SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => General Silver Dollar City Talk => Topic started by: Copper on January 17, 2008, 05:02:18 PM
Title: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: Copper on January 17, 2008, 05:02:18 PM
Here is something interesting...
I went on a tour of Marvel Cave that was being lead by Jack Herschend and his son Bruce. It was very interesting. Jack talked about moving to the Ozarks from Chicago. It was quite an adventure for him and his brother Pete. His mother Mary Herschend wasn't so excited. She had a hard time transitioning and it was Miriam and Genevieve Lynch that helped her ease into the mountain lifestyle. Mary was the first to have indoor plumbing in Stone County, this was in the 1950s, that wasn't long ago. The cabin that is in the cave was originally in the Mammoth Room, Jack moved it to the Harold Bell Wright Passage when they took the tour out of the Mammoth Room. (Here is a possibility: the Lantern Tour this next season may start going back there soon) Jack also told us stories of building the walkways and the cable train. Engineers told Jack that the train couldn't be done. The tracks would have to make too tight of a turn and the train wouldn't make it. Jack and the family chanced it, with successful results. If it didn't work he said that there wouldn't be a Silver Dollar City, they literally put every penny they could find in the project. He spoke about riding the train up the hill for the first time and how it wasn't a triumph. They tied two different sizes of cable together and it didn't work out. The train went rushing backwards crashing into the cave tunnel. Jack survived with several broken bones and a stay in the hospital. (If you have ever been on the trains the seats use to go from the top of the cars to the bottom rather than side by side) He laid down in the middle of the seats and held on tight. There are more stories to tell that I will share with you later.
Oh, and Bruce Herschend told me a funny story about Thunderation. When they were planning the ride they asked him to survey and check out the possibilities of making the ride do a helix into the cathedral room. This is for reel and very funny. Can you imagine a rock, even a small one falling while the coaster flew through? Obviously it never happened.
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: shavethewhales on January 17, 2008, 07:00:38 PM
Wow, that's awesome.
When was this?
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: CJR on January 17, 2008, 07:01:07 PM
That's cool, how long ago was that?
SDC should build a roller coaster that gives the illusion of going though a cave. I guess the Mystery Mine is a similar concept though. Great story, thanks for sharing!!
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: Coaster on January 17, 2008, 09:35:16 PM
Thanks for that Copper. I'm glad they didn't make Thunderation go through the cave. That would've been a huge safety issue and it would've taken away from the beauty of the cave.
^I do agree they need to make a roller coaster appear to go through the cave. Maybe we will see that next year. *hopes*
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: Copper on January 18, 2008, 10:43:38 AM
This was back in September. We are hoping to have a tour with Pete this season.
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: History Buff on February 01, 2008, 05:10:48 PM
The cabin? A guide had told me this was the cabin Harold Bell Wright built for a place to write The Shepherd of the Hills. Is this not true? If so, is the current location not the original location?
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: Copper on February 12, 2008, 06:06:23 PM
This amazed me too. Jack said that the Cabin was originally located in the Mammoth Room. When they were modernizing the cave, the tour was taken out of the Mammoth Room, so he felt he needed to move the cabin where the guests could view it. However, Harold Bell Wright’s “studio” is where he relocated the cabin. Harold Bell Wright was said to have made several things out of clay, paint and write in a certain section of the cave, now known as the Harold Bell Wright Passage, where the cabin is currently located.
There are some pictures of Wright’s Studio on this website:
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: History Buff on February 17, 2008, 01:44:26 PM
Awesome photos. I assume we can't see these on the tour?
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: Copper on February 21, 2008, 09:41:08 PM
You are right you can not see these on the tour. There are pictures of the cabin and the painting... things you don't get to see on the tour, they are all on the video of Marvel Cave and the new book of Marvel Cave.
You should be able to order then from these two locations...
Marvel Cave phone line (417) 338-8220 leave a message and they will get back to you!!!
or
Visit the Marvel Cave Park Website http://http://www.marvelcavepark.com/
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: History Buff on February 23, 2008, 10:27:41 PM
OK, you've convinced me. I guess I'll have to buy both!
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: Copper on March 01, 2008, 08:04:42 PM
The video is really great.
It was made and produced by Marvel Cave. The cave guides do the acting. Bruce Herschend repels through the large sinkhole, that alone is pretty amazing. They show you the thousands of bats that live in Marvel, since you don’t get to see many of them on the tour. They feature the cabin, painting and the Baldknobber head. There is an interview with Jack Herschend. He talks about the building of the Cable Train and about his marriage to Sherry in the cathedral room. I could go on and on!
I think you will enjoy it!!!
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: History Buff on March 10, 2008, 06:10:04 PM
Does anyone know if the Lantern Tours will be available open weekend?
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: History Buff on March 10, 2008, 06:31:24 PM
Found this link - some really cool old photos of the cave:
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: Coaster on March 10, 2008, 08:51:32 PM
Wow those are awesome!! Great pics Dale. Thanks.
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: Copper on March 10, 2008, 09:44:57 PM
Yes, there will be Lantern Light Tours!
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: History Buff on March 11, 2008, 07:46:04 PM
Looking back at the posts I see Copper already linked to this site.
I just love the old views. We don't really get a good look at the entrance without all the acroutrements. It looks so wild.
Hopefully I can get into the lantern tour next weekend. I could really use the vacation.
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: History Buff on March 23, 2008, 03:27:12 PM
I picked up the book and DVD, Saturday, and recommend both. They motivated me to re-visit the cave with new eyes this summer. If you get these, make sure you tell them you've been in the cave - I got a dollar discount.
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: cmosu on June 04, 2014, 02:05:29 PM
Does anybody have a link to a photo of the cabin or the Maggie At The Well painting? I've searched for a while and haven't found anything. Any help is appreciated.
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: rubedugans on June 04, 2014, 02:08:50 PM
I have scans of postcards/ images in my office/ classroom, but with summer I won't be back there until August. If I happen to stop by I'll grab the external drive.
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: MoOzark on June 08, 2014, 09:41:36 PM
The only picture of “Maggie at the Well (or spring)” that I know of is the painting that was made to be used in The Shepherd of the Hills movie, produced by Harold Bell Wright’s motion picture company in 1919. The original painting is in the Branson Toy Museum, which also houses the Harold Bell Wright collection. This is the same collection that was at Mutton Hollow in the 1980s. After Norman Wright died, it was then housed at the Shepherd of the Hills Homestead for awhile. The following website has a photo of the Maggie painting on the wall with other HBW related paintings:
There is also a “Maggie” picture that is used at the Shepherd of the Hills play. I have never seen it close up. I assume it is a drawing that someone did just to be used in the play.
I have been trying to research the cabin that is in the HBW room of Marvel Cave. The cabin was originally in the Mammoth Room of Marvel Cave and was moved to the HBW Room. By-the way, I have never found any source stating that Mr. Wright ever actually spent the night in the cave. He did explore the cave with Charles Ross and mentioned it in a letter. My understanding was that it was just a day trip. HBW was supposed to have sculpted a bald knobber face/mask out of the cave clay and stuck it on the wall. I have a photo of that and it is online at the Harold Bell Wright website (see photo #32):
http://www.gchudleigh.com/marvelcavepc.htm
However, there is no proof that the mask in the photo is actually the one he made. One little secret about that sculpture (you won't find in print) is that it has been stolen and remade many times.
Title: Re: Cave Tour with Jack Herschend
Post by: Duelist on June 09, 2014, 01:43:50 PM