Disneyland Detail - Mark Twain secret at Rivers of America
History and Disneyland collide in this tiny and often-missed almost secret detail that Disney's Imagineers and decorators added to the wharf along the Rivers of America in New Orleans Square. The Mark Twain Steamboat and the pirate-infested Tom Sawyers Island are no longer the only tributes to one of Walt Disney (and our) Heros, Mr. Samuel Langhorne Clemens.
Usually these videos are a little more brief, but Justin gets a little carried away for his love of all things Mark Twain and gives us the goods on why we should appreciate this little hidden Disneyland gem.
For more info about Mark Twain's career as a Mississippi Riverboat pilot, download Life onthe Mississippi FREE at Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/245
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Thanks for watching!
Transcript
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No, I'm not a bum in New Orleans.
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No, I'm not a bum in New Orleans. Although, when I went to New Orleans
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Although, when I went to New Orleans
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Although, when I went to New Orleans last time, I did actually step on a guy
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last time, I did actually step on a guy
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last time, I did actually step on a guy who was sleeping in some bushes. No, I'm
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who was sleeping in some bushes. No, I'm
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who was sleeping in some bushes. No, I'm not a homeless man. It's just me,
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not a homeless man. It's just me,
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not a homeless man. It's just me, Justin, here in New Orleans square at
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Justin, here in New Orleans square at
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Justin, here in New Orleans square at Disneyland. That's right. We're back.
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Here you leave today and enter the world
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Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.
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Ah, the wonderful and magical rivers of
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Ah, the wonderful and magical rivers of America.
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America.
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America. Now, this area represents a Mississippi
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Now, this area represents a Mississippi
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Now, this area represents a Mississippi a Mississippi River of Walt. What's the
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a Mississippi River of Walt. What's the
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a Mississippi River of Walt. What's the significance of the Mississippi River?
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significance of the Mississippi River?
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significance of the Mississippi River? Well, Walt Disney grew up in Missouri in
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Well, Walt Disney grew up in Missouri in
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Well, Walt Disney grew up in Missouri in a little town called Hannibal, which is
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a little town called Hannibal, which is
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a little town called Hannibal, which is not far down a little highway from a
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not far down a little highway from a
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not far down a little highway from a town called Hannibal, Missouri. And of
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town called Hannibal, Missouri. And of
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town called Hannibal, Missouri. And of course, growing up, he was enthralled by
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course, growing up, he was enthralled by
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course, growing up, he was enthralled by the works of one Mark Twain. Stories
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the works of one Mark Twain. Stories
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the works of one Mark Twain. Stories about the Mississippi River in books
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about the Mississippi River in books
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about the Mississippi River in books like Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn. Of
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like Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn. Of
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like Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn. Of course, Mark Twain himself, whose real
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course, Mark Twain himself, whose real
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course, Mark Twain himself, whose real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was
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name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was
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name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens, was born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri,
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born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri,
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born and raised in Hannibal, Missouri, not far from where Walt Disney grew up.
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not far from where Walt Disney grew up.
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not far from where Walt Disney grew up. Now, back in the late 1850s, when Mark
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Now, back in the late 1850s, when Mark
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Now, back in the late 1850s, when Mark Twain was actually piloting
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Twain was actually piloting
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Twain was actually piloting steamboats on the Mississippi River,
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steamboats on the Mississippi River,
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steamboats on the Mississippi River, that was kind of like being a rockstar,
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that was kind of like being a rockstar,
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that was kind of like being a rockstar, airplane pilot, and a NASA astronaut all
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airplane pilot, and a NASA astronaut all
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airplane pilot, and a NASA astronaut all rolled into one. You were the bee's
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rolled into one. You were the bee's
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rolled into one. You were the bee's knees if you were piloting one of those
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knees if you were piloting one of those
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knees if you were piloting one of those things up and down the Mississippi
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things up and down the Mississippi
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things up and down the Mississippi River. You had to learn the river from
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River. You had to learn the river from
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River. You had to learn the river from memory, up and down. The river was
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memory, up and down. The river was
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memory, up and down. The river was constantly changing its shape. There
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constantly changing its shape. There
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constantly changing its shape. There were snags, there were sandbars that you
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were snags, there were sandbars that you
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were snags, there were sandbars that you couldn't see. You had to learn to read
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couldn't see. You had to learn to read
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couldn't see. You had to learn to read the surface of the water. And Mark Twain
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the surface of the water. And Mark Twain
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the surface of the water. And Mark Twain was able to do that as a young Sam
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was able to do that as a young Sam
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was able to do that as a young Sam Clemens and memorize the entire river.
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Clemens and memorize the entire river.
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Clemens and memorize the entire river. He wrote about all that in a book called
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He wrote about all that in a book called
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He wrote about all that in a book called Life on the Mississippi. I recommend it.
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Life on the Mississippi. I recommend it.
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Life on the Mississippi. I recommend it. I think you should check it out. It's
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I think you should check it out. It's
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I think you should check it out. It's carved out a little slice of American
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carved out a little slice of American
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carved out a little slice of American history not many people are that
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history not many people are that
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history not many people are that familiar with. Of course, the other
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familiar with. Of course, the other
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familiar with. Of course, the other classic tribute to Mark Twain is the
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classic tribute to Mark Twain is the
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classic tribute to Mark Twain is the appropriately named Mark Twain steamboat
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appropriately named Mark Twain steamboat
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appropriately named Mark Twain steamboat here at Disneyland. It's been here since
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here at Disneyland. It's been here since
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here at Disneyland. It's been here since opening day, 1955. There's the pilot
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opening day, 1955. There's the pilot
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opening day, 1955. There's the pilot house right there. Imagineers have put
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house right there. Imagineers have put
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house right there. Imagineers have put another little tribute here to Mark
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another little tribute here to Mark
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another little tribute here to Mark Twain that almost everybody misses. And
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Twain that almost everybody misses. And
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Twain that almost everybody misses. And I want to show that to you right now.
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I want to show that to you right now.
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I want to show that to you right now. Now, right down here past Lafitte's
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Now, right down here past Lafitte's
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Now, right down here past Lafitte's anchor, which we'll talk about later, is
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anchor, which we'll talk about later, is
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anchor, which we'll talk about later, is a little river notices sign. Here it is.
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a little river notices sign. Here it is.
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a little river notices sign. Here it is. Now, of course, Disneyland is great at
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Now, of course, Disneyland is great at
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Now, of course, Disneyland is great at theming, so
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theming, so
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theming, so since this is the load area to Tom
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since this is the load area to Tom
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since this is the load area to Tom Sawyer's Island, they fittingly put the
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Sawyer's Island, they fittingly put the
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Sawyer's Island, they fittingly put the fictional St. Petersburg Journal. That
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fictional St. Petersburg Journal. That
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fictional St. Petersburg Journal. That was the town from Tom Sawyer with a
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was the town from Tom Sawyer with a
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was the town from Tom Sawyer with a recounting of the story here. And then
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recounting of the story here. And then
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recounting of the story here. And then there's some historical actual
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there's some historical actual
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there's some historical actual advertisements from things you would
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advertisements from things you would
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advertisements from things you would have seen back in the 1840s, 1850s era
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have seen back in the 1840s, 1850s era
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have seen back in the 1840s, 1850s era steamboat advertisements going up and
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steamboat advertisements going up and
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steamboat advertisements going up and down the river. But there's one little
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down the river. But there's one little
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down the river. But there's one little detail here, a tribute to Mark Twain I'd
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detail here, a tribute to Mark Twain I'd
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detail here, a tribute to Mark Twain I'd like to point out to you. Somebody went
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like to point out to you. Somebody went
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like to point out to you. Somebody went through the trouble of obtaining an
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through the trouble of obtaining an
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through the trouble of obtaining an actual copy
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actual copy
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actual copy and making an actual copy of Mark
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and making an actual copy of Mark
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and making an actual copy of Mark Twain's river pilot's certificate. His
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Twain's river pilot's certificate. His
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Twain's river pilot's certificate. His actual license from when he became a
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actual license from when he became a
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actual license from when he became a licensed pilot, Samuel Clemens. That
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licensed pilot, Samuel Clemens. That
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licensed pilot, Samuel Clemens. That just goes to show you what a big job
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just goes to show you what a big job
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just goes to show you what a big job being a riverboat pilot was back in that
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being a riverboat pilot was back in that
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being a riverboat pilot was back in that day. And you were actually licensed by
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day. And you were actually licensed by
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day. And you were actually licensed by the United States government, even way
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the United States government, even way
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the United States government, even way back then. Being something of a Twainiak
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back then. Being something of a Twainiak
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back then. Being something of a Twainiak myself, I love this little detail.
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myself, I love this little detail.
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myself, I love this little detail. There's something else I actually want
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There's something else I actually want
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There's something else I actually want to point out is that Mark Twain didn't
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to point out is that Mark Twain didn't
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to point out is that Mark Twain didn't receive his actual pilot's license to
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receive his actual pilot's license to
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receive his actual pilot's license to become a full-fledged
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become a full-fledged
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become a full-fledged pilot instead of an apprentice or cub
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pilot instead of an apprentice or cub
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pilot instead of an apprentice or cub pilot until
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pilot until
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pilot until April in 1859.
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April in 1859.
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April in 1859. Now, for those of you who are into
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Now, for those of you who are into
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Now, for those of you who are into history, you know, of course, that the
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history, you know, of course, that the
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history, you know, of course, that the Civil War started in 1861.
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Civil War started in 1861.
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Civil War started in 1861. So, it was only about a year and a half
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So, it was only about a year and a half
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So, it was only about a year and a half that Mark Twain was actually a
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that Mark Twain was actually a
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that Mark Twain was actually a Mississippi Riverboat full-fledged pilot
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Mississippi Riverboat full-fledged pilot
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Mississippi Riverboat full-fledged pilot earning a full pilot salary before the
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earning a full pilot salary before the
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earning a full pilot salary before the river was actually closed by the war.
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river was actually closed by the war.
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river was actually closed by the war. The United States government was
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The United States government was
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The United States government was actually drafting Mississippi Riverboat
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actually drafting Mississippi Riverboat
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actually drafting Mississippi Riverboat pilots as part of their blockade and for
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pilots as part of their blockade and for
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pilots as part of their blockade and for their warships that would go up and down
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their warships that would go up and down
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their warships that would go up and down the river to combat the South. And so,
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the river to combat the South. And so,
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the river to combat the South. And so, Mark Twain, wanting no part of that and
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Mark Twain, wanting no part of that and
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Mark Twain, wanting no part of that and wanting to have nothing to do with the
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wanting to have nothing to do with the
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wanting to have nothing to do with the war,
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war,
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war, basically absconded to Nevada for the
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basically absconded to Nevada for the
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basically absconded to Nevada for the duration. But, it's a good thing he did
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duration. But, it's a good thing he did
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duration. But, it's a good thing he did because that's where he became a regular
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because that's where he became a regular
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because that's where he became a regular newspaper reporter and turned to writing
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newspaper reporter and turned to writing
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newspaper reporter and turned to writing as full-on career. We wouldn't have all
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as full-on career. We wouldn't have all
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as full-on career. We wouldn't have all those Mark Twain stories that we know
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those Mark Twain stories that we know
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those Mark Twain stories that we know and love if the Civil War hadn't come
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and love if the Civil War hadn't come
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and love if the Civil War hadn't come along and shut the river. In fact, many
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along and shut the river. In fact, many
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along and shut the river. In fact, many years later, as an old man, Mark Twain
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years later, as an old man, Mark Twain
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years later, as an old man, Mark Twain would lament the fact that the Civil War
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would lament the fact that the Civil War
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would lament the fact that the Civil War happened and say that if the war hadn't
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happened and say that if the war hadn't
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happened and say that if the war hadn't happened, he would have stayed
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happened, he would have stayed
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happened, he would have stayed at the helm of his ship and died a happy
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at the helm of his ship and died a happy
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at the helm of his ship and died a happy riverboat captain as an old man.
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riverboat captain as an old man.
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riverboat captain as an old man. So, there you have it. Just another
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So, there you have it. Just another
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So, there you have it. Just another little Disneyland detail that I wanted
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little Disneyland detail that I wanted
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little Disneyland detail that I wanted to throw your way. Uh right about now, I
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to throw your way. Uh right about now, I
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to throw your way. Uh right about now, I got to go catch a boat. So, I'll see you
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got to go catch a boat. So, I'll see you
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got to go catch a boat. So, I'll see you later.