Flooded Mine vs. FITH!

okiebluegrass · January 10, 2011, 09:28:28 AM

One thing that I wish is that FitH was a little more historically accurate. The town was actually burned after Lynch bought the cave, because the baldknobbers did not want outsiders turning it into a tourist attraction. I guess that story wouldn't sell.

The mural says 1870s but the actual fire would have been in the 1890s if my research is correct. Anybody got any incite into this?

rubedugans · January 10, 2011, 11:18:58 AM

I am unsure if the original concept held more closely to the true story-using the ideas of Marvel Cave , and the reference The Devil's Den. I think that the volcanoes, and geysers would have been a stretch though. I also believe that, like the FM, they both take their own liberties at the true stories of the Ozarks...Even though Silver was supposedly mined in the Ozarks, to my knowledge prisoners weren't used in the process...

Ozark Outlaw · January 10, 2011, 11:29:42 AM

Holy lookout tower Batman!

I have never seen that before (that is an everyday comment thanks to Rube).

Junior · January 10, 2011, 03:46:37 PM

Just a little note: the little building you pass (pictured above) each time you enter the Flooded Mine is the "hut" that the prisoners used in the old, old days to punch your ticket in the late 60's to mid 70's prior to the implementation of the passport ticket which allowed you to enter and experience all the attractions on the park for one price. The mill at the AP (formerly float trip) was another little building visitors passed through to get their ticket punched. The little hut at Grandfather's Mansion was removed about '79 or '80. The gift shop at the train depot used to be the stationmaster's office where tickets were punched at the window. The old treehouse...look at some shots posted on the site of the "tree trunk," a little window was there prior to going up the base of the stairs in the tree, another place an employee was stationed to punch your ticket. Those places are what's left of the old, old days at SDC.

Junior · January 10, 2011, 04:04:32 PM

Oh, the story I read somewhere about the burning of the old town of Maramos by the Baldknobbers was just hogwash. It is a great, romantic story, but with little or no basis in fact. Baldknobbers disbanded by the time the little town burned. Likely locals burned the abandoned buildings because they didn't want a "furriner" from Canada having success at the cave. Lynch originally from the Great White North! The whole thing is wrapped up in local folklore and has little historical truth to it, but it was a great little story to loosely base a ride at a theme park on. Just like the diving bell treasure of silver is loosely based on the Yoakum silver dollar minting story of regional folklore. Yoakum's had a "silver mine" at the junction of the James and White Rivers in Stone County at present day Cape Fair given to them by friendly Indians...Although the guy who ran the Lost Silver Mine play in the early 1980s at the site of the present Wal Mart at Branson West claimed the lost mine was located on that property. So, local history and folklore are a bit mixed up with the true treasure of the area "milking them silly tourists of all their dollars!"

rubedugans · January 10, 2011, 06:49:13 PM

Alright even though I am biased, here is an interior queue/ boarding shot of FITH from the same trip as the above FM shot. Not great, but it shows the worker at the controls.

rubedugans · January 11, 2011, 04:37:43 PM

I guess I'll use my ticket from 1971 and ride the FM by myself.

rubedugans · January 11, 2011, 04:54:55 PM

Ohh, and I'll be wearing my hat. Did FITH make hats?

sanddunerider · January 11, 2011, 06:07:04 PM

rube! SWEETT!!!!

How-doFolks · January 11, 2011, 08:40:44 PM

DANG !!

History Buff · January 11, 2011, 10:38:23 PM

FitH without a doubt.

BTW, isn't FM built on a hill? Seems strange for a flood to be on the higher ground. The fire should reach the water eventually.

Ozark Outlaw · January 12, 2011, 10:47:13 AM

Quote from: History Buff on January 11, 2011, 10:38:23 PM
BTW, isn't FM built on a hill? Seems strange for a flood to be on the higher ground. The fire should reach the water eventually.

It's built on one of those hills that goes up in both directions.

rubedugans · January 12, 2011, 11:35:38 AM

SWEET a ride all to myself!!!

Ozark Outlaw · January 12, 2011, 11:00:44 PM

Well Rube, you are definitely spot on! If everyone else chooses to ride Fire in the Hole, then you truly will be able to ride the Flooded Mine all by yourself.

rubedugans · January 13, 2011, 08:42:44 AM

I would love to ride it on my own...You never know, I might go missin' and you'll find me a few years down the road hard at work in the flooded silver mine! I am not a big fan of the guns which is the only reason I would jump ship to go to the FITH side, but I haven't defected yet...I prefer the original shootout at Silver Dollar City. It was much better, back in 85' when we helped defeat the,....wait what were we defeating? I think it was a feud on the square that we all got roped into...