Another trip back in time to the period of 1970 through 1983 showing photos of the Butterfield Stagecoach Ride at SDC. In the early days, the stage depot was located adjacent to the treehouse, about where the old toy shop was...the toy shop became Christmas Hollow, and beginning in 2012, will be known as the new home to the woodcarvers. About the time FITH was built, the stage depot was moved to its present location, which is adjacent to the main building that Flossie's Fried Fancies is located. At first, the stage depot continued in it's original use. When the stagecoach rides ended about '81 or '82, the building was simply an atmoshere piece, with a couple of stagecoaches parked around it so families could get in them, kids could crawl around on them, and they were simple photo op spots. Later the log walls of the building were covered in siding and it was used as part of the fried fancies area, I think housing presently a potato on a stick operation. The old stagecoach trail that went from the depot across the old float trip channel to behind the float trip, waterfall and lumbercamp, came out where Powderkeg is now, and along the area up from FITH back to the depot. When FITH was built, the trail was altered and wound back around so that the coaches crossed back over the float trip channel and doubled back to the depot. The stagecoach was for anyone who wanted to ride it at first, then as capacity issues became a problem it became a kids ride only, until phased out about 81 or 82. If you want to see a SDC Butterfield Stagecoach, you now have to go to the Ralph Foster Museum at College of the Ozarks where one is on display. SDC has no more stagecoaches. That era has passed, and like the float trip and diving bell is a part of the romantic history of Silver Dollar City. To get more out of what you are seeing with the photos, click on them at the Flickr site to enlarge them, and read the full captions. Hope you enjoy:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/juniordugan
