Oregon or Bust!

That was the slogan on the side of the Conestoga Wagons that were once an attraction in Frontierland at Disneyland. This 1956 shot shows the blue wagon riding along the trail with a Stagecoach right in front of it and the Mark Twain in the background.

It would appear that there were two wagons, as my collection has shots of both a blue and a red/rust colored wagon. This shot is from April 1958.

This July 1959 shot shows the slogan “Westward Ho.” Does this signify a third wagon in the fleet, or just a different covering that was exchanged for the other one? Another mystery waiting to be solved.

Hoping our friends in Oregon are ok with all the wildfires going on these days.

See more Disneyland Conestoga Wagon photos at my main website.

Public Transit: The Frontierland Way

Main Street wasn't the only area that had a fleet of vehicles for guests to enjoy. Frontierland had its fair share of fun on wheels, too. Running until approximately 1960, the Stagecoaches and Conestoga Wagons gave guests a taste of what it was like to get around in the old West, back when the "roads" weren't exactly smooth. Note the "Oregon or Bust" on the Wagon shown in this 1950's image. Apparently, the original phrase was "Pike's Peak or bust!", which referred to the 1850's Colorado Gold Rush. Later, the phrase was adapted to basically be a catch-all to signify that you would do whatever it took to get where you were planning to go.

This 1958 shot shows the Stagecoach riding through what is now the Big Thunder Mountain attraction area. Hard to believe that Frontierland ever looked so "rough" or undeveloped as it does in this photo.



One more (slightly obstructed) view of the Stagecoach, dating from about 1956 or 1957:



If you want to ride a Stagecoach, you can always head over to Knott's Berry Farm where the Wells Fargo Stage Lines still take guests around the park:



How about you — do you miss these slightly rough and tumble modes of transportation?

See more vintage Disneyland Stagecoach & Conestoga Wagon photos on my Stagecoach web page.