The Autumn Weekend that Started it Al

An anonymous old-timey friend remembers that October weekend well. He was only 13 at the time, sweeping streets and lending a hand wherever needed. He doesn’t want his name shared, saying his reflections are no more important than anyone else’s, but he did want to describe just how magical that moment in time truly was.

“As an old man now, it’s fun to look back and remember what it was like here when the old-timers were young and strong,” he grins. “They were way stronger than me. I played football and they tried to teach me how to hew logs. I quit after ten minutes.”

Since the festival ran Friday through Sunday, he skipped school that Friday—gladly—to be part of the adventure. Cars then parked all the way up to where the Gazebo stands today, and he helped arrange railroad ties into makeshift spaces. He scrubbed bathrooms, gathered trash and hauled deadwood to fire the kettle where lye soap was cooked. All the while, everyone was wondering—and hoping—people would come.

They did. By the droves. Against the backdrop of glowing fall foliage, visitors flocked to see native craftsmen demonstrating 19 trades, including woodcarving by nationally renowned Peter Engler, who co-founded the budding festival with Mary Herschend. Other artisans demonstrated shingle-splitting, blacksmithing, weaving, soap making and candle dipping. Guests were so fascinated that more artisans were quickly added: a glass blower, a weaver, a potter and a silversmith. That one weekend helped Silver Dollar City mark its best year to date—welcoming half a million guests and claiming the title of Missouri’s #1 tourist attraction

Our friend laughs, remembering one of his sneakier jobs that turned into the best publicity at the time.

“I was small enough to lay down on the ground and wire park advertisements onto the fronts and backs of people’s cars. There was no adhesive, so I wired them on one by one. When folks returned, they thought they had souvenirs. Good times.”

That kind of ingenuity, along with countless other little ideas, helped the park grow.

“I don’t even think we understood the scope of what we were creating at the time,” he reflects. “We just hoped we’d be invited back to work the next year.” He was—staying on for 44 seasons.

“Every generation who works here will look back and say it was the best of times. The ’60s really were. It was the start to our story.”

That one humble weekend has blossomed into nearly two months of crafts by day and glowing pumpkins by night. This year’s Harvest Festival, presented by Humana, runs thru October 26, carrying forward the spirit of those autumn days gone by, more than 60 years ago.