I'm always happy to find any photos that show the inside of old Fort Wilderness on Tom Sawyer Island - a feature that was once one of the main attractions on the island (along with Castle Rock, the Suspension Bridge and Pontoon Bridge, and the mysterious caves where Injun Joe got lost forever). The Fort was a place that encouraged exploration. Go to the Regimental Hdqrs to pay your respects to Andrew Jackson. Annoy everyone by banging on the large triangle. Climb the steps so that you can look over the ramparts out into the vast, unforgiving frontier. Find the "Secret Escape Tunnel". So great!
Meanwhile, back on the mainland we were waiting for our turn to ride the Columbia (still quite new at that point) when a Keelboat passed by. There was plenty of room aboard the Bertha Mae... usually the top level was packed, but there's only one little family up there. And as far as I can tell, there's nobody inside the cabin. Let's ride it twice in a row, from both the inside and the upper level!
Photo #1: When our family went to Disneyland in 1976, my brothers and I went over to Tom Sawyer Island for a while. We went through Injun Joe's Caves, over the pontoon bridge and maybe the suspension bridge. But not Ft. Wilderness, Castle Rock, or the Old Mill. We didn't even know those things were there. We just followed the paths wherever they took us. Plus, the rest of the Park was beckoning us back to the mainland. So when we found ourselves at one of the Raft landings we headed back, never knowing what we missed.
ReplyDeletePhoto #2: I wonder, did the rudder on the Columbia serve any purpose at all? (Other than just looking authentic.)
Looks like all the people who normally would be on board the Bertha Mae are aboard the stagecoach going by on the right.
Ahh..Fort Wilderness...you can barely see the termites holding the place together...for such a tidy park, there seem to be loads of termite stories- perhaps they were inhabiting old orange tree stumps and then just took over the park like Yippies in the 70's. I never thought of Ft. Wilderness from an "attraction" perspective..it was more "is there a bathroom in there?" or "I smell popcorn"...I THINK I remember popcorn and very light snacks and drinks being served there...but don't have strong memories. I seemed to be the babysitter of choice to watch executive/celebrity toddlers on Tom Sawyer Island while their "real" daddies did TV spots/Publicity stuff around the park- guests did give me strange looks for rando TG with rando 5 year old crawling through small spaces and caves. One kid threw up on me necessitating a costume change (true story). Perhaps it was "bring your kid to work day". It's nice to see the "back side" of the Columbia, and odd to see the ever popular tipping Keel Boat without a full deck on top. Maybe it was a cold day? It couldn't have been a slow day with the Columbia out there...but perhaps the Mark Twain was in rehab? Thanks for some buried memories this morning! Looking forward to the "year in review" posting coming soon!
ReplyDeleteI hate to go on and on about this, but I'm really glad WDW still has their fort! I remember taking my then six year old grandson in it and letting him take pot shots at the Big Thunder trains with the rifles in the towers. He also loved the escape tunnel (and caves) which were just scary enough to be really fun! He also liked the Old Mill with its musical creaks and groans. We just let him lose and let him explore and tried to keep up! Few people realize what a wonderful place TSI is to a kid.
ReplyDeleteI remember trying to find my way through the caves on TSI and the Secret Exit out of Ft Wilderness. I spent far too much time on TSI.
ReplyDelete20 years later and I find myself trying to find my niece and nephew in the same caves and banging my head on everything.
20 Years later and only one of those tunnels still exist and the fort is a changing room. Not good.
Old TSI was an absolute kid Paradise back then. Caves, secret tunnels, forts, rafts, rifles, treehouses, pontoon bridges, tree stump trash cans, the list never ends. I could have spent entire days there. I had read both Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, so even though I was too young for Davy Crockett, everything still felt like a real place that I had read about in a book. For me it was the 1960’s equivalent of Galaxy’s Edge.
ReplyDeleteJB, so sorry you missed so much of it, but you did hit the highlights. The rudder probably does something, but not sure what, since the rail handles steering.
Bu, there was a little snack bar in the fort, with a limited menu. I recall drinks and packaged items like chips, no cooking or assembly, maybe popcorn? Major posted some behind-the-scenes pictures, maybe a year or two back.
Thank you Major!
JG
JB, I’ve mentioned this before, but my family never went to Tom Sawyer Island when I was a kid. I’ll never understand why there were some things at Disneyland that we just didn’t do! So I only saw TSI when I went without my family, probably in the 1980s. I loved it! Interesting how you missed some of the island’s features, I thought that the trails led guests from one thing to another - but that’s an assumption. I doubt that the Columbia’s rudder had any real function, since we know that the boat actually rides on wheels!
ReplyDeleteBu, I’m sure termites were an issue with Fort Wilderness, but it’s not like new logs could not be had; clearly somebody decided that the fort was expendable. “Sure, people will whine for a while, and then the general public will forget that it was ever there”. Yes, they did serve snacks at the Fort. Oh man, I would NOT have enjoyed being the go-to babysitter for VIP toddlers! As far as I know, the Keelboats only tipped once, but that was enough to doom that ride forever. Haven’t they ever heard of ballast? I don’t think that it was a cold day when these photos were taken, everyone seems to be dressed for mild/warm weather in the first pic.
Stu29573, I’m glad that WDW still has their fort too, even though I have never seen it. I’m just glad to know that it is there, and that people can enjoy it. Sounds like you had some real fun memories with your grandson. I didn’t know that the Old Mill had “musical creaks and groans”, is that a recorded sound effect? Or does the waterwheel actually squeek? TSI is one of those simple pleasures, every kid who likes to have fun and explore would love it.
MRaymond, my main memory of the caves on TSI is that I kept bumping my head on the close walls, and they were rough like stucco, so I had some painful scrapes. I know, I’m clumsy! It was hard to get lost in the caves, since there was pretty much a conga line that you could just follow. It would have been fun to explore them on a day when they were empty! I hate that dumb changing room version of the fort, and had real hopes that they would restore it to its former glory during the long shutdown for “Galaxy’s Edge” construction.
Major, I'm pretty sure it's a recording, but the squeaking gears play "Down By the Old Mill Stream". You don't notice it unless you listen for it. Very cool!
DeleteJB, I also very much enjoyed, as a kid, exploring TSI without knowing what I was going to find! It was all pleasant sur[rises.
ReplyDeleteLove the yellow-polka-dotted dress in the first picture. Looks like a plate of deviled eggs.
JG, Walt and his boys definitely understood what would appeal to “kids of all ages”, with so much fun stuff to do on TSI. When I lived in Pennsylvania, we could wade out to islands in the Susquehanna River in the summer (when the river was lower), and even though they were overgrown and there wasn’t anything to do, we just liked having “our own island”! Maybe I’m wrong about the rudder on the Columbia, I suppose it might have some actual function.
ReplyDeleteThe Canteen inside Fort Wilderness sold brownies , beef jerky , giant dill pickles , apples , coffee, lemonade, HUCK FINN FREEZE , lemonade , apple cider. There was also a small snack shack on the East side of the island facing the Riverboat landing .... besides HUCK FINN FREEZE I remember them selling coffee , and hostess fruit pies and Twinkie's. I think there was small bagged chips as well. Besides the canteen at Fort Sam Clemons , Walt Disney World’s TSI featured AUNT POLLY’S where pic-Nic type fare was sold : cold fried chicken , ham and cheese sandwiches , peanut butter and jelly sandwiches , brownies , slices of apple, cherry, pecan pie , giant dill Pickles, apples and oranges and in the summer , ice cream. And of course coffee, lemonade , Apple cider Etc. Sadly after many years of operation , vending machines were placed in front of the service windows. I have a 1973 costume sketch for WDW’s Aunt Polly’s restaurant female castmember “Waitress” thats is marked as DL’s Creole Cafe as well ... a red dress with white polka dots and a white apron and snood/ hat . They killed two birds one design!
ReplyDeleteBoth park’s OLD MILL featured a cacophony of creaks and wooden groans emanating from the mill’s gears and grinding stone ( a recording) that sharp ears could hear “ down by the old mill stream”. A owl and a bird’s family nest were home to the mill building.
I looked at the Columbia’s SOP and drawings and see no mention of function of the rudder and it appears static.
Major-
ReplyDeleteHiding off in the 'greenery' of the second image, is that a Covered Wagon or Buckboard with passengers-?
Thanks, Major.
I was just watching the 1957 movie Designing Woman, and I jumped up when Gregory Peck and Lauren Bacall went on a date to Marineland of the Pacific, the subject of GDB's December 11 post! None of the structures from that batch of pictures was shown in the movie, but I love seeing things I learned about here "in the wild."
ReplyDelete@ Melissa-
ReplyDeleteI was watching it, too. And great shots [scenes, actually] of the Beverly Hills Hotel Bungalows & Pool, as it used to be.
Mike Cozart, a “Huck Finn Freeze”! I wonder what that was? Frozen lemonade? Those giant dill pickles… I mean, I like pickles, but never ever wanted to eat a giant pickle, at Disneyland or anywhere else. Give me a nice regular crunchy kosher dill. Funny that they sold Hostess products and not Dolly Madison products! I assume that the TSI in Florida is considerably larger than the Disneyland version? Bummer that they replaced Aunt Polly’s with (arg) vending machines. Yuck. Now that you mention it, I think I have heard a recording of the creaks and squeaks playing “Down By The Old Mill Stream”, though I thought it was supposed to be frogs!!
ReplyDeleteStu29573, they should release a whole album of songs rendered in squeaks and creaks!
Nanook, good eyes, yes, that is definitely a Stagecoach over there! It appears to be of the “mudwagon” variety.
Melissa, I saw Designing Woman a million years ago, I wish I remembered the Marineland scene that you mentioned!
Nanook, one of the joys of watching old movies is observing the scenes of “old L.A.”. Same with old TV shows like “Adam 12” or “The Rockford Files”.
As a former operator of the Columbia, the rudder had no significance. I forgot it was even there! Of course everyone wanted their picture taken behind the helm. I believe the helm did move with some resistance provided by what appeared to be rope winch connection to below. But I highly doubt it was connected. What a maintenance nightmare that could have been. As for TSI...that was the best playground a kid could ever imagine. I left my parents stranded many a time waiting for me on the 'mainland'. Eventually I'd communicate visually with my arms waiving to catch their attention to let them know I was still there. What they sent back in response...we'll I'm sure it was civil but I know they were telling me to head on back...and pronto! LOL KS
ReplyDeleteMelissa & Major, That actually was the best part of exploring TSI; not knowing where you're going or what you'll find. I think if we weren't so eager to get back to the rest of the park we would have explored it more thoroughly. Time is always a factor, it seems. Unless you're a 'local' who visits all the time.
ReplyDeleteHa! Deviled eggs.
Mike C & KS, Thanks for (more or less) confirming that the Columbia's rudder is decorative only. (I figured as much.)
Stu, that really IS cool about the squeaks and grindings playing the song. I wonder how many guests notice it?
Major, about the giant dills, that seems to be a theme with Disney foods. Why have a chicken leg when you can have a whole turkey drumstick! (Are there any other examples?)
KS, (little KS waving his arms), "I haven't drowned yet! I'm still alive!"
Major-
ReplyDeleteI own The Rockford Files on Blu-ray, and Perry Mason on DVD, not only for the quality of both shows, but as you say, also for 'observing the scenes of "old L.A."' Adam 12 also falls in that category for the LA scenes, and not so much for its 'content'. (Although, I would have to say about half to three-quarters of the 'situations' are surprisingly engaging and well done - especially so, for a Jack Webb production-!)
Great vintage LA and Southern California scenes on CANNON and Barnaby Jones too! For awhile I was staying up mega late to watch “new to me “ episodes on ME TV. I may had seen some of the episodes as a child but didn’t really remember or understand them I’m sure.
ReplyDeleteA early episode of CANNON featured the 1401 WED building as a high end cosmetic company’s headquarters.... still with the fountain out front. Of course the 1401 WED Imagineering building was originally built in 1965 as Studio Girl Cosmetics ...... it makes me wonder if a location scout remembered the WED building as having been a cosmetic company office .... the use of the building as such for a early 70’s episode of CANNON as a cosmetic company seems more than Coincidental........
On Cannon and Barnaby Jones you’ll see Marineland , Seaports of the Pacific , Japanese Deerpark , Travel Town , Sea World, The LA Zoo... the triple ramp Goodyear Speedramp at the San Diego Zoo and other recognizable places .
Oh ..... regarding the Old Mill Cacophony music ; besides the recording playing within there were actual real mill gear noises from the the wooden cogs and millstone spinning .... I first heard the isolated audio track from Late Jack Jantzen ( of the E ticket magazine ) and it was when i firsts learned it played “down by the old mill stream” ..... after knowing this, I would listen for it “live” and you could hear it but I think it may have been difficult for guests to identify the specific tune .... but maybe in its earlier life the audio was louder?? The audio was NOT included in the Old Mill post Fantasmic location ( at Disneyland ) do it was history by the early 90’s.
ReplyDeleteKS, thanks for the info about the rudder! I had the feeling that it did nothing, but then I second-guessed myself. Never a good idea. I’ve seen photos of people at the helm of the Chicken of the Sea Pirate Ship, but I don’t think I have seen ANY of people “steering” the Columbia. Weird! I love that you had to resort to charades to communicate with your parents.
ReplyDeleteJB, I’m sure that part of the fun of exploring TSI is knowing that the designers were almost sure to put something good around every corner. You weren’t going to find a puddle of mud! I’ll bet that parents were happy to let their kids run wild on the island, up to a point - and then they would be ready to see the rest of the park. As for turkey legs, the idea of those is not appealing to me, just like the pickles. But… they sure seem to be popular.
Nanook, I think it’s so funny that my brother likes to watch “Adam-12”… I only sort of liked that show when I was a kid. But I LOVED “The Rockford Files”! The “Vintage LA” Facebook page used to share tons of screen grabs from old TV shows such as “The Mod Squad” and “Mannix” for those great views of LA.
Mike Cozart, wow, neat that Cannon (should it be all caps, like “EPCOT”?) showed the Imagineering building - which I always assumed was built for Walt Disney. I had NO idea that it was once a cosmetics company! Amazing. Sounds like I need to watch more ME TV!
Mike Cozart, I said it before, but I when I heard that creaking version of “Down By the Old Mill Stream”, I thought it was supposed to be frogs. Gee, I feel kind of dumb now. Neat that you knew Jack Janzen… I met both Janzen brothers at a Disneyana show not long before Leon’s untimely passing. And I bought two attraction posters from them, at $300 apiece!
Mike, maybe I missed it, but did you end up telling us what a "Huck Finn Freeze" is/was? Just curious.
ReplyDeleteNow, I'll have to do some googling to find that Old Mill music - the creaks and groans music, that is. Maybe it's on DisneyChris.com??
I enjoyed everyone's description of playing on TSI. As I've shared before, my cousins and I played 'tag' on the island, 50 years ago, when it wasn't crowded. No "conga lines" anywhere. What a blast!
Thanks, Major!