Messages

31

SDC Memories/ Park History / Re: SDC Memories

« on: April 29, 2015, 01:37:09 PM »

I’ve heard that back in the late 50s and early 60s, Disneyland used throw away signs and props and they didn’t think they had any value. Now, they have an extensive archive of things. They have at least one movie poster from every film Disney ever released. Many of the individual posters are worth tens of thousands of dollars. I’ve always wondered why they have never built a major museum to display some of the stuff. A few items are in a small museum focused on the life of Walt Disney. It is at Disney Studios. But they DO have much more that is never seen by anyone but the curators.

Recently, I actually discussed my idea for a SDC museum with one of the owners. I said it would be great to have a museum that not only told the story of Silver Dollar City but would also have exhibits on Ozark culture and area history. I suggested having areas dedicated to SDC rides of the past. For example: it would be absolutely amazing to have one of the pods from Rube Dugan’s, in a place where folks could actually walk through it. Maybe it could even run the old ride video on the screen. If no pods have survived, surely a reasonable facsimile could be constructed. However, as I was going on-and-on with my wild ideas, he stopped me with a hand on my shoulder. He was smiling as he replied, “Well, I don’t think that most people who come to Silver Dollar City these days are as crazy about history as you and I are.”     

32

SDC Memories/ Park History / SDC Outpost

« on: April 02, 2015, 05:25:49 PM »

Does anyone remember the SDC Outposts? I can remember seeing one along I-44 at Leasburg, MO, in the early 1980s (I think?). I believe there were two of them. If so, I do not know where the other one was. I never did stop at one, so I don't know what they looked like on the inside. Does anyone have info, history, or photos of the Outpost? If I remember right, they didn't last long. Does anyone know why? (And I apologize if this has already been covered in another thread).

33

SDC Memories/ Park History / Re: SDC YouTube video 1960

« on: January 31, 2015, 07:34:41 PM »

I was browsing YouTube and came across some SDC videos I had never seen before (sorry if anyone else has already posted these). The first one is a real gem. It shows the old depot and train running in the opposite direction. So, it really is from 1962. Notice the train is only pulling one car. There are scene of the "Donkey Pack Train" which is one I had never seen any video of before. As I watched these, I kept expecting to see my 4 year old self in the crowd, but did not. It's almost like looking through a window in time. This is probably the closest we will come to have a time machine to go back to the beginnings of SDC. The video is very clear in all of these compared to some others we have seen.

Ozark Vacation 1962

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B16sV94nmeM


SDC 1962

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=epiWpV47Amk

Silver Dollar City in the 1970s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9DoqfmfGOI

34

Branson Talk / Re: Baldknobbers: Reality TV??

« on: January 02, 2015, 11:00:49 PM »

I saw it. If I had to choose one word to describe it, it would be "embarrassing." It was not spontaneous and seemed scripted. It was like watching a soap opera. I'm old enough to remember the first generation Baldknobbers and I am a little disappointed in this generations show. I would really like to see them succeed. So, I hope they know what they are doing with this reality show. It seems like a bit of a risk to me.

35

SDC Memories/ Park History / Re: What are the Annual Numbers for SDC and Branson?

« on: December 04, 2014, 09:34:28 PM »

It is considered proprietary information, but some rough estimates are often quoted publicly by the park.

SDC's attendance is over 2 million, I would estimate closer to 2.25 million, but that's speculative... 

Thanks. The rough estimate is what I am after and I'm not sure if I'll include that info in my project or not. I simply didn't want to quote any estimates that were completely wrong. And I certainly don't want to give out any company sensitive information. 

36

SDC Memories/ Park History / Re: Changes at SDC over the years

« on: December 04, 2014, 03:40:43 PM »

The original location of the Mountain Woodcarvers was in the area where Sullivan’s Mill is now. They had a fire there in the early 1960s that burned the old Newspaper Office, the original Tintype Photo shop, and the original Candle Shop.  I believe the mill building may have been damaged and partly reconstructed as it looks different from the first building.

The location of the later woodcarvers building and the present train depot was the parking lot for SDC at that time.  The first train depot was about 70 yards to the west of the present one.  Part of the old depot can be seen when riding the train, if you know were to look. There are lots of remnants of older places at SDC. I really need to photograph some of those places before they are gone forever. 

37

SDC Memories/ Park History / What are the Annual Numbers for SDC and Branson?

« on: December 04, 2014, 03:20:45 PM »

I've been doing some research for a project I'm working on and I'm having trouble coming up with current statistics. I have found info on the internet but everything I have found doesn't seem right or it is old information. And I hope I'm not asking for SDC proprietary information--just tell if it is.  Does anyone know:

...1) The approximate number of visitors to SDC each year? (I believe this would be in the order of 2 million+ per year).
...2) I would like to know the total number of different visitors to SDC. 
...3) Also the total number of gate entries, which would count many people more than once as they go there multiple times per year.
...4) How many visitors come to Branson each year? (I believe this number was in the order of 5 million+ in the 1990s. Has it gone down now?)

38

SDC Memories/ Park History / Re: POLL: Which extinct attraction would you most like to see return?

« on: November 23, 2014, 05:01:03 PM »

I would really like to see the Float Trip come back in a new form. The Magic Kingdom did an amazing job with the theme on the Splash Mountain ride. SDC could do something similar that combines the log-flume ride of American Plunge with the Ozark Float Trip theme. It would be totally awesome if they could recreate the Float Trip whirlpool with a giant whirlpool that you spin around on and then actually get sucked through the vortex. Then you would end up in an underground river that looks like you are floating through Marvel Cave. Then you would emerge from a cave opening on a bluff and go directly over a waterfall. Something like that could be done with a hybrid water coaster. It would be a combination Ozark theme, coaster, water-flume, thrill, and dark ride that is even more cutting edge than anything Disney has got.

39

General Silver Dollar City Talk / Re: YOU can change 1 thing at SDC. No $ limits....1 thing.

« on: September 23, 2014, 09:25:43 AM »

Well, you-all may think this is kind’a of the wall but what I would change is the Hospitality House and I’ll start with a story. Once I was at SDC and a man, with his wife and small child came up to me. He looked somewhat confused and he said, “Sir, Could you tell me where the exit is to this park? We have been wondering around here for a long time and I can’t find the place where we came in.”

Wow, that is an odd question.  Then it dawned on me that for a first time visitor it could be really confusing. So, I asked the man, “Do you remember coming through a building that looked like a large gift shop?” Then he remembered it.

Another thing I have noticed about the Hospitality House is that it seems to be a bottleneck—especially when it rains and people tend to pile up at the entrance and exit. Every other theme park I have been to has had a very large, obvious, open air place of entrance and exit. I would hate to suggest tearing down the Hospitality House. However, it would seem more practical to simply have a wide walkway, lined by a rail fence, leading all the way into the park.

The Hospitality House was built before there was a SDC. It wasn't really designed for large crowds moving through from both directions. I believe it would be more practical to open it up through the middle and widen the path. I would like to see a new entrance building for Marvel Cave that has a larger waiting area. It should also house a small museum about the cave. The front of this building could have large signs letting people know that this is a real, fantastic cave tour.

Then the other side of the Hospitality House could be left in place with Marvel Cave souvenirs. (But now I’m thinking it might be confusing to the first time cave tour visitors who end up in a different building than they started it.)

40

Branson Talk / Re: The Branson I Remember

« on: September 17, 2014, 10:16:03 AM »

Thanks for the memories, Junior. I have lots of fond memories of the float trip and I know for a fact that the ride features didn't always work right—especially when the ride first opened. I've heard stories about people being nearly washed out of the boat when that big spout of water, at the very end, would turn on at the wrong time.

I also love those old postcards of the Ozark hillbilly family. Those photos were produced by an actual family that lived in the Branson area but I can’t recall their name at the moment. And of course the photos of Rube Dugan Diving Bell are wonderful. I’ve always wondered where did the name “Dugan” come from? Is that an actual surname of a family in the area or was it just made up? I also wonder if any pieces of the ride have been preserved. Does Ed Tolts Submersible still exist somewhere? Did any of the diving bells survive? It would be amazing if the ride could be recreated or even if part of it could be displayed at an SDC museum someday.

41

Construction/Rumors / Re: Lake Silver

« on: September 04, 2014, 11:53:50 AM »

I still haven’t found my marvel cave pond post card but here is one just like it that sold on eBay for $41.00. I believe this PC was produced by Edna Waltz of Branson in the 1910s. She didn't make very many different postcards and they are scarce today. It is hard to tell how big it originally was from the photo. Most sinkhole ponds like this usually have more water during Spring when there is lots of rain. They often go dry by late summer. I don’t know if this one held water year round or not.  However, I believe this pond was a major recharge source for Marvel Cave.

42

Branson Talk / Re: Sign near Jesse James Motel? 1960's

« on: August 24, 2014, 01:36:37 AM »

What is the title of the book? What page?

43

Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC Classics Revitalization

« on: August 22, 2014, 06:27:40 PM »

The Stone County Home Guard? They are also linked to another well-known local legend of "Dead Man's" Pond (known officially as Yocum Pond) just outside of Reeds Spring. Vance Randolph has the best-known documentation of that particular ghost story.

Yes, according to the source it was the Stone County Home Guard. However, it did not identify the specific Regiment and Company. There is also another story associated with this about the bushwhacker's wife (or sister) returning about 20 years later to claim the body. Apparently no remains were ever found and there was this theory that the bones had been dissolved by chemicals in the bat guano. In another version of the story, it was Belle Starr that came for the body. So there are several things to be sorted out to get the real story on this.

44

Construction/Rumors / Re: SDC Classics Revitalization

« on: August 21, 2014, 12:14:11 PM »

I find this discussion quite interesting because I am currently writing a history of the Marvel Cave area of Stone County, Missouri. It is sort of a history of the area before it was Silver Dollar City. One goal I have for this book is to track down the origins of the folk tales and determine if they are based on any actual history. I am finding that many of the stories do have a basis in fact but have been twisted with the retelling. It seems that everyone who writes the history only researches what others have recently written. Like whispering a story in the ear of one person who in turn whispers into the ear of another, the story is continually changing.

Part of the problem with these stories is that it is often HARD to determine what the REAL STORY is. It is difficult to separate the myth from history. The reason for this is often the lack of documentation. Not many towns in SW Missouri had a newspaper in the 1880s. One that did was Galena. However, no issues of the newspaper from that era have survived to this day. With great persistence I have been able to find a few gems of history in some very rare books and an occasional newspaper article in an out of town newspaper.

The story of the man thrown into the cave by the Bald Knobbers is based on fact, but the real story is a bit different. The incident had nothing to do with the Bald Knobbers and was before the Bald Knobber era. It happened in 1865 at the end of the Civil War. An accused bushwhacker is said to have been thrown into the Devil’s Den (now Marvel Cave) by a “home guard” unit of the Union Army.

One story that I have NOT found a source for yet is the one about the Bald Knobbers burning the town of Marmaros. I suspect that a common forest fire may be the culprit but the research goes on. There was a large forest fire in the area about the same time that the cave was sold to Mr. Lynch. If anyone knows of any historical source for the burning of the town, please post it here.

45

Construction/Rumors / Re: Your 5 Year Plan for SDC

« on: August 08, 2014, 10:58:09 PM »

Silver Dollar City Five Year Plan

2016

White River Heritage Center – A new SDC visitor center and museum with exhibits about the Native Americans of the region, the pioneers or the Ozarks, Marvel Cave history, Harold Bell Wright and the Shepherd of the Hills, and Stone County history. It will also have a complete wing showing the history of Silver Dollar City with an exhibit of early SDC signs and art, collections of SDC souvenirs, the Beverly Hillbillies, and walk-through replicas of rides, such as Rube Dugan’s Diving Bell. 

SDC Book Monger – A return of the book store with a greatly expanded selection of books about the Ozarks. Also, an antiquarian book section with first editions, autographed books, special bindings, Ozark photos and postcards for the discriminating collector.  Visitors will be given bookmarks with the SDC book website so they can order something they wish they had gotten when they were there. 


2017

Rube Dugan’s Flyin’ Contraption – A flight simulation ride similar to Epcot’s Soarin’. Silver Dollar City’s most famous inventor, Rube Dugan, has invented an amazing flying machine and he is looking for a few volunteers to accompany him on the maiden flight.

Men and Women’s Finery – Since men and women shopped for clothes in separate stores in the 1880s, there is a Men’s Clothing Emporium and Women’s Fine Millinery (however the stores will have connections on the inside). There is clothing for anyone wanting to be a historical re-enactor for the 1880s, a steam-punk freak, or just look cool. There will be jewelry, gloves, and shoes in the front. In the back is clothing for what ever you want to be: soldier, cowboy, outlaw, miner, lumberjack, undertaker, railroad baron, prairie housewife, saloon girl, sexy schoolmarm, or what ever. 

Steam Punk Emporium – Every steam punk accessory you can image.


2018

Aunt Mollies Boarding House – Aunt Mollie has opened a brand new boarding house in SDC. The rooms are all full, rented out to miners and railroad workers but there are plenty of tables in the dining hall. This new restaurant is the finest eatin’ place in the city. This is not a stand-in-line, fast food joint. It is a fancy, upscale, sit-down and get-waited-on place for the folks who have a little more time and want a high quality supper. And the menu will make your mouth water. You can choose between many fancy vittles, such as, fried chicken, steaks, shrimp, fried oysters, catfish, roast opossum (in season of course),   sandwiches, salads, and no-tellin’ what else. There will be real silverware (at least silver-plate) and cloth napkins that you will be instructed to tie around your neck.

2019

Duganville – A brand new sister city. Duganville is a rough-and-tumble sawmill town. You can get there by riding the train and getting off at the new Duganville Depot, or you can walk down the Duganville nature trail which is a short walk through the quiet woods.

Lumber Jack Competition – Several times a day in Duganville, the lumberjacks come out to see who is the best at choppin’, tree climbin’, cross-cut saw, log skidding with oxen and mules, a steam tractor race, and log rolling in the mill pond. It usually ends up in disagreement, then the fists go up and their might be a little gun play. The sheriff usually has to get involved.

2020

The Old Dark House – There is a creepy old house on the hill in Duganville. The townsfolk are afraid to go in there. So, they are looking for a few brave volunteers to check it out for them. It is a continuous loading ride where visitors sit in wagons that mysteriously drive themselves through the house. It is dark and creepy but no blood, gore, demons, or anything satanic.