SDC "Citizens" of the past...and present!

[rubedugans]

It was from a festival, and you did have it right that it is the stage outside the Hospitality House.

[Zephon]

I believe the band in that picture is Ummy and the Goodtimers, but don't quote me.

Junior, you may be a bit premature in promoting DA to entertainment director.  As of now, he is still just a supervisor, although what he does in putting together the Bluegrass & BBQ and Gospel festivals is fantastic.

[Junior]

Thanks for the correction, Zephon! Just seems like ole DA has been around so long he ought to be a director by now!

[sanddunerider]

more neat info!

[ozarkdrb]

Howdy all!
That was definitely "Umy and the Goodtimers" and they were guests many times during the music fest and other times at SDC. The gent in the wheelchair played with them for years and years and they had a coupla ladies that danced and sang also. Pulled HUGE crowds! I do mean HUGE!
The old classic originator of the Rainmaker was a man by the name of Rex Matzenbacher who goes way-back as SDC family entertainer! Also known as "Snake" as he raised and demonstrated poisonous snakes! I was very impressed by his ability to let Rattlers run around and not get bit.  The other unidentified Rainmaker is Jim Waddell!
I was Pa MCCoy a lot in those days and I have NO idea why I was not in the shot of the street crew. Perhaps I was off, perhaps I actually took that pic! Who knows...
That was DA Calloway with that dern pig. Not a great critter to deal with as he and I had to trim its tusks. Pretty tough gig!

[History Buff]

Glad you're contributing to the site, Pa!  Please give us as many of your memories as you can download from the noggin.

[sanddunerider]

yes, please...  it amazes some of the detailed info you guys come up with.

[Junior]

Ozarkdrb, hope to read more from you here. Welcome! Junior says "howdy!"

[rubedugans]

Thanks for the details on my photos ozark drb...more to come, I just might have you as Pa, so stay tuned!

[ozarkdrb]

Thanks all for the warm welcome! I was blessed with a great memory for details and names for some reason and it is useful occassionally.
I do have a bunch O' pics that I need to start scanning and categorizing from the Fun days and i hope to be able to do that sooner rather than later.
There were days/times when myself and Milnes and James B. McFerron and Terry Wayne Sanders and other associated dudes were issued guns and blanks and just basically set loose! That's as fun as it gets in this world, folks! I even wrote a short book on how to care for all those weapons. We have literally a dozen assorted handguns and probably 5 shotguns to keep working and I soon found I was not a bad Colt "mechanic." I was raised hunting and shooting and the knowledge paid-off! Some time I will write about shootig the cannon and mortars every night to signla close of park. Now THAT was fun! There are probably a lot of little orange fruit juice sippers still in the woods beyond the church and just short of TableRock Lake! (enuff said!!!)
Ozarkdrb

[Junior]

Ozarkdrb, you will have to post a photo of  yourself "back in the day" so I can figure out who  you are! It's possible we worked together directly or indirectly. Most of my time was spent at the diving bell, but I moonlighted elsewhere on park when needed. Check out my Flickr site under the FLASHBACK series under park history and you may figure out pretty quickly who I am. Lots of photos and other items from my personel files of my time on park are posted.

[Gary Clarkson]

You are wrong about people not being able to ride their horse into Gary's shoein shed and git their horses shod. People did it all the time, from 1976 to 1984.Gary shod anybody's horse for anybody that wanted a horse shod. he shod horses for 5 bucks a head, the cost of his materials only.. Ask anybody who knowed anything about the mules and horses at  SDC, they will tell you the truth. Gary even shod one of Wayne Newton's bronc Arabian Horses at his shoein shed. He made horsehoes like Shad Heller did too. Gary starred in a horseshoein film by Encyclopedia Britannicia, shot at at Shad's blacksmith shop. He shod the Mules of SDC with rubber horseshoes so they would not slip on slick city hillside streets. Freckles Brown, world champion cowboy visited his shop and watched him work. Gary played the Marshall in the Burl Ives America TV Special about Rube Dugan's Diving Bell. Gary also played in the IMAX movie, Ozarks,Legacy & Legends movie shot at SDC and other local locations.Gary first started working at SDC in 1959, one year before the park even opened. Gary also was one of the pioneer leading actors in the Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Pagaent. He pioneered the legendary role of mean Wash Gibbs, the leader of the Baldknobbers.Gary is also known as the Walking Ambassador of the Ozarks. He walked across the state of Missouri to advertise Branson Plum Nellie Days. Gary is a true blue Ozarks Native Born,well educated Famous  Ozark Mountain Hillbilly.

[rubedugans]

Welcome to the site Gary!You do seem to know a lot about the former farrier from SDC! I see your username, is there any relation? I was too young to remember seeing Gary (Clarkson) but I have seen the Burl Ives film, as well as I have some photos from the late 70's/ early 80's of Gary at work.

Here is another article that mentions Gary written by Pat Talburt the former director of merchandising at Silver Dollar City: http://thelibrary.org/lochist/periodicals/wrv/v34/n3/w95d.html

[Junior]

Hey there...you DO KNOW A LOT ABOUT GARY! I didn't know he was the sheriff in the Burl Ives' America show, either! Thanks for the info. And if you are a former SDC "citizen" or a relative of Gary, or Gary himself...you have got to take an active part on this Website as your knowledge for the old days at the park is very welcome here!

[sanddunerider]

Yes,  welcome Gary!