50 Years and Counting
Every theme park has a personality — but Silver Dollar City is so much more than your typical theme park.
By Teddy James
Since I was a child, I loved going to theme parks — the sounds, the sights, the smells, and most of all the experiences helped form who I am. Theme parks were a place for me to test fate by sitting in rides that scared me, eating food that scared me, and standing next to people whose smell scared me. Recently, I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Silver Dollar City (SDC) in Branson, Missouri, during its 50th birthday celebration. While there, a single episode gave me a clear picture of its personality.
A young lady, obviously an SDC “citizen” by her dress, was on her way to do a job. She had her jaw set, eyes ahead and a look of purpose on her face. After I saw her with her intense look, I noticed a small boy standing in the middle of the road crying. She noticed him and her face instantly changed. She knew this little boy was more important than the job she was headed to do. I hung around, just within earshot, as she knelt down to the boy’s level and began talking to him. He had lost his parents in the crowd and was frightened. She assured the boy she would not leave his side until they found his parents, together. The last I saw, the little boy, after wiping his tears, reached up and held her hand as they walked away. That is the essence — the personality — of Silver Dollar City.
SDC has a variety of shops highlighting the different arts from the old days. These include glass blowing, basket weaving, candle making and pottery. I had to stop to see the potter at work. He talked as he slapped the clay onto the wheel. He spoke about how God brought him to Branson, and it came to my mind — as he made sure the clay was on the center of wheel — how I should be in the center of God’s will. He began to mold the pot. He emptied the insides of the vessel while building it up. Then he shaped it. The pot fell and began to look like the lump he started with. The master potter never got frustrated, he didn’t even frown. He just dipped his hand in the water and started again. This time the pot took full form and the potter began to take the excess off.
As he dug his fingers into the soft clay, I was reminded how it is when God digs into our hearts and leaves an impression. You cannot leave the potter’s wheel and not be changed. In a similar way, you cannot experience SDC and not be changed in some way. Whether it is because the environment truly does foster family bonding, or because you drop into a hole in the ground and are amazed at how creative our God truly is.
History of the park
Hugo Herschend, a Danish immigrant and vacuum cleaner salesman from Chicago, wanted to find a job where he could enjoy nature and spend time with his family. While vacationing in the Ozarks, the Herschend family toured a place called Marble Cave, so named because original explorers believed the massive limestone walls to be marble.
The family loved the cave, which was then managed by the Lynch family. When they decided to retire, the Herschends offered to take over and a 99-year lease was signed. They opened for tours in April of 1950. That first summer drew 8,000 people.
The name was changed from Marble to Marvel, because of the awe-inspiring size of the cave. The first of many innovations the Herschends completed on the cave was easier access to the entrance. A train system was put in place and Hugo had an idea for making a pleasant waiting area for people preparing to go into the cave. He envisioned native craftsmen demonstrating the crafts perfected over generations of Ozark natives.
In 1954, the Herschends met Charlie Sullivan, who told them he was born in the general store that had been at the entrance of the cave long ago. After searching through the underbrush, the original foundations of several buildings were found. Herschend’s wife, Mary, had the idea of recreating the 1880s town.
Pete and Jack Herschend began to take more of a leadership role after the death of their father in 1955. Together with their mother, who was dedicated to authenticity and made certain there would be no cheap storefronts, they moved in two authentic cabins, a blacksmith shop, an ice cream parlor, a doll shop, the McHaffie homestead, and the Wilderness Church. May 1, 1960, the family opened Silver Dollar City to the public.
The city was named for the silver dollars the Herschends gave visitors in their change. When patrons would go home and pay for purchases with the coins, people would inevitably ask where they got the silver dollars. They would tell stories of performers adorned in 1880s dress, presenting a humorous feud between the Hatfields and the McCoys, or the amazing cave they toured. All this was accomplished with a staff of 17. Through the remainder of the summer, SDC hosted over 125,000 visitors. It was then, as Pete said, “we discovered we were in the theme park business.”
Recognition of the park
May 1, 2010, signified more than just 50 years of a theme park in Branson, Missouri. The “High Noon Birthday Bash” proved that. With Pete and Jack Herschend present, Branson stars such as the Haygoods, the Lennon Sisters, and Legends in Concerts’ Blues Brothers all told of how SDC affected their lives. Performers Charlie Daniels, Dolly Parton, Randy Travis, and Reba McEntire, and members of Rascal Flatts and Montgomery Gentry all sent videos thanking Pete and Jack while recalling their fondest memories of visiting the park during their childhoods.
Periodically, an older gentleman dressed in 1880s attire would walk onto the stage and, with a booming voice, make a public proclamation. He revealed that the U.S. Senate had declared Silver Dollar City the “Home of American Craftsmanship.” Later, disrupting the master of ceremonies, he loudly announced that Branson Mayor Raeanne Presley proclaimed May 1 “Silver Dollar City Day” for the city of Branson. Missouri Governor Jay Nixon issued a proclamation as well. He also said, “I often refer to Branson and its attractions as the crown jewels of Missouri….if so, then Silver Dollar City is the Hope diamond of Missouri tourism.”
Missouri Representative Roy Blunt cited some numbers to demonstrate the impact SDC has had. He stated that since it opened, more than 65 million people have entered its gates, it has contributed $100 million to the state economy, and the Herschend Family Entertainment Corporation has employed over 35,000 people — 2,000 in Branson alone.
Although all these people, whether celebrity or dignitary, held their place of prestige, they were not the true stars of the show. It was made very apparent that Silver Dollar City wished to recognize all the employees who make it such a wonderful place. Many were there who were among the first 17 employees. Several of them brought their own families, fulfilling the park’s motto — “making memories worth repeating.”
At the end of the ceremony, SDC general manager Brad Thomas announced that everyone would be getting a free piece of birthday cake, as will every guest through December. “It isn’t just about this weekend,” he said. “This celebration goes on through Christmas.” May the memories last much longer.
(Source: OneNewsNow)
