On my Flickr page is the SDC Company newsletter "What's Happening" from April 5, 1976. It exclusively describes the purchase of a defunct theme park called "Goldrush," and it's redevelopment. Goldrush was known during the planning stages as "moldy" and later was renamed Silver Dollar City, Tennessee. Of course, it's known as Dollywood now. Direct quotes from both Jack and Pete Herschend...the first baby step towards SDC, Incorporated becoming Hershend Family Entertainment, the largest family owned theme park in the USA!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juniordugan
Good one. I mentioned this to my wife, then had to convince her that Dolly doesn't "own" Dollywood, but is co-owner with HFE.
She saw Dolly on Oprah, and it was "all Dolly", from the impression. And, I know that's a deliberate marketing decision, but I had to set the record straight.
There was a period of time when Dollywood was advertised as a SDC or Herschend Entertainment property, so were all the Dixie Stampedes. I think Dolly changed that. She is the "face" of that division of the company, and from a marketing standpoint, who cares who gets the credit as long as the investors and operators get paid their share.