish it was still like that!
I've added a few more photos "Even More Lost SDC" photos are from the SDC guidebook released in 1976, and most of the photos were taken in 1975. Enjoy.
great pics.
and looks like the 1st medicine wagon is the one granny was selling her "mud" bath from.
The two photos of the medicine wagon are of the same wagon. Old photo shot in '69, new photo in '75. I think if you look next to Carrie's Candles on your next trip, you will see the medicine wagon in it's current location. Although, I admit, the paint job is not as bright and the signage is removed. The medicine wagon spent the '80s and '90s used in various capacities at SDC, TN, later Dollywood. Don't know when it came back to SDC, MO, but I noticed it in August of last year when I visited for the first time in a few years, and it was still there at the end of June when I last was there.
I'll loov for it the next time I make it there
you mentioned that the other day.
I will be there sunday morning for a while. i am going to check it out.
Great pictures, Junior! 1969 was my first year at SDC too.
Those are great, Junior. Thanks for posting them. They brought back some memories for me as a lot of that stuff was still there when I started.
I will have to post some shots from the '78 and the '83 guidebooks, and try to find a few photos of Zephon when he was one of those singing bartenders at the saloon...Oh, the Parson in the Wilderness Church today...he was one of those singing bartenders, too! I guess he is "reformed." Maybe Carry A. Nation knew what she was doing after all!
In years past the employees, or "citizens" of SDC played an important role. I wanted to spotlight a dozen of those citizens from the 1970s and 1980s who were some of the fabulous people I got to work with each day. You will recognize some of these folks from your family vacation decades ago. I hope to honor them here, as they were some wonderful people, talented, each and every one of them, at what it was they did. Check out the Flickr site listed at the top of the thread.
Love it! I remember most of those faces, but the only one I could have called by name was Arkie Phillips (R.I.P.)
I still think Wayne Milnes was one of the most talented, funny performers to ever work at the City.
I'd agree with you regarding Wayne. Can anyone tell me what he is up to now? Last time I saw him was five to 8 years ago. He worked with Terry Sanders doing comedy at the theater located where that Grand Buffet is located...the place with the mini golf inside and a big game room.
What's in the spot where the basketweaving was?? Is it just a bare spot or is the structure boarded up??
those pictures are great. What I would not give sometimes to see it the way it was.
I do have a question the one that shows the city park. So was that in right before where the gazebo is and that was all grass.
I would love to see the wagons and fancypants stuff again but it has me wondering even if they wanted to bring back the rainmaker and medicine wagons, would they be able to due to crowd levels and amount of space currently available?
The gazebo in the photo of the park is the one that was there until they tore it down and built the one in place now. They reduced the green area of the park to add more seating. The water feature of the big ole metal bucket was in place for decades until it rusted out and they removed it.
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Could they bring back the Rainmaker? Yes. They could make room for it, it would be no problem. The problem would be would they want to fund the cost of a "character" or employee to fill the roll, and the cost of the insurance for the mule to pull the wagon, plus upkeep of the wagon. It would still be a high impact, low cost show for them to do, but you must convince management. My guess is the current management is not interested in bringing it back full time...otherwise they would have.
The Medicine Wagon show would probably be considered politically uncorrect today as the patient medicine sales pitch concluded with the sale of "candy" medicine. If they left that part out it could probably be OK.
Both the Rainmaker and the Medicine Wagon Show consisted of hucksters who tried to bilk the public into buying their product...rain, or a patient medicine that cured everything from a sore tooth to ailments that come with old age. Both shows were fantastic, and were big crowd pleasers. However, they both belong to the romantic past history of Silver Dollar City. Just like the Boxing Show, Carrie A. Nation Saloon Show, Hatifield Haint Show, Courthouse Theater Show, and many other acts ranging from knife throwers to puppet shows that you just won't or will seldom see at the park today.
Thank you for sharing the pictures. I thoroughly enjoyed looking at them. :)
Quote from: Junior on August 12, 2011, 08:31:38 AM
I'd agree with you regarding Wayne. Can anyone tell me what he is up to now? Last time I saw him was five to 8 years ago. He worked with Terry Sanders doing comedy at the theater located where that Grand Buffet is located...the place with the mini golf inside and a big game room.
Wayne is working at the Kirby VanBurch Theater. I believe he's doing pre-show entertainment.
Thanks for the update, Zephon!
Does anyone remember how wet you used to get at Geyser Gultch? I used to love to go there with my cousins when I was 7 or so, and we'd end up drenched after getting out. What ever happened to all the water?
I am proof you can still get very wet at geyser gulch
also another thought on the medicine man show.....would that infringe on humanas rights?
If they drank the special elixir they may not need insurance, right ;)
Very soon I will have to "purge" some of my photos on Flickr to make room for new photos. If you want to see the shots of "lost" SDC, please take a look at them as they will soon disappear! (Don't worry, I'll post some of them again in the future.)
Due to a lack of space on my Flickr site, there "Lost" SDC photos have been purged. Don't fret, though. They will return at some time in the future.
Quote from: Junior on September 11, 2011, 05:58:34 PM
Due to a lack of space on my Flickr site, there "Lost" SDC photos have been purged. Don't fret, though. They will return at some time in the future.
Just as long as you don't loose the lost photo's!
Everything that has ever been posted here is tucked away in a file cabinet or if digital is stored on the computer and sometimes a back up disc. Nothing has been lost...in fact, there is alot of things in my files that have never been posted! Someday what was deleted from Flickr will return. Someday what you have not see will be posted. :)