Fowler's Harbor, 1950s
Today I have two vintage views of Fowler's Harbor - the place for all your steamboat needs. Need a new boiler? Fowler's Harbor has a huge selection to choose from, including the new "Steam-o 5000". You could stop for a good meal at Fowler's Inn while you were there, don't worry about that leaning building falling down. What are the odds? I recommend the bowl of random turtle bits. Crunchy and delicious. There's a flat barge (painted mostly blue) moored in the harbor, I wonder what it was used for? This was before the Dixieland at Disneyland river shows.
The first view was taken from the Mark Twain, but this one was taken from Tom's Treehouse on Tom Sawyer Island. It wouldn't be too long before the trees on that little peninsula would entirely block the view of Fowler's Harbor. We can also see people walking from the Indian Village, accessed via that rocky tunnel just above the buildings of the harbor. And to the left of that, there's the stair-step masonry entrance to the train tunnel. Is that a tent I see in the distance? Holidayland, perchance?
23 comments:
Major-
My vote's for Holidayland. (Or maybe it's the first Cirque du Soleil-!)
Thanks, Major.
We really get a nice sense of the crookedness of Fowler's Inn here. Love the leaning porch posts. The lack of direct sunlight makes the harbor scene look even more real and rundown.
"Steam-o 5000", huh? I'll stick with my "Foam-o 100" baking soda and vinegar engine, thank you. Although I could use a new rubber band for the "Twist-o-tron" propeller shaft.
Major, that 'tent' is Space Mountain version 1.0. They accidentally made it 5/8 scale, out of habit. They soon realized their mistake and used the "Molehill", as it became known, for storage. It would be another 20 years before Space Mountain 2.0 would be constructed.
Oh, and there's some more Disnesite rocks near the shore. They can hardly keep from floating up out of the water and drifting away in the breeze.
Thanks for the Harbor scenes, Major.
Fowlers Harbor is so perfectly created, right down to the crooked. It makes no sense that that blue barge is a blue barge. That could have been dolled up in some way. Perhaps there was some permit/law/etc. that stated that support watercraft MUST be painted blue. Marine laws are odd if you ask me, but I don't know enough about the whole marine thing to understand why a barge must be painted blue. I want to go IN to Fowlers Harbor and see what POSSIBLY could be in that building? Later it would be McDonalds Fries. Or that was next door I think in the other outhouses...out buildings. How horrified employees were that McDonalds was on property. Walt at that time was spinning in his grave, but come on people...everything was sponsored, so why wouldn't there be a monolithic American sponsor like McDonalds in there. When everyone was grasping their pearls in shock, the supervisors them "it's only Fries...not anything else"...which I thought was OK, .... just weird....this was past my tenure as I had moved onto other ventures, but my connections were rather close until the early 2000's when I started yet another career, and my Disneyland contacts would drift away. Don't they need big barges to float big stuff over to Tom Sawyer Island...yet to come? You can see a very top heavy Keel Boat there in the distance...really...it took how many years for one of those to take a tipsy? It could have been figured out...thanks for the hard facts this morning!
It’s not just that barge that’s out-of-theme - the boat tied up next to it has an outboard motor on the starboard side near the stern and the green “rowboat” just in front of Fowler’s Inn has a place to mount one on its stern. Interesting that the operational reality of those days didn’t always match the legend handed down to us.
“This is the West, sir. When the legend becomes fact, print the legend.” - Carleton Young, The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, Paramount Pictures, 1962.
The Blue Bottom Barge was a pretty disappointing sequel to The Glass Bottom Boat.
I can't help it; as lovely and exquisitely ramshackle as it is, Fowler's Harbor always makes me think of Naegleria Fowleri. There's some lovely light dappling on the water in that first picture.
McDonald's fries are way too pointy for my liking. Wen I was a kid, I used to stick them in the top of my Filet-O-Fish like birthday candles.
I never had a problem with McDonalds fries at Disney. Heck at WDW there was a whole stinkin' Mickey Ds (on property but not in the parks). I think the Blue Barge had something to do with launching the Animitronic Exploding Ducks, but I can't be sure.
Nanook, it’s a rare photo of the first Cirque de Soleil show, “Mud”!
JB, baking soda and vinegar is always the best “go to” when you need propulsion - after that it’s an inflated balloon (like the kind you could attach to a little plastic car). It makes sense that Walt would want to test the Space Mountain concept with a circus tent in the parking lot before he spent all that money building the real thing (which sadly didn’t happen until after his passing). Interestingly, the test ride vehicles were shaped like peanuts.
Bu, I have the feeling that the barge must have been used for some kind of riverfront show, probably with a band performing on it; kind of like “Dixieland at Disneyland”, although the first one of those wasn’t until 1960. I also wanted to walk around Fowler’s Harbor, and according to one source, there were plans to make it all a part of a “River Town”. I kind of get people’s objections to McDonald’s in Disneyland, although by then we’d already had Kodak, GM, Sunkist, C&H Sugar, and so on. Who doesn’t like those fries? (Probably some people!). Somehow I wasn’t quite as upset as some folks, the little stand was fairly tasteful (as those things go). I’ve always assumed that they could have added more ballast to make the Keelboats less tippy, but apparently one of the things the pilots liked to do was make the boats sway back and forth. Oops.
Chuck, in the early days we almost always see a motorboat with an outboard engine, they must have needed one all the time for various riverfront maintenance (or to get back and forth to TSI). It does surprise me that they didn’t cover it with burlap or at least attempt to hide it in some manner. I like it when my newspaper prints the legend, but I also like to read “Family Circus”.
Melissa, Amebic Encephalitis! That sounds like fun. Isn’t that what people get when they swim in the warm waters of Florida? It never occurred to me that McDonald’s fries are too pointy! Maybe because I always ate three or four at a time? I like the way you made a visit to McD’s into a mini birthday!
Stu29573, I’ll bet that McDonald’s in WDW does huge business too! People like what’s familiar, and little kids even more so. Have a picky kid who won’t eat? Just give them some Mickey D fries!
Melissa, I used to work at McDonald’s. One of my least-favorite tasks was cleaning the fry sharpener.
@ Melissa-
And… Blue Bottom Barge lacks Arthur Godfrey strumming the ukulele, a talking parrot, and Mr. and Mrs. “Kravitz” pulling double duty. (Not to mention Paul Lynde in one of the greatest drag outfits seen in a Hollywood film).
@ Bu-
McDonald’s presence isn’t quite as far-fetched as it sounds. I have it on “good authority” back in the 1980’s, when the ‘financial security’ of Walt Disney Productions was a bit shaky, there was actually talk of a McDonald’s corporate take-over - which obviously never came to pass. A ‘Ronald McDonald Land’ was more real than you knew…
Melissa, I sometimes dip my fries in my chocolate shake. The combination of salty and sweet tastes yummy!
Stu, you're probably right about the AEDs being launched from the barge. I mean, they have to come from somewhere, don't they. It's not like they get hatched from eggs.
The Blue Barge is Frontierland's down-scale version of the Blue Bayou restaurant. You pick up your fries at the window and sit on one of the crates on the barge. But you have to be careful not to activate any of the Animatronic Exploding Ducks. That'll ruin you day.
Major, "shaped like peanuts". That reminds me of the Regal Cinemas animated ad that runs before the feature. Where you're on a surreal roller coaster ride with giant popcorn kernels exploding around you. That must've been close to the Space Mountain test ride experience.
Chuck, I can imagine that the blades on the fry sharpener would get pretty gummy pretty quick.
Nanook, Ronald McDonald Land... oh gawd. I guess it would be OK as another theme park, but NOT a Disney park!
Also, you forgot to use the closing italic code on your post above. I included it at the start of this post. Hope it works. (Edit: Nope, didn't work.)
I do know in the 1980’s Disney wanted very much sponsorship money from McDonalds …..Disney very much so went out of their way to try and “wooo” ( or “whooo”) McDonalds to come to “Disney” ….. of course there’s the big presentation folios to get Mc Donald’s to sponsor SPLASH MOUNTAIN ….. the Euro Disneyland Railroad ( which they did and do) and even into the early 2000’s WDI was proposing a Tokyo Disneyland “Soaring over California” for McDonald’s to sponsor … this was all part of a new “land” HOLLYWOOD HEIGHTS …. Located between World Bazaar and Tomorrowland…. This was a 1920’s - 1930’s themed area comprising mostly of a massive Movie Palace . ( the facades of World Bazaar facing Tomorrowland have always been 1920’s - 1930’s with some early art -deco ( like the popular Center Street Cafe ) and later the out of place 1950’s “The Bee-Bop Hop Shop”. Anyway, with the exception of the Euro DL RR , mcDonalds never really “bit” to any if WDI’s proposals . McDonald’s was very interested in getting their food into Disney parks …. But the French Fry wagon and Harbor House fries was as far as it went .
I agree with Major : the French fry wagon was pretty unobtrusive and Themed well …. And having McDonald’s French fries in a Disney park is no difference than serving Coca Cola , Treetop Apple Juice , Sara Lee Deserts , Starbucks Coffee ( that One I have a problem with …) Sunkist Orange Juice or Dole Pineapple!
I always wanted to go visit those little buildings in the old Fowler's Harbor. The reduced scale was so engaging, similar to Rainbow Ridge.
I am happy with the work done in this area as part of Splash Mountain, the little bypass trail, snack bar, seating, the overlook on to the flume with the logs full of people feeling like they are going to shoot right out onto the River, and best of all, being able to be close to the Columbia. It's all just a nice addition.
I wonder if there are tools and shop facilities in some of the buildings for working on the ships when they are in dock? In the first photo, right down at waterline on the right, you can see the signal lights that indicate the track switch placement for bringing the ships in and out. I think these are a little more "themed" now, like an old lantern or something. I wonder what the sign says on the far left edge of the first photo. Looks like a Forest Service sign for a national park.
The MCDonald's presence never bothered me very much, as you say, there were plenty of other corporate sponsors. I guess McDonald's gets the hate because they are the primordial junk food, and we were more disappointed by the overall food choices in the Park at that time, fries were just more of that. Our first couple of visits with our kids, my wife was hard-pressed to find them healthy eating choices. Now, of course, it's much better, but then it was all Coke and fries everywhere. In retrospect, having them eat junk food for a couple days would not have been the end of the world. My son (now in his 30's) still reproaches me somewhat for making him wear his orthodontic headgear in the Park those two days. He is right, being comfortable for that visit would not have had a long term effect on his beautiful smile, and I was wrong.
Thanks for these, Major. Nice pictures.
JG
I don’t think there was ever really that much of a future planed for a RIVER TOWN in the 1950’s …. With the exception of a shop or two and a possible food service shack ….. but I think because of the name River Town appears on a coming soon map billboard people assume it was larger than it was actually going to be. There is evidence at one time before the Sailing Ship Columbia project got underway, Robert Fulton’s CLAREMONT riverboat was considered and was possibly going to load and unload from “ RIVERTOWN”.
In the early 1990’s there was a proposal of developing a Trapper’s Village along the Rivers of America connecting the Canoe Landing to Fowler’s Harbor ( site) this would have been an entire “fur trappers “ settlement with shops , dinning new docks for Keelboats and Canoes ….. but more importantly a elevated wooden walkway passage to help Alleviate the massive congestion Splash MountAin was creating and the narrow entrance to Critter County / Bear Country.
Mike, Daveland has an old rendering of what must have been the River Town concept, there were a lot of buildings all in a rustic style much like the Golden Bear Lodge, all behind the Fowler's Harbor shanties.
https://davelandweb.com/frontierland/images/mmcmsummer56/MMCM_Summer56_Pg13a.jpg
This cartoon style rendering was a panorama that showed all the river bank, indian village, conestoga and mule trails, and the Natures Wonderland RR and TSI.
https://davelandweb.com/frontierland/images/mmcmsummer56/MMCM_Summer56_Pg12b.jpg
Dave's site doesn't have any info that I can locate about the drawing or it's purpose.
JG
Oh, man, I haven’t had fries dipped in chocolate shake in forever!
Trapper’s Village sounds kind of cool; they could’ve brought coonskin caps back.
Chuck, I am picturing an electric pencil sharpener for fries!
Nanook, how many blogs get an Arthur Godfrey reference?! Only one. GDB! Paul Lynde in drag? I can’t believe it.
Nanook, I used to hear a number of potential takeover rumors back in those bad old days, I knew a girl who worked on Main Street and she was pretty blasé about it. “Disneyland will still be Disneyland!”. Not so sure, if McDonald’s had bought it.
JB, I know a lot of people like to dip their fries in their shakes - not something I tend to do, but hey, whatever floats your boat. That ad at Regal Cinemas sounds more entertaining than some of the rides at Universal Studios. SICK BURN! I actually used to like the old McDonaldland commercials, and the characters were fun. Just not at Disneyland.
Mike Cozart, as we both have mentioned, there has never been any shortage of sponsored attractions at the Disney parks; and many of those associations (Monsanto, for gosh sakes) actually evoke “warm fuzzies” now that years have passed. I can’t think of Goodyear without thinking of the Peoplemover, or C&H Sugar without thinking of that bag on the drinking fountain on Main Street, or even FedEx and Space Mountain. So I don’t know if Mickey D’s at the parks would have been the disaster that some people foretold. It’s all a matter of how it is done - as long as we didn’t have Ronald McDonald’s grinning face plastered all over the place, I think it could work just fine. Maybe Disney wasn’t willing to go as far as McD’s wanted, which is why a major deal never happened?
JG, hey, why are all the comments in italics now? Are we in the Multiverse of Madness?? I think the potential appeal of something like a Fowler’s Harbor that guests could access is the intimate scale and “smallness”, so to speak. Not every experience needs to be HUGE and overwhelming. Interesting thought about shipbuilding tools being stored in those buildings - I have no idea of course. It’s funny to think that inside those ramshackle buildings it could be clean and modern and organized. Kids are so picky, we’ve noticed that old menus had things like lamb chops for kids, or a “frankfurter”, but now it’s chicken nuggets and pizza. Not that there is anything wrong with those, sometimes you just want your kid to eat some damn food! I know that you thought you were doing the best for your son (regarding his headgear), we all do things that we wish we could change, in retrospect.
Mike Cozart, yes, as far as I’m aware, that famous “coming soon” map is the only place where the River Town was really prominently mentioned. I like the idea of Robert Fulton’s “Claremont” being on the river with the other craft, that would have been fun. I wonder, had it been built, would it still be around today? I think I’ve read a little about the Trapper’s Village, probably from YOU, it’s always so intriguing to imagine “what could have been”.
JG, I remember that artwork, though I can’t recall where it appeared (back in the ‘50s I mean). It sure resembles other illustrated “maps” from the time. I wonder if it showed up in an issue of “Holiday” magazine?
Melissa, my brother used to dip his fries in his shake and eat them (theatrically) just to gross me out when I was a kid! Coonskip caps are great, but what about coonskin hot pants?
Major, Disneyland isn't really Disneyland any more, and they didn't even have to be bought by another firm, they ruined it themselves.
I did more looking at Daveland, those paintings were illustrations from the Mickey Mouse Club Magazine, although almost certainly not made just for that publication. They look to me like the same artist style as the Storybook Land billboard.
JG
Major, I wish! It was a manual crank Boston, just like your third grade classroom. We only dreamed of an electric one.
Those great “coming soon” billboards that were done in 1956 ( showing the RIVERTOWN settlement ) were done on 35” x 60” panels and then enlarged by the sign shop onto plywood boards and placed around Frontierland ….. there’s a great version of Storybookland overview also from 1956. They were at one time thought to have been created by artist Paul Hartley but in recent years there’s evidence they were created by Bjorn Aronson - the creator of the first Disneyland attraction posters! One of the panels for Natures Wonderland was issued as a oversized postcard that is highly sought after by collectors and can sell for or 1,000.00 a pretty good investment for a card that sold for 15 cents!
Often preopening maps and construction billboards slip up and reveal ideas that were considered and then abandoned …. But we’re accidentally left in…of course RIVERTOWN sounded like a fun idea …. Until Walt became enthralled with a different Frontier port …. New Orleans.
The Sailing Ship Columbia is pretty historically significant …. But it always seemed way too early for the focus of Frontierland …Fulton’s Claremont - also historically significant - fit a bit better in the time line. Historians know now that The Cleremont was a bit more elegant looking that originally thought ….part of that was a Hollywood mistake : for a movie a full-size working replica of the Clermont was built …. But was made from incorrect information so most people - Americans - think of it looking more primitive than it was …. Even a model kit company in the 50’s ( Pyro …then Lindberg … then Life-Like then Lindberg again) offered plastic model kits based more of the movie Claremont Than historical evidence …. Oh well ……
When Discovery Bay was in development a steam Sidewheeler ( sometimes called The John Sutter , sometimes The Eureka ) - the kind hundreds of gold seekers came to San Francisco in was considered to join the other watercraft on the rivers of America ….. so much development was done for this ship it was planed later on a a static scenic prop for the Disney MGM Studios , a later version of Discovery Bay and replicated again as a prop vessel for early Tokyo Disney Seas “harbor” scenes.
If McD's took over DL, the castle would be gold and red, and we'd all get Mickey Mouse keychains with our $40 Happy Meals. I'm glad they didn't.
I'm enjoying the pictures and all the comments. Except for Mike's comment about the $1,000 postcard. My stomach still churns whenever I think about the dozens of 1950s DL postcards of all sizes (regular, large, panoramic) that are rubber-cemented in my parents' scrapbooks. Oh, well. I still like you, Mike.
Major, I think you're leaning on the "Italics" button.
FYI. Nothing’s in italics on my cell...just when viewed on my laptop. Crazy.
—Sue
Major-
...how many blogs get an Arthur Godfrey reference?! Only one. GDB! And - let's not forget George Tobias and Alice Pearce ['paralleling' their roles] as Abner and Gladys Kravitz-!
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