Along the River, January 1960
The Strawhatters perform in the little bandstand that used to be right on the river in Frontierland, and a respectable crowd has gathered to hear the jazz & dixieland tunes. For some reason I find the little dirt trails along the bank to be kind of interesting; obviously maintenance crews walked those areas enough to wear a path away.
I wonder if Tom Sawyer Island was closed? The rafts all seem to be out of commission. Injun Joe was probably seen skulking around with a knife in his hand! The Plantation House is out of the frame to our left, and the Columbia is in Fowler's Harbor as usual.
8 comments:
A cholera epidemic swept Tom Sawyer Island in early 1960 and the island was quarantined for much of January and February. Folks were scared, and river traffic slowed to a trickle.
Note the docked Columbia and no sign of the Mark Twain, the Indian War Canoes, or the Mike Fink Keelboats on the deserted river. Their absence bears mute testimony to the quiet desperation of that dark and terrible time.
Wow, Chuck, that explains why I have NO recollection of that deck area by the river - I must have had "the fever"!
Major, they were probably starting to get the river ready for Fantasmic!.
And to think that the people in 1960 would have no inkling how Disneyland would change into the park that it is today. Much simpler times back then. Not necessarily better. Just simpler and Disneyland was a lot less crowded back then too.
Nice pic of the bandstand. Is that bandstand in New Orleans Square? Near the outdoor restaurant or is it completely gone? I'm not sure.
I went with my family 2 weeks ago during the week. Boy it was crowded (Doesn't seem like people these days have to go to work)
Chuck, I don't believe that info has been declassified yet!
Connie, you probably have the fever for the flavor for a Pringles, just like me.
Progressland, their "Fantsmic!" consisted of a family of ducks swimming in formation.
OC Native, I often think that the simpler Disneyland looks better, but of course things have to change for newer generations. The bandstand is long gone, removed when N.O. Square was built.
And I've heard that Saturdays are often less crowded than weekdays, because everyone assumes they will be MORE crowded!
pretty pictures...i love the peaceful calm :-)
We used to go to Disneyland every October and Tom Sawyer's Island was always closed. They told us it was only open during the summer and on weekends. It was my late teens before we finally went during the summer and my brothers and I got to go out to the island and ride the canoes. I see a sweater on one person in the second photo, so maybe this was late in the season too.
Vaughn, I didn't know that they closed the island for such a length of time. Weird. These pictures are from January, so that would probably fall into the "off season" category.
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