I should know more about this by now, but I have heard SDC referred to as supposed the rebuilding of Marmaros, which legend says was burned down by Baldknobbers (after it had already essentially been abandoned though). A lot of older SDC signage was big on referring to Marmaros. I think it's something that the PTB have let slip in favor of being more generic.
Also, there's this from wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marvel_Cave
According to Silver Dollar City park legend, a local group of vigilantes who later turned into outlaws called the Bald Knobbers were known for throwing people through the sinkhole into Devil's Den around the mid 19th century. Though it's likely that roving Bushwhackers and outlaws would've undoubtedly chosen to dispose of their victims through this sinkhole, the Bald Knobbers did not form until 1883 (starting-up in neighboring Taney County), were replaced by an unofficial chapter in 1886 within nearby Christian County, with unofficial chapters in other counties (including Stone County where the cave is located) later than that.
However, though there is no written evidence to substantiate it, it's possible that Stone County's unofficial Bald Knobbers used the cave for various uses sometime in 1889, between the time the mining operations ceased and late October of that year when it was purchased for sightseeing tours.
and on the same page:
Marmaros (Greek for Marble) was a small town that formed along with the Marble Cave Mining and Manufacturing Company in 1884. It was originally called Marble City. It was located on the rough hilltop near the cave and recorded a plat map at the courthouse in Galena, Missouri. Marmaros contained a hotel, general store, pottery shop, white oak furniture factory, and was rumored to have a saloon. The town turned into a ghost town in 1889 after the Marble Cave Mining, Co. closed. When the Lynches bought the cave, the town was burned to the ground by the local group of vigilantes known as the Bald Knobbers.
Interesting, because the hanging of the Christian County Bald Knobbers on the courthouse square in Ozark occurred in 1889; the Taney County Chapter had disbanded several years before. Of course, local legend frequently assigns such acts to others; witness how many towns in the South were destroyed by General Sherman, or how many beds General Washington slept in.
Given the nature of the two chapters, it's quite probable that the Bald Knobber name and legacy were taken by almost any group wanting to use it to their own ends.
It's still a great story, and like so many other legends, there is an element of truth. Truth be told, I've always wanted to bring the Bald Knobber mask my friend and I had made for our storytelling program years ago to SDC and put it on right before the car emerges from the last drop in FITH.