fire in the hole question

[Old Guy]

As I understand it Marmaros was a ghost town when the Baldknobbers burned it. They did not want the Lynches moving into the area and the tourists that would follow. Didn't stop them though and the locals quickly changed their minds.

[Copper]

Old Guy, that is how I understand it too.

Found this a few years ago in the SDC Archives.

Marmaros:

Marmaros grew out of a mining settlement built by the incorporators of the Marble Cave Mining and Manufacturing Company. At first an attempt was made to mine lead ore from this cave, but there was not enough lead ore in the cave to make it worthwhile. Then the group of eight business men seven from Lamar, and one from Milford attempted to mine marble from the cave, but it is blighted with imbedded streaks of flint, making it useless.

Then it was learned that the country's largest colony of bats made its home here. The bat droppings were sold for $700 a ton. It was hauled out of the cave on one of the first cave railways and processed into a rich fertilizer in Arkansas. Marmaros thrived as the bat dung capital of the state. It was platted and incorporated about 1881, and became a trade center in the Ozarks wilderness. But the economy of Marmaros was based on only one industry.

Later a Dr. Lynch bought the cave, sight unseen to hunt prehistoric bones. He failed to find the bones in the quantities he had hoped for. Finally, his two daughters came to Stone County to take care of him and his cave. The two sisters showed the cave, providing coveralls for tourists, until 1946. Sometime before that they had changed the name from Marble Cave to Marvel Cave.

A fire in 1894, spelled disaster. A half hearted attempt was made to rebuild the town, but its reason for existence was gone. The guano entrepreneurs decided there wasn't enough of it left to make rebuilding worthwhile.

The post mistress moved her office to a new site near present Kimberling City. A number of Marmaros residents followed. A few die hards stayed on at the old town, but about the only thing left was the pottery works, and after a time it too closed down.

For a time maps of the state showed two towns in Stone County named Marmaros. Eventually the two towns returned to the wilderness.

This is the present site of Silver Dollar City. The parking lot was once the Marmaros school play ground.

[sdcforever]

^That's interesting!  I knew most of that already, but it's good to have a refresher.  I didn't know about the parking lot being the school playground.  I wonder which parking lot it refers to?  The one that used to be where Main St. is now, or a present-day parking lot?

[Copper]

This is from the 1960s, so I would say the parking on Main Street.

[sdcforever]

This is from the 1960s, so I would say the parking on Main Street.

Cool.  Thanks!  I'll never think of Main St. the same way again.

[Baldknobber]

First off....1st post here!!!
New to the boards and am I glad I found it!!!
I have always loved what Silver Dollar City is/was all about. I used to go 6 times a year growing up (in Kansas City).

Anyway.....since the topic is on Fire in the Hole, I wonder if any of you remember when, right after the collapse of the bridge and you took that dip up and around, you actually came to where it looked like the track was gone? Now I haven't been there in about 5 years (since I am in Florida now), but the way it went to is right after the dip, there is now a stagecoach on the left side with some weird spiders web on the right side?? It used to be that the "track" was lit up and all twisted and you were going to go straight over it and crash below, but because the wheels sat a bit further back in the front car, you would suddenly be jerked around it and all was well until you got to the train ahead...

I never understood the spiders web thing...

Anyway....anyone remember that part of the ride??

Brian

[Copper]

I don’t personally remember I was a baby when they changed the ride in 1982-83, but I have walked in the areas that the scenes used to exist.

The space is huge. After the first dip (Collapsing Bridge) you turned right. I don’t know what the scenes looked like in this area; nothing remains except a huge open space. After that space the track was back by the collapsing bridge, but then went left. That is where the curved track was (actually some of it still is there). The curved track was located above the burning cabin (area where the moon and stars are). After a left hand turn the cars were in front of the train tunnel.

I will get some pictures!

[sdcforever]

^Cool!  Can't wait for the pictures, Copper!   I'm also too young to have ridden the ride before they changed it.

[Swoosh]

I remember back when I was little that there was a longer approach to the train tunnel.  Shoot I couldn't have been more than 4 at the time.  I think that they should go back and make it longer again.  Especially the next time they go through and do some TLC touch ups

[Copper]

I get told I’m wining by the M&C guys when I suggest making it longer. I do however hope some of the scenes can improve. They are tired looking

[Old Guy]

The missing section of track started where the burning bridge is now. (the Kinney bridge is named for the then park director) prior to that the car looped around an area of mini vocano like sand gysers that never made any sense to me. the car then gave a lurch and you dropped to the right into the Baldknober caves. They were baracaded behind crates and wagons and shot at you as you went by. A right turn took you down a short tunnel to the broken bridge where you swung to the right skirting the edge of the cliff before you turned left into the train tunnel as it is today.

[firstyear1967]

I was eight years old the first time I rode Fire in the Hole.  The approach to the train was a great deal longer and really made you feel you were about to be run over by a train.  The ride has made several changes over the years as has the park.

[Swoosh]

The missing section of track started where the burning bridge is now. (the Kinney bridge is named for the then park director) prior to that the car looped around an area of mini vocano like sand gysers that never made any sense to me. the car then gave a lurch and you dropped to the right into the Baldknober caves. They were baracaded behind crates and wagons and shot at you as you went by. A right turn took you down a short tunnel to the broken bridge where you swung to the right skirting the edge of the cliff before you turned left into the train tunnel as it is today.

When did this go away?  Because I can vividly remember this from when I was a little guy riding it the first time. 

[Old Guy]

early 80's sometime

[Swoosh]

I swear it was still there in '85 or even later.
Any idea why that section was removed?