Scenic Frontierland, 1950s
Both of today's scans are sort of general scenes that don't feature any specific rides per se, but we get a feel for certain "corners" of Frontierland. It's been a while since I scanned these, but I believe that they are from two different batches.
This first one is unusual, taken from the Mark Twain after it had completed about 3/4 of its journey around the Rivers of America, and was heading south back toward the dock (there's the Golden Horseshoe in the distance). To our left is the roadway that was used by both the Conestoga Wagons and the Stagecoaches. I don't think that split rail fence was there for very long. I'm not sure if Tom Sawyer Island was open yet; there are no people visible over there, at any rate.
Next we are looking across the south end of Tom Sawyer Island toward the western shore of the river. This one seems to be from a bit later than the previous photo, with raft landings and the Old Mill ready to go, though the trails appear to be crushed stone, and not the usual dirt paths, so perhaps things weren't quite ready for guests yet. On the far shore, there's not much happening; I don't even think the second location of the Indian Village (the first was near Adventureland) had opened yet.
7 comments:
Not only are there no people onTSI, most of the structures don't appear to be there either. Maybe we just can't see them from this angle, but where is the Old Mill? Tom's Treehouse, etc.? But I like this picture; the composition. It looks a lot like one of those idyllic paintings. All it needs is an old guy with a walking stick on the road, herding his flock of sheep.
Like you said, this photo is lacking a few things just like the first photo. It has that new, incomplete look. The gravel paths in particular, look strange. And not a speck of vegetation on the Old Mill... I'm ascared! This is too strange for me. Let's go ride Dumbo instead.
A couple of nice, and strange, photos, Major. Thanks.
Major-
Too bad there wasn't a stagecoach or Conestoga wagon on the trail, but it's certainly an unusual view.
Thanks, Major.
These photos are wonderful. I love seeing Disneyland in its infancy.
The Conestoga Wagon is really the early 'rail less' version of the Horse Drawn Streetcar on Main Street, U.S.A. To think that Disneyland was once a showcase for the history of transportation.
Thanks, Major.
The crushed rock on Tom Sawyer Island is a historical account: and I'm thinking that it was placed so as to load things from barges across the river onto small trucks..heavy equipment, etc. On construction sites that's what we do too. So this view is early, and I agree that it had to be before guests were allowed, as walking on those rocks is no bueno. It's an interesting shot of the fishing pole stand: and I'm wondering if anyone got their fish "mounted" after their catch? I would like to have a Disneyland trout on my wall. Frontierland in the distance: now New Orleans Square looks serene...a few years ago this was probably walnut trees all in a row. The other pic with the waterfall is also wonderful. Is that waterfall still there? I always liked the sound of it and I can hear it looking at this photo. It gave a "cool" feeling to the "dark side" of the island. It looks so very lush and wild. The trail is also very rustic, with it's wheel tracks. Such sandy soil. Oranges love that stuff. It's nice to see the Main St. Station there...so close, but on a busy day walking through the crowd...sooo far away. Split rail fences are always nice to see...there are so many of them here in the NE countryside...keeps the cows in...maybe perhaps. I was hoping for a few more slides in this collection: they are really outstanding documentation photos. Gimme more! Thanks Major!
Definitely very early photos indeed.
In photo 1, we can see Mrs. Disney’s Apartment and one of the three streams originating in the roots of Tom’s Treehouse Tree is running. But, no suspension bridge or pontoon bridge!
In photo 2, I agree with Bu, the gravel dunnage is how dust and mud are controlled during construction. The trails are still access roads for heavy equipment and no fun to walk on. Later, after work is complete, the rock would scraped up by a front-end loader and hauled away and the decomposed granite that formed the final walk surface would be spread, rolled in, and stabilized. I wonder if the rock was just dumped into the Rivers? Getting quantities of bulk material across the Rivers either way would be a challenge. I always assumed the water would have been drained, but who knows?
Can I see the distant power lines in photo 2?
Thanks for the historic views, Major!
JG
JB, In that first photo, we can see the little shack that was near the Pontoon Bridge and the Suspension Bridge, but both of the bridges have not been built yet. So this must be either very early 1956? I know exactly what sort of painting you are describing, my mom even has something like it in her den. The Old Mill and Tom’s Treehouse would be more visible from the other side of the island, though I don’t think either were there yet! I wonder if the dirt paths on TSI turn to mud after a rare rain? Maybe they used decomposed granite, which drains well. Don’t be a-scared!
Nanook, I agree, that first picture would go up 140% in cromulence if it had a Stagecoach or Conestoga Wagon.
K. Martinez, yeah I love these early views too, I can’t get enough of them. I suppose the Conestoga Wagon really IS a rail-less “streetcar”!!
Bu, I’m sure you’re right, the crushed rock would make for a much more sturdy “footing” for vehicles and even wheelbarrows on those paths. I doubt anybody got their Disneyland trout mounted, they were only a few ounces at best! When I was a kid, my parents would take us to a trout farm near Malibu, a corn niblet was used for bait, and you’d catch a fish before you knew it. I remember that the place cleaned your catch for you to take home, but what I really liked was the snack stand with candy, including something called “Razzles”, that we really loved. I’m not sure if that waterfall is still there, it wouldn’t be so visible with the plants much larger, but my guess is that there are still waterfalls that pour from the island into the river. I really like the look of that split rail fence, though perhaps it doesn’t quite “belong” out in the frontier?
JG, hey you notice the absence of the bridges too! When you think of how much concrete they needed to build all of the caves and rock formations on TSI, they definitely needed heavy equipment over there. I assume that Fort Wilderness even had some sort of footing? Maybe? I don’t believe the river was drained for transporting the supplies from the mainland to the island, but I could be wrong.
Note that there is no water coming down the sluice at the Old Mill, so there is no flour grinding in progress today. It's just as well as there is only one farmer on the whole island, and he's famous for laying down on the job. What a deadbeat...
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