Black & White Gems from 1959, Pt. 3

It's the big finish of my December 1959 collection, with today's post focusing on Frontierland. Our photographer of yesteryear had the good sense to capture the Slue Foot Sue sign outside of the Horseshoe.



While visiting the park, he/she apparently took a trip on the Mark Twain around the Rivers of America. I am able to deduce this because the following photos show what he saw, beginning with the Columbia being docked at Fowler's Harbor.



Zooming in, you can see another amateur photographer on the left-hand side of the photo. As always, I wonder what happened to that shot?



As the Twain passed the real Indian Village, guests could see the entrance and ticket booth, as well as the faux/taxidermied buffalo/bison (I never remember which one it is).



An almost unrecognizable unadorned Castle Rock. As the saying goes, sometimes less is more.



Even in black and white, the Burning Cabin is a memorable image:



The photograph was clear enough to handle a zoom-in, so that we can get a better look at the drunken/dead settler:



An intimidating group of Indian figures watch the guests on the Twain as they pass by.



And that's it for this group, readers! Well, except for one random bonus shot that came with the group, showing the Lawrence Welk band. I have no idea where this was taken, but it is also from December 1959.



All I can say is, "A wunnerful a wunnerful." If you are too young to know what that means, check out Lawrence Welk on youtube.

See more vintage & current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland web pages.

Castle Rock Construction

Two photos from 1956, shortly before Tom Sawyer's Island was open to the public. I especially like this view of Castle Rock under construction:



From the original brochure:

A fantastic group of rocks stretches along the ridge of the island…and in this primeval playground you can ride the Merry-go-round Rock…or see-saw on Teeter-Totter Rock. Climb the stone steps to the ramparts of romantic Castle Rock high above the river…descend the spiral steps to the depths of the Castle.

High adventure awaits you beneath Ambush Rock…Relive the days of the river pirates in the Pirate’s Den…follow the underground maze to The Dungeon of No Escape!

And the finished product:



Today, because of all the Pirate trappings and changes forced to make this "castle" safety-compliant, it is almost unrecognizable:



See more vintage Disneyland Tom Sawyer Island photos on my TSI web page.

The Thrill of Exploration

One of the things that helps keep us young is continuing to have a sense of exploration. Walt Disney understood this, and built his park around that concept, allowing guests to walk through the past and then experience the hope of the future. Tom Sawyer Island has undergone a number of transformations over the years (some for legal reasons, others for the love of all things Sparrow), but it still remains a living testament to our inner yearning of discovery. This is why I prefer to go to the park when the crowds are low; it is easier to imagine that I am the first one to see the treehouse perched high over the top of the island (shown here in this vintage 1950's photo).



Without the crowds, I can also take the time to imagine the back story to the Old Mill and why it has been abandoned.



The rickety-nature of the bridges on the island also contribute a bit of danger, adding a bit of a thrill as you traverse the shaking planks.



Castle Rock harkens back to the days of old when kids would build forts to ward off imaginary villains. Today, this would most likely be done on a Sony Playstation.



The ultimate area of exploration on Tom Sawyer Island was Fort Wilderness. Sadly, this area has not survived the years, and only exists as a restroom tacked onto the exterior of the reworked structure.



So much of our imagination is spoon-fed to us today with video games and other technically impressive sources of media. Personally, I prefer to be given a few tools and allowed to come up with a story myself. But that's just me...and as I get older, I feel more like the dinosaurs and old farts that I used to make fun of when I was young.

See more vintage and current Tom Sawyer Island photos on my Tom Sawyer Island web page.

1958/1959: B&W Duo

I would guess that these are from 1958/1959.

One thing I know is that these were taken during the summer. The patriotic bunting is always a dead giveaway to that fact.

I especially like this Tom Sawyer Island shot. If you can't figure out why, let me zoom in for you...



I'm a sucker for signage every time!



See more vintage and current Disneyland photos on my Disneyland web page.

Disneyland Guided Tour, Circa 1962: The Mark Twain

If you're joining this series mid-stream, welcome to my pairing of a 1962 Disneyland Tour Guide Script and era-appropriate photos to illustrate what the Disneyland Tour Guides were talking about. Today's journey starts out...

NEAR MARK TWAIN DOCK

Across the river you see Tom Sawyer's Island…a mother's paradise.



Here children may spend hours exploring old Fort Wilderness,...



rock caves and formations, suspension bridges and even go fishing.













This island may be reached by taking one of Tom's rafts embarking from Fowler's Harbor. While we are here on the riverfront, I would like to mention that there are almost two miles of waterways in Disneyland, of which this river is a part. There are 81 vessels in the Disneyland fleet—these include the vessels you see here plus those in Adventureland, Storybookland, The Motor Boat Cruise, and the Submarine Lagoon.

(If not on Mine Train)

We are next going to take a trip on the…Mark Twain/Columbia.

[note: depending on which ship was in the water, the Tour Guide was prepared either way]



Columbia…The Columbia is a three masted full-rigged sailing vessel. The ship has been copied after the original armed merchant vessel, Columbia, which we have already told you was the first United States' sailing vessel to circumnavigate the globe. This ship is 92' long and has a main mast of 84'.





Mark Twain…The Mark Twain is an authentic reproduction of the old Mark Twain paddle wheel steamer which operated on the Mississippi River. Powered by twin steam engines which operate the stern wheel, the Mark Twain is 108' long and has three decks.

On weekends and holidays the Young Men from New Orleans, an authentic Dixieland Jazz Band, play for your dancing and listening pleasure as you float down the river. Inside Slue Foot Sue's Golden Horseshoe is one of the most popular attractions in Disneyland. The show has something for everyone. Plenty of good music, lots of laughs, the Can Can Girls and even that famous character—Pecos Bill. The show is one of the entertainment highlights here in the Magic Kingdom and we know you'll enjoy yourself. You should be here at least 30 minutes before show time in order to find good seats for this free show presented by Pepsi-Cola. Show times are posted on the front porch.



And now, let's take a short cut through El Zocalo, the Mexican Market over to the little mining town of Rainbow Ridge.





To resume your vintage tour, come back tomorrow and meet us aboard The Nature's Wonderland attraction!



See more vintage and current Mark Twain photos on my Mark Twain page.

TPE: Tom Sawyer's Island

My last stop in ol' Frontierland is Tom Sawyer's Island. This vintage map should help you get the lay of the land:





Besides being a great place for exploration, the Island also had characters, such as Tom Sawyer himself:



This guy looks like he wandered off the set of "F-Troop"!



Becky Thatcher was on hand for opening day:





Even before the Swiss Family Robinson moved in, Disneyland had a treehouse:



This young lad from September 1958 is loving his birds-eye view from the treehouse:



In this August 1956 photo, the Matterhorn is absent from the background landscape:



Two vintage views of The Old Mill:





An August 1958 shot of the old fishing pier, back when you could catch fish:



Besides a lack of vibrant characters, today's Island is also missing authentically rustic signage:





I can feel my knees wobbling as I view these three photos of the suspension and pontoon bridges:







The first time I saw a photo of Castle Rock, I didn't even recognize it. It has been modified so much over the last few years that today it is almost unrecognizable. The teeter-totter rock is a thing of the past. Rocks are too dangerous nowadays!







Back when the Island had a real fort, open for exploration:



Come on in, the gates are open!





You can catch a glimpse of the cemetery through the open door:









The trashcan in this photo eventually found its way to Orlando's Fort Wilderness Campground:



The upper level of the Fort gave guests some great views, too:







I believe this barbed wire fence blocking the "Indian Territory" was also on the Island:



That concludes our vintage tour of Frontierland; come back again to see where my Time Machine takes us to next.

See more vintage & current Disneyland Tom Sawyer Island photos on my Tom Sawyer Island web page.