SDCFans - The Unofficial Fan Site For Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City & Celebration City Discussion => SDC Memories/ Park History => Topic started by: Andymeets1880s on September 28, 2010, 08:12:56 AM
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I thought you all might get a bang out of a bio of Alf Bolin that is in a book called "Branded As Rebels" by Donald Hale and Joanne Eakin. They were and are (Don passed away) historians of Jackson County, MO. and border war/Quantrill researchers. They wrote this book compiled of bushwhackers, guerrillas, rebels, Confederates and so on. Here is the Bolin entry:
ALF BOLIN: A noted bushwhacker and rebel guerrilla who led a band of desperate men against the Federals and Union inhabitants along the Missouri/Arkansas border. He boasted of having killed 40 Union men. He was killed at the home of Myrtle Richards, wife of Jim Richards, who was one of Bolin's men, near Forsyth at Murder Rocks in Taney County, Missouri on February 1, 1863 by Private Zack Thomas, an Iowa soldier dressed as a rebel. A large reward had been offered for his capture. At this time, Bolin was on his own with several men. He was born in Stone County, Missouri near the present Ponce de Leon in December 1842. He joined Captain Sam Hildebrand in the Civil War. Bolin's head was cut off and later eaten by wild hogs. His body was buried near the Richard's home.
Source: "Borderland Rebellion" by Elmo Ingenthron, Branson, Missouri 1980
I though that was interesting! So you might ask him during the next train robbery how he got his head back?! :o
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I read an interesting account of Alf Bowlin in Lucille Morris Upton's book from the 1940's called "Baldknobbers." In real life, ole Alf was a mean SOB. He probably got what he deserved. I remember in the early 80's somebody came up with a festival in Forsyth, MO that was called "Alf Bowlin Day." The locals went nuts...they protested and hated the idea of memorializing Alf. The day was held, but it turned into more of a day celebrating his death, with a mock funeral. A second "Alf Bowlin Day" never occured! There were still too many folks in Forsyth who had grandparents or great grandparents who told them horrible stories about Alf and his bushwacker gang, and the public reception for "Alf Bowlin Day" was icy, at best!
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ALF BOLIN’S BURIED TREASURE
http://thelibrary.springfield.missouri.org/lochist/periodicals/wrv/v5/n6/w74a.html
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The story I've always heard was that they put Bolin's head on a pike in either Forsyth or Ozark, and the locals came out to throw rocks at it.
T.
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Interesting.. I just didnt know.. ::)
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With that kind of history, I am a little surprised that SDC uses the name.. ??? ???
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With that kind of history, I am a little surprised that SDC uses the name.. ??? ???
I would daresay few people riding the train have any idea who Alf Bolin was in regards to Civil War history.
T.
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I had no idea Alf Bolin was a real person until now.
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Alf Yes, Ralph No from what I understand.
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Here's an article with photos of the aforementioned "Alf Bolin Days":
http://thelibrary.org/lochist/periodicals/bittersweet/sp83b.htm
Interesting venue for a wedding, I must say. ::)
T.
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With that kind of history, I am a little surprised that SDC uses the name.. ??? ???
When I first learned about the real "Alf Bolin", I thought the same thing. But the more I think about it, it's kinda poetic justice. Could there be any more of a humiliating fate for a man such as Alf, than to be portrayed as a bumbling idiot in front of hundreds of thousands of people every year? It wouldn't suprise me if hell had a video screen set up for him and he had to watch "Alfie and Ralfie" for eternity.
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I almost always wore a civil war keppi when I was robbing, and always wore 1860's leathers