The Beaver goes to Disneyland

“Leave it to Beaver” was a popular TV show of the 1950s, running from 1957 to 1963. During its original run, it never broke into the top 30 Nielsen ratings, but thanks to reruns, it became an even bigger hit. All I remember hearing about “Leave it to Beaver” was that my parents did not allow my older brothers to watch it, due to the character of Eddie Haskell (Ken Osmond), a wise-ass who has little respect for adults. They were afraid he might rub off on them. Jerry Mathers played the title character, and is shown here with his sister Susie at Disneyland’s Fort Wilderness. From the publicity caption:

MAPREADING BEAVER

ANAHEIM, CALIF.: As his sister Susie, 8, points helpfully, Jerry Mathers, 10, who stars as Beaver on ABC-TV’s program “Leave it to Beaver,” consults a map of Tom Sawyer’s Island at Disneyland, in Anaheim, California. Busy little star that he is, Jerry couldn’t resist taking time out for a tour of the famous Park. 1/21/59.



If you want a look at the brochure Jerry is reading, here you go:



…and the reverse side:



A color view of Fort Wilderness, from March 1959, right about the time Mathers made his visit:



A wide view of the area where Mathers was shot, October 1958:



Good thing Eddie Haskell wasn’t there; he probably would have told The Beav to jump! From July 1959, you can see kids loved to be up on “the balcony”:



In later years, Mathers and Tony Dow (who played his older brother, Wally) filmed a PSA at Disneyland City Hall encouraging people to register to vote:



See more Disneyland Fort Wilderness photos at my main website.

Frontierland Friday: Cascade Peak

When Disneyland first opened, the banks of the Rivers of America were positively barren. Dirt on both sides did not make for very interesting views. Tom Sawyer Island was a welcome addition on the left side; on the right, as you can see, there was nothing but a bank of dirt next to the Mark Twain dock. In the Spring of 1960, that would all change.



The following undated photos below show the initial construction for Cascade Peak (aka Three Sisters Falls), a 75' tall addition to the Park that was built to coincide with the nearby Nature’s Wonderland attraction upgrade.



The overhang you see in the detail shot below was built for the Nature’s Wonderland Mine Train to be able to pass through underneath the Peak’s thunderous waterfall.



This recently acquired undated image also shows the construction of the new “mountain.”





By October 1960, Cascade Peak had been entertaining guests for months.



The water added movement to the Park and much needed aeration to the river!



A November 1960 shot of the Mine Train about to enter the short tunnel underneath the falls:



The structure that formed Cascade Peak and its waterfalls was demolished in 1998 after it was found to be suffering structurally from the decades of water that flowed over it. This was during the era of cheap, when Paul Pressler was the President of Disneyland. Deferred maintenance contributed to the demise of this beautiful structure, while the cost-slashing of Pressler was the final death knell. The shot below is from 1994, just four years before the peak was removed.



This April 2012 shows the empty bank. With the growth of the trees in this section of the Park, the 75' peak would have been difficult to view anymore. 



See more Disneyland Cascade Peak photos at my main website.

Macabre Monday

In this September 1969 image, a father with just my type of humor is shown in an open grave on Tom Sawyer Island. The daughter looks appropriately melancholy. “Oh, Dad! Do we have to jump in the grave?” This is new to me; I don’t recall ever seeing an open grave that guests could pose inside of. The earliest shot in my collection of the “Unknown Guest” marker is from February 2006. By this time, the marker has been smoothed over and the area is not deep enough to climb into. If I had to guess, the year probably changed annually and this was once a picture spot. Probably not sponsored by Kodak though.



Little old me posing outside of the fence in 2006. Always following rules! Any other readers recall this vintage picture spot?



See more Disneyland Tom Sawyer Island photos at my main website.

TGIFort Wilderness!

It’s been awhile since we’ve visited Fort Wilderness at Daveland, so what better day than TGIFort Wilderness Day? Although a version (and that’s the kindest word I can think of) still exists on Tom Sawyer’s Island, the original was a vibrant structure that guests of all ages could explore and run rampant through. First shot is from October 1958. In the closeup below you can see the perfectly themed hand-done signage.



These three lads from June 1962 seem to be having a blast at the Fort.



The entrance, circa September 1963



How about this vintage purse? The design doesn’t ring a bell here, but it looks like some kind of referee. It appears that it might say “Varsity Tote.”



In the woman’s hand, she is holding a Park Brochure with a Tom Sawyer Island brochure sandwiched inside. The portion sticking out shows Tom and Huck’s Tree House.



The supporting evidence:



More from this family’s September 1963 visit to the Fort:



An example of Walt Disney’s beloved Edu-tainment:



The costumed cast member in this September 1969 looks like he just walked off the set of the 1965-67 sitcom “F Troop.”



An interior shot from the same batch:



On the left you have the Union Soldier, on the right, you have an actual member of the military, enjoying a day of leave at the Fort.



A father and his kids:



Sister holds back brother, who probably wants to rip into that bag of Lays chips.



See more Disneyland Fort Wilderness photos at my main website.

Tom Sawyer Island: back when it was fun!

Before the attorneys, termites, and Jack Sparrow entered the picture, Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland used to be a lot of fun! The exploration possibilities seemed endless to little kids who had a blast riding a raft over to the Island and then were turned loose like little savage beasts. Remember the Treehouse? Yes, you could actually climb to the top! Uh oh…look at how tall that is. Some little varmint might fall off. Better shut that down!





A closer view:



One of the most tragic losses of the Island is Fort Wilderness, as seen from the Rivers of America:



The entrance:



Yes, at one point, it actually looked like a Fort AND you could go inside, run around, and go through secret passages!



What can I say besides “sigh”?

See more vintage and semi-contemporary Tom Sawyer Island photos at my main website.

Fort Friday

Friday is Fort Day, or at least at Daveland! Enjoy a rare inside view of Disneyland’s Fort Wilderness, which once was a place of exploration. Image one is from June 20, 1956, about one month after the Fort first opened. Look at that family; I’d say they were satisfied with their visit and rated the Fort 2 thumbs up for fun!



An early 1956 inside view of the Fort:



This one was shot from the Columbia as it navigated the waters of the Rivers of America:



Zooming in to the party about to enter the Fort:



An undated 1950s exterior shot; note the Mark Twain smoke-stack on the right side of the shot:



A little groundskeeping work being done in this 1957 image; it takes a lot of work to look this rustic!



A 1957 interior shot:



1957:



...and of course a detailed view of the dock and entrance area:



From March 1957; looks like some additional trees are awaiting to be planted.



April 1958:



Also 1958:



The Fort closed in 2003 and has not been reopened to the public since. A variation of the Fort (which looks like something from Home Depot) still exists, but is just a shadow of its former glory.



See more Disneyland Fort Wilderness photos at my main website.