Hump Day on Tom Sawyer Island, September 1969

Welcome to Tom Sawyer Island, circa September 1969! Our first shot was taken aboard the Mark Twain and shows The Old Mill, the raft to the Island, and the Fishing Pier. Yes, you once were able to catch fish at Disneyland. Below, Apple-Skirt Girl is posing next to the Three Falls and steps to the Treehouse.



Not to be outdone, her brother poses for the same shot. Dad did a better job this time, capturing more of the Three Falls this time. Practice makes perfect!



The fam finally made it to the Treehouse.



A detail of the Tom + Becky carved detail, mentioned in a previous post:



Now you can see that Tom and Huck's Tree House was made from boxes that contained oderless (sp) feathers for pillow stuffing.



Dad handed the camera over to Mom for a shot by the Old Mill.



Just in case you wanted to read the sign and learn something. Edutainment.



Time to brave Injun Joe’s Cave! Who knows what dangers lurk inside those dark caverns?



Mom was not going to let go of the Tom Sawyer Island brochure. No way she was going to get lost on the Island. Nice ring, too! That must have set Dad back a pretty penny.



A rare interior shot of the caves. Thank goodness for flash bulbs!



Final one for today shows the fam (minus Dad who took the photo) on top of Teeter-Totter Rock:



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

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.