Random Beauties From Frontierland
First things first - if you were unable to attend the two Knott's Bear-y Tales presentations that Chris Merritt and Eric Lynxwiler gave in January, you can "hang out" with them on Monday, February 10th on the Park Streamers Hangout Podcast, which you can view on YouTube. CHECK IT OUT!
I have two extra-nice scans for you, from the LAND OF THE FRONTIER! Let's begin with this view from the Mark Twain, probably (though I guess it could have been taken from the top of a Keelboat); we're looking in the direction of the water tower (in its original location), where the C.K. Holliday sits, presumably somewhere along in the process of filling the tender with water. Guests are fascinated, especially Mr. Nosy peeking out of the front of that cattle car. Take a picture, it'll last longer! The train looks beautiful, the berm looks bermtastic. I have no idea what that white "garden wall" to the left was for... any ideas?
From another batch of slides comes this neat view from Tom's Treehouse looking northeast-ish, with Rainbow Ridge to the extreme right, and some of the crazy rock formations from the Rainbow Desert to the extreme left. Both of those features, along with Tom's Treehouse, date this to at least mid-1956. Right in the middle of the image...
... is the cutest li'l Stagecoach you ever did see. There are only a few passengers, which would have been fine by me. I think that those are two kids on the top. Any idea what that strange hollow in the hillside is, just above the horse in front? Was it Walt's Hobbit Hole?
4 comments:
Major-
Why do I have the feeling we've seen that lattice-topped wall before, but I can't think of when it was. Thanks to my keen vision, I can easily read the stenciled signage appearing along the top board in the wooden fencing separating the tracks from the guests:
KEEP OUT
RAILROAD PROPERTY
Thanks, Major.
If not for the bermtastic berm I don't think I would have guessed that this is Disneyland. That 'garden wall' looks like it would be part of the Chicken Plantation Restaurant, but we're not near that are we? That little girl being held by her dad looks like a baby doll, in her poufy dress and sweater.
In Tom's Treehouse, we get a nice close-up view of some plastic leaves. It's always neat to see other parts of the Park from Frontierland, like: Cinderella Castle, the Skyway buckets, and the Pirate Ship. I don't know what the "Hobbit Hole" could be. Perhaps that's where an AA figure will go in the near future? There's a light colored something just to the upper left of the Hole... Maybe it's Bilbo's chimney. Teeny tiny horsies!
Nanook, "KEEP OUT RAILROAD PROPERTY", that seems kind of harsh and abrupt for a Disney sign. Management usually goes out of its way to be extra friendly to the guests. They need to sweeten it up a bit.
Thanks for the rustic randos, Major.
I can’t find a picture to corroborate it, but I think JB is correct that that lattice-topped wall is probably the west end of the Chicken Plantation seating. The Frontierland train station was originally pretty close to the Plantation.
Cinderella’s Castle is peeking out over the top of the hill in the second image. At extreme right you can see the Skyway central support that would eventually mutate into a mountain.
I think that “strange hollow” is a conifer sapling and its shadow.
Thanks, Major!
Ah, the C.K. Holliday--the quintessential "Old West" steam locomotive. The water tower isn't currently in use, its spout in the upright position, with a bit of canvas around its open end to help guide the water into the tender tank. The "Keep Out" stenciling is a bit harsh; I have a SF&DRR sign that says "NO TRESPASSING," but it's so ornate and colorful that you can almost forgive them. The guy in the cattle car is probably me before I was reincarnated.
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