Section – Page 9 – Parktimes.com

Confederacy (Old South)

The Confederacy (Old South) Section

Between 1861 and 1865 Texas was a member of the Confederate States of America. The Confederate section, now known as the “Old South” section, recreates Texas of the mid 1800s.

The original attractions in the Confederacy included the 1,200 seat Amphitheater, which in 1968 was converted to the 950 seat Southern Palace. In addition, present for the first year were the Confederate recruiting station and old south re-enactment performers, Little Dixie Carousel, and the Butterfield Stage Coach . A Dixieland Band provided additional entertainment and Nalar’s Plantation House was one of the park’s largest eating areas.

Skull Island was located in the Confederate section, but due to its own extensive history, themeing and numerous attractions, it is covered in a separate article.

In 1962, the Caddo War Canoes was added, with the original entrance to the west of the Amphitheater, in the Confederate Section. The canoes were moved to Boomtown for the 1964 season.

In 1964, the Spee-Lunker’s Cave Ride was added and the Stagecoach run shortened and the Que house was moved from next to Chicken Plantation to across from Cave. At the end of the 1967 season, the Stagecoach ride was completely removed.

In 1969, the Chevy Show was added at the site of the Stagecoach Que-house.

After the 1974 season, the Little Dixie Carousel, which had been earlier renamed as the Flying Jenny, and moved down the street closer to the cave entrance, was removed.

The Flying Jenny was replaced for the 1975 season by the Red Baron children’s ride.

At the end of the 1982 season, the remainder of Skull Island was removed to make remove for the Roaring Rapids.

At the end of the 1991 season, the Spee-lunkers were removed from Cave and replaced with Warner Brother’s characters. The Ride was renamed as Gold River.

In 1996, Runaway Mountain opened next to the Plantation house.

Spanish Section

The Spanish Section represented Spain’s claim to Texas from 1690 to 1821. Like the French Section, at opening the Spanish section contained only one attraction. The original attraction was the Los Conquistadors Coronado Burro Ride.

In 1962, Case Magnetica was added next to the Burro Ride.

In 1963, the Burro Ride was removed and replaced by the Flume Ride.

In 1981 the Conquistador Swinging Boat ride was added, although physically it is located in what had always been considered a part of the Mexico Section.

USA Food Court

Submitted by parktimes on Sun, 08/15/2010 – 10:41

Sections

French Section

The original French section recreated Fort St. Louis, which was established by French explorer Rene Robert Cavelier, Sieur de la Salle, along the Lavaca River, near Matagorda Bay. The Fort was established in 1685 and abandoned four years later.

The original attractions consisted for the reconstructed Fort, which had a lookout post that children could enter, LaSalle’s River Boat Ride, and Pierre’s Treasures, a small gift store.

The major change to the section was the removal of the Riverboat ride, to be replaced in 1983 with the Roaring Rapids . Most of the structure of the fort is still in place, although the lookout post is no longer open.

France

Missilechaser

Year Installed: 1961
Last Year Operated: 1977
Section: Modern USA
Manufacturer:
Other Names and Nicknames:

The Missilechaser was a scrambler type ride. It opened with the park in 1961 and was removed from the park at the end of the 1977 season. The area where it was located was later used for the Sensational Sense Machine attraction. This area is no longer open to the public.

The ride was the first of three scrambler rides installed in the park. The second scrambler, also named the Missilechaser was added in 2000 at the current site for the Superman Ride. It was removed at the end of the 2002 season.

The park’s current scrambler is known as the “Sidewinder” and is located in the Texas Section. It was added as part of the 10 new rides of 2006.

Submitted by parktimes on Sat, 08/14/2010 – 23:09

Happy Motoring Freeway

Year Installed: 1961
Last Year Operated: 1986
Section: Modern USA
Manufacturer: Arrow Development
Other Names and Nicknames:

The Humble Happy Motoring Freeway (known as the “Modern Cars”) opened with the Park in 1961. The track ran along the South edge of the Modern Section from near the Zoo to the area that would become Boomtown.

The ride consisted of small go-cart sized vehicles with sport car bodies. Each of the twenty-two cars were powered with a 7½ horsepower rear gas engine. The gas pedal on the driver’s side actually moved the car forward, while the steering wheel controlled the direction of the cars travel.

The cars traveled around the track at six miles per hour, passing billboards and waiving by-passers. Just to make sure that there was no rush hour grid lock, the roadway contained a metal guide-strip directly in the middle. The guide-strip prevented the cars from leaving the track while still allowing the driver to steer the cars on the track.

The ride was favored by the younger crowd, because it allowed them to actually “drive” the car, controlling both the speed, and within limits, the direction of the car.

Eventually the body style of the cars changed in order to keep the appearance of the cars up to date with actual car styles and designs.

Due to the popularity of the ride, in 1962 a second Happy Motoring Freeway was added next to the first track. The queue house used by the Sidewinder Rollercoaster was converted into the queue house for the second happy ride.This increased the number of cares on the two tracks to 38. In order to make room for this second track, the Sidewinder roller coaster in turn was moved to the Mexican section.

Six Flags would operate with two Happy Motoring tracks until the end of the 1980 season. At that time, the original track was removed. The track added in 1962 continued to operate as the lone track until 1986, when it also was removed.

DECEMBER 26, 2019 by DAVIS_MCCOWN

Six Flags History Book

Six Flags Silver Star Carousel at the Frontgate Mall.

Six Flags over Texas, The First Fifty Years – A Pictorial History, traces the history of the Texas park from its conception and construction to its Fiftieth Anniversary. Featured all each of the major attractions which have come and gone over the years.

Opening in 1961 in Arlington, Texas, Six Flags over Texas, was themed on the flags of the six sovereign nations which have flown over the area that is now Texas. A small park, with fourteen rides, the park changed and evolved with each season. Now it is a major park with over forty rides, many designed specifically for younger guests, and several theaters and show venues.

The book covers the planning by local land developer Angus Wynne II and Cornelius Vanderbilt (C.V.) Wood Jr. to build the park. Wood owned Marco Engineering & Design, a company then designing and constructing four major Amusement Parks. Of those four, only Six Flags over Texas survived.

Covered are the original park and rides, such as the Conquistador Burro Ride, LaSalle’s River Adventure and the Butterfield Stagecoach ride. The story continues up through the New Texas Giant, built in connection with the park’s fiftieth anniversary.

The author, an local attorney and former Six Flags’ ride operator, presents over 200 images, including concept drawings, early postcards, public relations photographs, historical photographs, and artifacts representative of the history of the park. These images cover the first fifty years of the park’s history and development. In addition, there is nearly 290 pages of text. Many of the shots were taken personally by the author over the last thirty years.

The book is available in paperwork for $28.00, as well as in a Kindle version for $20.00.

The book is a Kindle “matchbook”. If you purchase the Book first, you can buy the Kindle version at a discount of $2.99.

Link to Paperback version on Amazon.

Link to Kindle Version on Amazon.

Paperback version on Createspace.com.

Hardback versions and versions with color prints will follow.

Check back for updates.

USA (Modern) Section

USA – The Modern Section

The USA Section represents Texas under the US flag. It is often called the “Modern” section, because it represents the current and future Texas. The Original Attractions included The Petting Zoo, a small Zoo which housed various animals that the could be feed and petted. Included were small farm animals, such as goats and a donkey, as well as some exotic animals, such as a baby elephant and giant turtle.

Another original attraction was the AstroLift. The Astrolift was a cable car with four passenger gondolas which took riders from the Modern section to the Texas Section. Also included was Happy Motoring, in which guest drove two seat gas automobiles around a track.

The Sidewinder was the parks first roller coaster and the Missilechaser was a scrambler ride. Other Attractions: The Jet Set was an airplane ride. It was replaced by the Big Bend roller coaster, which was added in the seventies. Other Attractions: Loony-Tunes Land; The Cliffhanger; Splash Water Falls; 3d Motion theater, stores and a Food Court.

Petting Zoo

Year Installed: 1961
Last Year Operated: 1983
Section: Modern USA
Manufacturer:
Other Names and Nicknames:

The Petting Zoo was located in the Modern Section in what is now Looney Tunes Land. It was an original attraction when the Park opened in 1961,

The zoo, initially, sponsored by Southwestern Life Insurance was a place guests could visit and pet friendly farm animals, such as cows and goats, as well as birds, and a giant tortoise.

There was also a small seal pool. For a nominal fee, guests could purchase dead fish to feed the seals.

The highlight of attraction of the Zoo was “Sis” Flagg, the Baby Asian Elephant. Although a baby elephant, Baby elephants grow so fast that Sis had to be replaced nearly every season with a younger elephant. The original “Sis” was purchased from Thailand for $2,000.

By 1968, the season of the last “Sis”, eight elephant will have lived in the park under the same name. Representing the other political party was Sis’s companion, Tulip, the white burro. The Zoo was a significant attraction in the park until the early 70s. It dwindled down over the years until only the Seal Pond remained in the mid 70s. Over a period of a few years, it was gradually downsized until nothing remains of it today. Looney Tunes Land now occupies the space which held the Zoo.

The Story of Sis, the Six Flags Elephant is now online at: Sissy’s (The Six Flags Elephant) Story.