The Wayback Machine

sanddunerider · January 07, 2011, 07:21:42 PM

those are some great shots.. I like the comparison photos.

DollarCityBoy · January 07, 2011, 07:49:56 PM

That really makes me sad, to see that beautiful waterfall, rocks, and foliage, just removed/covered up with wood.

Zephon · January 07, 2011, 11:07:49 PM

Quote from: Junior on January 06, 2011, 09:34:27 PM
Zephon, since you remember Noah, can you remember what years he worked there and what specific jobs he did? I seem to recall Noah and a partner had a big mobile "freak show" van that allegedly held the remains of "Bigfoot." They would take the van and park it in front of Wal-Marts during that time period of the mid-late '80's and charge an admission for people to tour it. Seems like that Noah stopped in Kennett, MO at the Wal-Mart there in that period of time. If I recall, Noah also worked at Shepherd of the Hills in the play. My memory is fuzzy about him, though.

Noah worked at the park in the early 80's for one, maybe two seasons. He was in the Musical Feud show in the Courthouse Theater and also an atmosphere character. And he did play Old Matt at the farm during that period as well as having a bit part in the miniseries "The Blue and the Gray". I rode down to Fayetteville for it's premier with him and his wife, Sybil. They were involved in some strange stuff, so the "freak show" van wouldn't surprise me. He was a former mercenary, and supposedly had ties to the CSA, a Christian militia group prominent at the time. He was a likable fellow, but kinda scary considering his past and what he was into.

Junior · January 07, 2011, 11:33:19 PM

Zephon, BINGO! You nailed it. He was one of the most "unique" individuals to pass through SDC during my time there.

rubedugans · January 07, 2011, 11:50:23 PM

I did a quick search and this is the first that came up on Noah...same guy?
" A backwoods preacher, Noah Fredericks, wrote a book titled, Pilgrim Ships, in which he claimed the people of the Old Testament came from outer space,etc etc etc..."(much more there if you would like to know more...search the name and the title)

That is a different perspective for sure! and not where I want to take the machine sooooo BACK TO THE PAST!

rubedugans · January 07, 2011, 11:52:34 PM

Not much has changed in a little over 30 yrs! I haven't had a chance to search for others, these are what were already scanned!

Andymeets1880s · January 07, 2011, 11:58:37 PM

Man, Rube...you're just on fire today! Those are great pics!

Float trip...Float trip...Float trip! (Cheering!)

Ozark Outlaw · January 08, 2011, 12:58:50 AM

Rube, I get a kick out of pictures that were taken ten, twenty, or even thirty years ago, and yet nothing has changed. In fact, recently I was comparing your older picture of the Silver Dollar City jail to my own current photograph, and I was amazed to find that each brick is still exactly the same.

Junior · January 08, 2011, 09:49:27 AM

Rube, don't know what it is you came up with regarding Noah...I knew him as Zephon remembered him. I know I saw him and a partner with a "bigfoot" truck at a Walmart somewhere...either Branson, Sikeston or Kennett Missouri in the mid to late 80s. Don't know what happened to him. If he was involved with the militant Christian group that Zephon says he was, and I really wouldn't doubt it...that place was located near Harrison, Arkansas in the early 80s and was surrounded with trenches and pillboxes, all set as if they were ready for the end of the world and they were going to war. Either the state or federal officials shut the place down and the property was sold off. Don't know what the heart of the sect was about, but it seems it was a cross between Christianity, Nazi ideas, and white power...which was "wack" to me even back then. Seems like some of the top officials of the group spent some time in prison, but it's been a few decades since I saw the news reports on TV.

---

Regarding the float trip mill picture, thanks! That's the way I remember it from the times I worked there.

Zephon · January 08, 2011, 10:19:27 AM

rube,
I don't know if it's the same Noah or not. I wouldn't put it past him to write such a book. I do know that he made a film called "Amazon Death Camps" (or something similar) years before he came to the City...I have seen that.

Junior,
The "tie" that I heard Noah had to the CSA was that he owned the land their camp was on, and I believe it was closer to the MO/AR border than Harrison. Googling "The Covenant, the Sword, and the Arm of the Lord" will yield a lot of information about what went down back then. The "raid" was on Apr. 19, 1985. On Apr. 15, four days earlier, Trooper Jimmy Linegar was killed by David Tate just south of Branson. Tate also had ties to the CSA. I remember that incident well because I lived just a few miles from where it occurred and had to go through road blocks on the way to and from work for several days. It made national headlines for days.

KBCraig · January 08, 2011, 01:28:44 PM

The CSA compound was near Elijah, MO, east of Lake Norfork.

rubedugans · January 08, 2011, 04:44:04 PM

MOVIN' ALONG!!!! You can see the float trip at the right of the photo

Junior · January 08, 2011, 05:34:32 PM

Ahhhh, much more pleasant thing to discuss here...thanks for another great shot, Rube!

Ozark Outlaw · January 08, 2011, 06:38:16 PM

Wow, I don't recognize this spot at all. I know it is nearby the current location of the American Plunge. What is in this spot today?

rubedugans · January 08, 2011, 08:10:40 PM

It is from the area that now is outside of Heartland Home Furnishings-near where the apple butter shop used to be. It is also near the grandstand that goes over the water/ Log Flume. This image is a view that is a bit obstructed now. Just picture a big drop on the right of the photo for the American Plunge.