Dogpatch USA
Encyclopedia
Dogpatch USA is an abandoned theme park
located on State Highway 7
between the cities of Harrison
and Jasper
in Arkansas
, USA
, an area known today as Marble Falls
. It was opened in 1968, and was based on the comic strip
Li'l Abner
, created by cartoonist Al Capp
and set in a fictional village called Dogpatch
.
Dogpatch USA was a commercial success in its early years, and investors, buoyed with optimism about the park's future, decided to pursue extensive and heavily financed expansion in the form of a sister park, "Marble Falls", designed as a ski resort
and convention center
. But the following years saw a combination of characters and unforeseen events transform the high hopes of investors
into a financial roller coaster ride which eventually ended in the park's demise.
Ownership of the park changed hands many times throughout its history, and it was finally closed in 1993. Since that time much of the property of the twin parks has been neglected and frequently vandalized
, and portions of the land are either entangled in legal issues, in a state of redevelopment, or for sale once again.
decided to sell his family's Ozark trout farm and listed it with O.J. Snow, a Harrison real estate agent. Snow examined the property and decided that the Raney farm was ideal for an amusement park based on pioneer themes—an idea he had entertained for years. He noted that features of the area resembled those pictured in the Li'l Abner comic strip: Mill Creek Canyon at the base of a 55-foot (16.8 m) waterfall was deep enough to be the "bottomless canyon", and the nearby tourist attraction Mystic Caverns (also owned by the Raney family) could become "Dogpatch cave", where "Kickapoo Joy Juice
" was brewed by a few unsavory Dogpatch characters.
Snow and his associates formed Recreation Enterprises, Incorporated (REI) to develop the land and present the idea of a theme park to Al Capp. According to an Arkansas Gazette
article, Snow sent Capp home movies of the property and descriptions of the attractions. There would be horseback riding, paddle boats, train rides, local arts and crafts
shops, family-oriented theatrical
presentations, an apiary
and a honey hut and a fudge
shop. There would be a botanical garden
, rustic-themed entertainment
, and many Lil' Abner comic-strip characters who would roam the park and perform skits for the patrons. All in addition to the trout farm and the Mystic Caverns cave, already in operation.
Snow also assured Capp that the park would be quiet and dignified, and would not include roller coaster
s or thrill rides that would conflict with the rustic Li'l Abner theme. Capp, who had turned down other offers, accepted this one and became a partner, claiming he had once driven through the Ozarks
and had pictured just such an area for the setting of his fictional "Dogpatch" town. Capp was apparently happy with Snow's concept and confident that his Li'l Abner creation would not be tainted.
, so the concept of a theme park based on such a stereotype
was not widely accepted. Lou Oberste of the Publicity and Parks Commission expressed reservations, and Commission Director Bob Evans agreed that Arkansas had difficulty shedding a similar image created by comedic actor Bob Burns and the once-popular radio
characters heard on the long-run Lum and Abner
series (1932–54), which led to the creation of a Lum and Abner Museum in Pine Ridge, Arkansas
.
Edwin T. Haefele of the Brookings Institution
and Leon N. Moses, Professor of Economics at Northwestern University
, happened to visit Arkansas at this time. When reporters asked for their opinions of the Dogpatch project, they expressed doubts about the likelihood of its success, citing the failure of other theme parks that had popped up trying to capture the success of Disneyland. They also felt that such theme parks tend to cause nearby property values to deflate and local businesses to relocate to more desirable areas.
Despite these reservations, the Publicity and Parks Commission toured the property and decided to support the project, and the Harrison Chamber of Commerce approved the plans for the 825 acre (3.3 km2) park (in comparison, Disneyland originally called for only 8 acres).
park, amphitheater, motels and a golf course, would cost an additional $900,000 but would never be fully realized.
Under the direction of Jim Schermerhorn, an REI board member and experienced caver
, Mystic Caverns, which was renamed "Dogpatch Caverns", was completely renovated. Dangerous conditions were corrected to ensure safety, including a better lighting system, walkway, and entrance. During renovation, while Shermerhorn was operating the bulldozer
, a second cave was discovered next to Mystic Caverns. Realizing the potential value of this pristine cave, he had it blocked off so that it could be preserved untouched. It was named "Old Man Moses Cave" and put on the "to do" list along with the other projects intended for Phase II. Schermerhorn also acquired several authentic 19th century log cabin
s in the Ozark Mountains and had them dismantled, shipped, and reconstructed in the park. This fact was never advertised.
Dogpatch USA opened and welcomed about 8,000 visitors on May 17, 1968. The centerpiece of the park was a giant statue of the fictional town hero, Jubilation T. Cornpone, and it was unveiled that day during Al Capp's dedication speech to a crowd of about 2,000. General admission was $1.50 for adults and $0.75 for children, and the park reported a net profit
of about $100,000 at the end of the 1968 season.
Attendance expectations for the park were, in retrospect, extremely optimistic; a Los Angeles
consulting firm projected 400,000 patrons in the first year, and 1.2 million by the year 1977. But Dogpatch USA hosted only 300,000 visitors in 1968, and never reported more than 200,000 visitors in any subsequent year.
called Maumelle
. REI expected Odom to spend an estimated $5 to $7 million on improvements and the addition of "Skunk Hollow" next to Dogpatch USA, but these plans never came to fruition.
Odom signed a long-term licensing agreement with Capp, giving the park and any future Lil Abner franchises the rights to use all characters, events, jargon, names, and titles until 1998. In return, Capp would receive two to three percent of the gross of admissions over the same time period.
For the 1969 season, Odom hired former Governor of Arkansas, Orval E. Faubus, as General Manager and President of REI. He is reported to have claimed that running the park was very similar to running the state.
Also in 1969 the b-movie
'It's Alive' was partly filmed at the Dogpatch Theme park.
pop culture. Shows such as Green Acres
, Petticoat Junction
, and The Beverly Hillbillies
were in vogue on American television, and a similar rustic-themed park just a few miles away near Branson, Missouri
, Silver Dollar City
, had become a huge success. The Li'l Abner comic strip was appearing in over 700 newspaper
s daily throughout the country, which kept the fictional town of Dogpatch in the public eye. In addition, Al Capp had just signed a deal for a restaurant franchise
and the rights to develop his comic strip into a TV series.
Dogpatch USA was profitable in its first few years. In 1971, Odom, who foresaw unlimited potential for the park, bought out most of the remaining investors for $700,000 and became, essentially, the owner. REI borrowed $2 million from Union Planters Bank in Memphis in May 1972 to build a sister park called "Marble Falls", with the intention of making the "Twin Parks of the Ozarks" a year-round attraction. Marble Falls, a ski resort with a convention center
, toboggan
run, motel
s and an ice skating
rink, was ready for the Christmas season
of 1972.
Success seemed to be on the horizon for Odom and Dogpatch USA, but the many unforeseen events of the 1970s cast a dark shadow on Odom's dreams. Attendance figures throughout that decade were woefully short of expectations. In 1973, interest rate
s began to skyrocket, and a nationwide energy crisis
kept many tourists home. TV shows with country themes virtually disappeared from the American TV screen
and the popularity of hillbillies waned. The Li'l Abner TV show and restaurant chain never came to be, and Al Capp retired. Capp's retirement brought an end to one of the greatest advertisements
for Dogpatch USA – the Li'l Abner comic strip.
The mild winter weather which visited Arkansas through the mid-1970s proved to be the undoing of Marble Falls as a ski resort, and its snow cannons and slopes sat idle much of the time. The modest profits of Dogpatch USA were not sufficient to keep the two parks afloat, and Odom, already $2 million in debt, was forced to borrow an additional $1.5 million in the unfavorable financial atmosphere of 1973.
In 1974, Odom partnered with the University of Arkansas
in Fayetteville
to create an in-park repertory theater featuring its own "Boars Head Players". This venture turned into a huge disappointment; the group presented two of the five promised productions, and did not return for any of the following seasons. Today, this troupe is still active at the University of Arkansas.
In 1976, Union Planters Bank began foreclosure
proceedings on $3.5 million in debts. In 1977, Al Capp and the Li'l Abner comic strip retired, and First National Bank of Little Rock began foreclosure proceedings on $600,000 in debts. In September of that year, Odom stated that, because Marble Falls had lost as much as $100,000 a year since it opened, the ski slopes would be closed permanently. Amidst this, Dogpatch USA recorded one of its most profitable years in 1977.
Two personal injury lawsuits, seeking more than $200,000 in compensation, were brought against Dogpatch USA in 1979 and settled in 1980. By 1979, Dogpatch USA's income was less than its operating expenses, and attempts by Odom to get the town of Harrison, and later Jasper, to issue tourism bonds
to refinance
millions of dollars of debt were unsuccessful. That same year Odom announced that negotiations had been underway to sell the park to a private nonprofit group called God's Patch, Inc., which would turn Dogpatch USA into a biblical
-themed amusement park, but funding never materialized. The heat wave
of 1980, one of the worst in Arkansas' history, made that year one of the worst for the park and marked the second consecutive year that Dogpatch USA operated without sufficient income. In October 1980, Union Planters Bank filed to take possession of both Dogpatch USA and Marble Falls. A month later, Dogpatch USA filed for bankruptcy
.
, Hank Thompson, and Ike
and Tina Turner
.
Thompson also brought in the corporate sponsorship of Coca Cola, Dr Pepper
, and Tyson Foods
, and superheroes including Spider-Man
, Batman and Robin
, and Captain America
for personal appearances and autograph signing. Gospel
and bluegrass
shows were presented, and Denver Pyle
(Uncle Jesse from the popular TV series The Dukes of Hazzard
) was signed as the park's spokesman both onsite and in TV commercials. The emphasis on new promotions paid off; Dogpatch USA was profitable in every year that Wayne Thompson was General Manager for OEI (1981–86), and more visitors spent more money per person during these years than in any other years.
In 1981, Dogpatch Caverns and Old Man Moses Cave were sold to Bruce Raney (grandson of Albert Raney, Sr.) and a fellow investor. Old Man Moses Cave was finally renovated and renamed "Crystal Dome" and "Dogpatch Caverns" became "Mystic Caverns" again. Managed by Raney until they were sold to Omni Properties, Inc. in 1984, the twin caves continue to operate as tourist attractions.
In the 1980s, the ownership of Marble Falls was divided and changed until it became so entangled in legal problems that it was impossible to clearly identify who actually owned each part of the property. In 1983, a new investor, "Buffalo River Resorts", began selling parcels of the land for timeshare
s and condominium
s, although buyers had to be informed of the uncertain legal status of the property.
, and Magic Springs in Hot Springs, Arkansas
. Wayne Thompson, who was general manager of the park, became President of Telcor with Sam Southerland as Vice President. Thompson and Southerland were principal owners of OEI, and Southerland actually managed the finances for all three Telcor parks. Under Thompson's leadership Telcor made renovations and improvements, and a new ride called the "Space Shuttle" was added.
In 1988, Wayne Thompson departed, and Lynn Spradley, a Dogpatch USA veteran of 14 years, became GM and managed the park through the 1991 season. During this time Spradley bemoaned the fact that Dogpatch USA was forced to spend much more per patron on promotional strategies to attract visitors than other theme parks, and that most kids did not know who the Li'l Abner characters were. By this time the comic strip had been out of print for more than 10 years.
Dogpatch USA floundered in the face of stiff competition in the Telcor years, especially from Silver Dollar City
, which duplicated most of what Dogpatch USA offered but on a grander scale, and was an hour's drive to the north. And what Silver Dollar City lacked, the Ozark Folk Center
(a fully subsidized state park) in nearby Mountain View
provided, and neither park was wrapped in an outdated cartoon franchise.
In 1991, more changes were made as a last-ditch effort to boost attendance. Emphasis was placed on arts and crafts instead of rides and entertainment. General admission was eliminated; patrons paid for each individual attraction instead. Telcor decided to save the money that the Capp estate was receiving for use of the name and characters, and with that one of the most distinctive aspects of the park—the Li'l Abner theme—was completely dropped and the name changed to Dogpatch, Arkansas.
After struggling a few more years, the park was closed on October 14, 1993. In 1997, citizens of Dogpatch, Arkansas (which had been the postal designation of the area since the park opened) voted unanimously to change the name to Marble Falls, its original name. No records exist of such a vote to change the name to Dogpatch in 1966, and residents who lived there in 1966, who are still living there today claim it was carried out against their will.
was described by visitors as "beautiful". Its appearance during this time was comparable to Heritage USA
, a similar amusement/waterpark venture that declared bankruptcy and has also been neglected.
Shortly after it closed, the park was put up for auction on the courthouse steps in Jasper. The auction was handled by Jim Sprott, a Harrison lawyer whose wife Jan had been "Daisy Mae" at Dogpatch USA from 1968 through the 1970 season. Ford Carr, president of Leisuretek Corporation and Westek Corporation, received a quit claim for the property. At that time, however, he neglected to do anything with the park. In late 2002 he had the 141 acre (0.57060726 km²) site placed on eBay
with a minimum bid requirement of $1 million. Although he was looking for a $4 million bid, there were no bidders. In 2004 it was reported by KATV
in Arkansas that the property was again for sale, for $5 million. Ideas and suggestions about revitalizing the park were occasionally discussed during the Carr years of ownership, but no concrete plan materialized.
In 2002, a visitor to the neglected and vandalized park observed that the statue of General Jubilation T. Cornpone, the centerpiece of Dogpatch USA, was "toppled and broken on the town square." In 2004, the statue was removed from the park, and was later spotted near the Shepherd Of The Hills Homestead on the Shepherd of the Hills Expressway in Branson, Missouri
. The statue was moved to another Westek property for fear that someone would try to steal it.
Since its closure the park has often been visited by urban explorers
(despite the fact that "No Trespassing" signs were posted since 2002, or possibly earlier), and pictures posted on various internet sites attest to this fact. Problems with trespassers and stolen property during these years led to the posting of a caretaker on the grounds.
The Arkansas Herpetological
Society (AHS) obtained written permission from the owner and conducted a field trip to the park in June 2004. AHS is a non-profit organization which gathers and disseminates factual and reliable information regarding the indigenous snakes and other reptiles and amphibians of Arkansas. Torry Chapman, moderator of the AHS web site, stated that her organization had planned a second field trip to the park in October 2005, but was prohibited by a spokesman of the owner.
. The lift station was installed when Dogpatch was built to support the park and a large community that would grow around the area. By today's standards the facility would be considered an antique and is in need of replacement since it fell into disrepair after the park closed. It is unclear who should pay for it, since the status of the land it's on is unclear. In November 2009 the failed lift station was confirmed by the National Park Service to be one of the causes for unusually high levels of fecal coliform and bacteria coming from Mill Creek into the Buffalo River. The community supported by the massive system is about 25 subscribers. Since the accident they have had their waste disposal rates doubled, and the money used to hired two system operations. This put them at at odds with state regulations. It is estimated it will cost this community 1 million dollars to replace the system, but the only other solution would be to shut off their water. In July 2010 it was reported that the state intended to sue the Marble Falls community for contaminating the waterways of Arkansas.
On June 5, June 16 and November 16 of 2009, a routine compliance inspection was conducted by an ADEQ Water Division Field Inspector. All of these inspections revealed that Marble Falls was discharging unpermitted, untreated wastewater into Mills Creek. On February 2, 2010 the Arkansas Attorney General's office filed an injunction in the Newton County Circuit Court against the Marble Falls Sewage Improvement District for violating the Arkansas Water and Air Pollution Control Act. On June 22, 2010, the National Park Service issued a health hazard warning stating that the Buffalo River and the waters surrounding it contained unsafe levels of e. coli bacteria. Finally, in July 2010, after receiving several complaints from local residents and fisherman, the ADEQ headed up a dye test which conclusively proved that raw sewage was in fact seeping into the Buffalo River. (cite ADEQ press release)
In September 2010, amidst a trial it would surely lose, the Marble Falls Sewage Improvement District agreed to a consent order demanding it build a costly new sewage treatment facility.
Presently, Marble Falls runs its sewage through a borrowed pump. It serves approximately 100 users. The first construction phase of the new sewage facility is due for completion in May 2011. The preliminary costs for the first phase are $168,177.50; the second phase $168,850.00; the final phase $419,375.00. This comes to a total of $756,402.50. In addition to the Arkansas Highway Department's contribution of $292,307.00 to divert wastewater that goes over a portion of state property, the total amount to build a new sewage system amounts to $1,048,709.50. Once completed, it will still serve approximately 100 users.
In the summer of 2005 passers-by began noticing activity in the park. Debris was being cleared and the trout pond was drained. In March 2006 a news article, which discussed the clean-up project, appeared in the Harrison Daily Times. Ford Carr, who says that he spends about a quarter of his time answering questions about the property, was interviewed about the project, and claimed he was not at liberty to either confirm or deny that the property has been sold and is being redeveloped: "The official word is it's being cleaned up," Carr told the Daily Times. "That's all I can tell you."
As of June 1, 2006 the trout pond had been cleared of debris and refilled, and water flowed through it once again. The roofs of some of the buildings have been replaced and a few of the structures have been removed.
A few businesses have revived sections of the Marble Falls property. Bob Richards and Randal Phillips purchased and later reopened a portion of the property as "The Hub", a motorcycle-themed center, in June 2005. The Hub features a 60-room hotel and a convention facility that seats 1,500 in theater style. Fred and Larisse Mullens have begun a venture called "The Shepherd's Fold Retreat Center and Campground". The centerpiece is a large church, where weekly services are currently being held, next to The Hub at #4 Dogpatch Blvd. They hope to redevelop the old Dogpatch USA campground and are seeking donations. Signs on their property indicate that they also plan to open a country store. There is also a section of their website dedicated to this.
The Marble Falls post office, a small building with just a few PO boxes and a mail drop-slot, is located in what remains of the Dogpatch USA parking lot, a few yards away from the ruins of the Funicular Tram that brought visitors into the park.
The old Marble Falls Ski Lodge is now an antiques shop.
In 1966, the Trout Pond was sold to the developers of Dogpatch USA, and the Raney family continued to operate the pond throughout the park's years. The pond was, arguably, the park's most popular and unique attraction, and was kept overstocked so that visitors could cast a rented fishing line and easily catch some "big ones". The catch was then cleaned and cooked by the restaurant staff and served to the lucky angler. After the park closed, the Trout Pond sat untended for many years along with the rest of the property. Trout were fished out by trespassers until none remained. In 2005 it was drained and cleaned. It has been refilled, and water again flows through.
Dogpatch Caverns - A nearby show cave that was incorporated into the park. It had been a tourist attraction since the late 1920s, and in 1949 it was purchased by the Raney family and renamed Mystic Caverns. It was sold to the developers of Dogpatch USA in 1966, and renamed "Dogpatch Caverns". The cave was renovated and many safety issues were addressed. During renovations, a second cave was discovered next door; it was named "Old Man Moses Cave" after a Lil' Abner cartoon character, and barricaded to preserve its pristine condition.
Plans were made to renovate the new cave during Phase II of Dogpatch USA construction but Phase II was never completed. Both caves were sold in 1981. "Dogpatch Caverns" was renamed "Mystic Caverns" once more, and "Old Man Moses Cave" was finally opened for tours and renamed "Crystal Dome"
. The caves are the only original Dogpatch USA attractions in operation today.
Frustratin' Flyer - a steel "Monster Mouse" coaster created by Herschell. Installed in 1968 for the park's debut, it operated until 1991. Dogpatch USA brochures after 1973 continued to show a Monster Mouse in operation. The mouse was sold between the 1991 and 1992 season.
Earthquake McGoon’s Brain Rattler - a toboggan
roller coaster by Chance Rides. The ride was apparently part of the park when it was opened in 1968. In early brochures it was depicted as being a track wrapped around an enormous tree, but the ride was actually made of metal. At some time in the 1970s the ride was closed, possibly due to maintenance problems. It did not reopen until the park was sold to Ozark Family Entertainment in 1981, and was believed to be in service for the remainder of the park's years. The ride is currently in operation as the Wild & Wooly Toboggan at Little Amerricka amusement park in Marshall, Wisconsin.
Funicular Tram - A "decliner inliner", the tram was used to transport visitors from the parking lot into the park below. It was purchased from an unknown manufacturer in Switzerland
and shipped to Dogpatch USA at a cost of $250,000. Installed in 1970 and opened at the beginning of the 1971 season, it could transport 1,700 guests per hour at a speed of 13.5 feet per second (4.1 m/s). As passengers descended into the Dogpatch USA valley they were given a short monologue about the park over the tram's PA system. In the early 1990s, two newspaper articles reported that the PA system was not functioning properly and produced only static. The tram itself remained in service until 1992 when the park eliminated general admission, and has the distinction of being the only ride that remains in the park, although it lies in ruin.
Lil' Abner's Space Rocket - The ride was added no later than 1978 and, because of its overt off-theme nature, its addition is thought to signal the beginning of the end of the park. The ride, prominently displayed on brochures from the era, was removed when the park closed in 1993 and its whereabouts are unknown.
Trash Eaters - The park had trash cans equipped with huge animal heads that "ate" (sucked) the trash out of patrons hands and into their mouths. The heads were shaped like goats, pigs, and even razorback
s, and the unusual design encouraged patrons to properly dispose of their litter
by making it an amusing experience. The trash eaters used an unusual design. There was a blower motor inside the trash eater "house". The inside of the "house" was sealed so that when the door was shut, a vacuum was created which sucked trash into the trash eater's mouth. The trash then hit a stop and fell into the trashcan located inside the trash eater "house". Several of the trash eaters remain on the property today.
Other Rides - Other rides included:
Wolf Island Paddle Boats,
Boat Train ride (replaced in 1988 by bumper boats),
Helicopters (kiddie ride),
Ol' 99 (a kiddie train ride),
Wild Water Rampage,
Yo-yo ride,
Paratrooper ride,
West Porkchop Express (train),
Scambler ride,
Merry-go-round,
Antique Cars,
General Bullmoose's Gravity House (a blacklight maze, fun house),
Shooting Gallery,
Hairless Joe and Lonesome Polecat's Kickapoo Joy Juice Barrel Ride (Rotor ride) replaced by a children's play area in 1988,
Sky Driver (replaced the Brain Rattler in 1989),
The Wheel of Misfortune (a Round Up, spinning ride, Wheel of Fortune spinner theme-decor)
Photography of the abandoned park
Related information
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
located on State Highway 7
Arkansas State Highway 7
Arkansas Highway 7 is a north–south state highway that runs across the state. The route runs from the Louisiana Highway 558 at the Louisiana state line north to Diamond City near the Missouri state line. With the exception of the segment north of Harrison, Highway 7 has been designated as one of...
between the cities of Harrison
Harrison, Arkansas
Harrison is a city in Boone County, Arkansas, United States. It is the county seat. According to 2007 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 13,108. Boone County was organized in 1869, during reconstruction after the civil war. Harrison was platted and made the county seat. It is...
and Jasper
Jasper, Arkansas
Jasper is a city in Newton County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 498 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Newton County.Jasper is part of the Harrison Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
in Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, an area known today as Marble Falls
Marble Falls, Arkansas
Marble Falls is an unincorporated community in Newton County, Arkansas, United States. It lies along Arkansas's National Scenic 7 Bywaybetween Harrison and Jasper. The Marble Falls Post Office is located in the parking lot of the now defunct theme park called Dogpatch USA...
. It was opened in 1968, and was based on the comic strip
Comic strip
A comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions....
Li'l Abner
Li'l Abner
Li'l Abner is a satirical American comic strip that appeared in many newspapers in the United States, Canada and Europe, featuring a fictional clan of hillbillies in the impoverished town of Dogpatch, Kentucky. Written and drawn by Al Capp , the strip ran for 43 years, from August 13, 1934 through...
, created by cartoonist Al Capp
Al Capp
Alfred Gerald Caplin , better known as Al Capp, was an American cartoonist and humorist best known for the satirical comic strip Li'l Abner. He also wrote the comic strips Abbie an' Slats and Long Sam...
and set in a fictional village called Dogpatch
Dogpatch
Dogpatch was the fictional setting of cartoonist Al Capp's classic comic strip, Li'l Abner .In Capp's own words, Dogpatch was "an average stone-age community nestled in a bleak valley, between two cheap and uninteresting hills somewhere." The inhabitants were mostly lazy hillbillies, who usually...
.
Dogpatch USA was a commercial success in its early years, and investors, buoyed with optimism about the park's future, decided to pursue extensive and heavily financed expansion in the form of a sister park, "Marble Falls", designed as a ski resort
Ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing and other winter sports. In Europe a ski resort is a town or village in a ski area - a mountainous area, where there are ski trails and supporting services such as hotels and other accommodation, restaurants, equipment rental and a ski lift system...
and convention center
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
. But the following years saw a combination of characters and unforeseen events transform the high hopes of investors
Investment
Investment has different meanings in finance and economics. Finance investment is putting money into something with the expectation of gain, that upon thorough analysis, has a high degree of security for the principal amount, as well as security of return, within an expected period of time...
into a financial roller coaster ride which eventually ended in the park's demise.
Ownership of the park changed hands many times throughout its history, and it was finally closed in 1993. Since that time much of the property of the twin parks has been neglected and frequently vandalized
Vandalism
Vandalism is the behaviour attributed originally to the Vandals, by the Romans, in respect of culture: ruthless destruction or spoiling of anything beautiful or venerable...
, and portions of the land are either entangled in legal issues, in a state of redevelopment, or for sale once again.
Conception
In 1966, Albert Raney, Sr.Albert Raney, Sr.
Albert Raney, Sr. is the patriarch of the Raney family. He and his family lived and presumably still live along Arkansas' National Scenic 7 Byway between Harrison and Jasper, and have had a major impact on the history of that area....
decided to sell his family's Ozark trout farm and listed it with O.J. Snow, a Harrison real estate agent. Snow examined the property and decided that the Raney farm was ideal for an amusement park based on pioneer themes—an idea he had entertained for years. He noted that features of the area resembled those pictured in the Li'l Abner comic strip: Mill Creek Canyon at the base of a 55-foot (16.8 m) waterfall was deep enough to be the "bottomless canyon", and the nearby tourist attraction Mystic Caverns (also owned by the Raney family) could become "Dogpatch cave", where "Kickapoo Joy Juice
Kickapoo Joy Juice
Kickapoo Joy Juice is a citrus-flavored soft drink brand owned by The Monarch Beverage Company. The name was originally introduced in Li'l Abner, a comic strip that ran from 1934 through 1977...
" was brewed by a few unsavory Dogpatch characters.
Snow and his associates formed Recreation Enterprises, Incorporated (REI) to develop the land and present the idea of a theme park to Al Capp. According to an Arkansas Gazette
Arkansas Gazette
The Arkansas Gazette, known as the oldest newspaper west of the Mississippi River, and located from 1908 until its October 18, 1991 closing at the now historic Gazette Building, was for many years the newspaper of record for Little Rock and the State of Arkansas...
article, Snow sent Capp home movies of the property and descriptions of the attractions. There would be horseback riding, paddle boats, train rides, local arts and crafts
Arts and crafts
Arts and crafts comprise a whole host of activities and hobbies that are related to making things with one's hands and skill. These can be sub-divided into handicrafts or "traditional crafts" and "the rest"...
shops, family-oriented theatrical
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
presentations, an apiary
Apiary
An apiary is a place where beehives of honey bees are kept. Traditionally beekeepers paid land rent in honey for the use of small parcels. Some farmers will provide free apiary sites, because they need pollination, and farmers who need many hives often pay for them to be moved to the crops when...
and a honey hut and a fudge
Fudge
Fudge is a type of Western confectionery which is usually very sweet, and extremely rich. It is made by mixing sugar, butter, and milk and heating it to the soft-ball stage at , and then beating the mixture while it cools so that it acquires a smooth, creamy consistency...
shop. There would be a botanical garden
Botanical garden
A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...
, rustic-themed entertainment
Entertainment
Entertainment consists of any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is generally passive, such as watching opera or a movie. Active forms of amusement, such as sports, are more often considered to be recreation...
, and many Lil' Abner comic-strip characters who would roam the park and perform skits for the patrons. All in addition to the trout farm and the Mystic Caverns cave, already in operation.
Snow also assured Capp that the park would be quiet and dignified, and would not include roller coaster
Roller coaster
The roller coaster is a popular amusement ride developed for amusement parks and modern theme parks. LaMarcus Adna Thompson patented the first coasters on January 20, 1885...
s or thrill rides that would conflict with the rustic Li'l Abner theme. Capp, who had turned down other offers, accepted this one and became a partner, claiming he had once driven through the Ozarks
The Ozarks
The Ozarks are a physiographic and geologic highland region of the central United States. It covers much of the southern half of Missouri and an extensive portion of northwestern and north central Arkansas...
and had pictured just such an area for the setting of his fictional "Dogpatch" town. Capp was apparently happy with Snow's concept and confident that his Li'l Abner creation would not be tainted.
Doubts at the start
Arkansans have always been sensitive about being portrayed as hillbilliesHillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
, so the concept of a theme park based on such a stereotype
Stereotype
A stereotype is a popular belief about specific social groups or types of individuals. The concepts of "stereotype" and "prejudice" are often confused with many other different meanings...
was not widely accepted. Lou Oberste of the Publicity and Parks Commission expressed reservations, and Commission Director Bob Evans agreed that Arkansas had difficulty shedding a similar image created by comedic actor Bob Burns and the once-popular radio
Old-time radio
Old-Time Radio and the Golden Age of Radio refer to a period of radio programming in the United States lasting from the proliferation of radio broadcasting in the early 1920s until television's replacement of radio as the primary home entertainment medium in the 1950s...
characters heard on the long-run Lum and Abner
Lum and Abner
Lum and Abner was an American radio comedy network program created by Chester Lauck and Norris Goff that aired from 1931 to 1954. Modeled on life in the small town of Waters, Arkansas, near where Lauck and Goff grew up, the showed proved immensely popular...
series (1932–54), which led to the creation of a Lum and Abner Museum in Pine Ridge, Arkansas
Pine Ridge, Arkansas
Pine Ridge is an unincorporated community in Montgomery County, Arkansas, United States. It is located at .The original name was Waters, but the name was changed in 1936 to Pine Ridge through a vote of the city's town council...
.
Edwin T. Haefele of the Brookings Institution
Brookings Institution
The Brookings Institution is a nonprofit public policy organization based in Washington, D.C., in the United States. One of Washington's oldest think tanks, Brookings conducts research and education in the social sciences, primarily in economics, metropolitan policy, governance, foreign policy, and...
and Leon N. Moses, Professor of Economics at Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, happened to visit Arkansas at this time. When reporters asked for their opinions of the Dogpatch project, they expressed doubts about the likelihood of its success, citing the failure of other theme parks that had popped up trying to capture the success of Disneyland. They also felt that such theme parks tend to cause nearby property values to deflate and local businesses to relocate to more desirable areas.
Despite these reservations, the Publicity and Parks Commission toured the property and decided to support the project, and the Harrison Chamber of Commerce approved the plans for the 825 acre (3.3 km2) park (in comparison, Disneyland originally called for only 8 acres).
Building and opening the park
Al Capp and his wife attended the ground-breaking ceremony on Tuesday, October 3, 1967. Phase I of the project, at a cost of $1,332,000, included construction of the buildings and rides. Phase II, which was to be the construction of an RVRecreational vehicle
Recreational vehicle or RV is, in North America, the usual term for a Motor vehicle or trailer equipped with living space and amenities found in a home.-Features:...
park, amphitheater, motels and a golf course, would cost an additional $900,000 but would never be fully realized.
Under the direction of Jim Schermerhorn, an REI board member and experienced caver
Caving
Caving—also occasionally known as spelunking in the United States and potholing in the United Kingdom—is the recreational pastime of exploring wild cave systems...
, Mystic Caverns, which was renamed "Dogpatch Caverns", was completely renovated. Dangerous conditions were corrected to ensure safety, including a better lighting system, walkway, and entrance. During renovation, while Shermerhorn was operating the bulldozer
Bulldozer
A bulldozer is a crawler equipped with a substantial metal plate used to push large quantities of soil, sand, rubble, etc., during construction work and typically equipped at the rear with a claw-like device to loosen densely-compacted materials.Bulldozers can be found on a wide range of sites,...
, a second cave was discovered next to Mystic Caverns. Realizing the potential value of this pristine cave, he had it blocked off so that it could be preserved untouched. It was named "Old Man Moses Cave" and put on the "to do" list along with the other projects intended for Phase II. Schermerhorn also acquired several authentic 19th century log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
s in the Ozark Mountains and had them dismantled, shipped, and reconstructed in the park. This fact was never advertised.
Dogpatch USA opened and welcomed about 8,000 visitors on May 17, 1968. The centerpiece of the park was a giant statue of the fictional town hero, Jubilation T. Cornpone, and it was unveiled that day during Al Capp's dedication speech to a crowd of about 2,000. General admission was $1.50 for adults and $0.75 for children, and the park reported a net profit
Net profit
Net profit or net revenue is a measure of the profitability of a venture after accounting for all costs. In a survey of nearly 200 senior marketing managers, 91 percent responded that they found the "net profit" metric very useful...
of about $100,000 at the end of the 1968 season.
Attendance expectations for the park were, in retrospect, extremely optimistic; a Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
consulting firm projected 400,000 patrons in the first year, and 1.2 million by the year 1977. But Dogpatch USA hosted only 300,000 visitors in 1968, and never reported more than 200,000 visitors in any subsequent year.
The park changes hands—Jess Odom
In 1969, a disagreement arose among the members of REI with regards to investing the profits of the first year. Snow believed all the profits should be reinvested in the park, but the other members wanted to divide some of it among themselves. As a result, Jess Odom, an Arkansas businessman in search of an opportunity, bought Snow's and other REI members' shares for $750,000 and gained a controlling interest in the park. Odom had been successful in several other endeavors, including the founding of a planned community northwest of Little RockLittle Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
called Maumelle
Maumelle, Arkansas
Maumelle is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States and a suburb of Little Rock. Founded by Jess Odom with federal assistance from the Urban Growth and New Community Development Act, it is a master-planned community....
. REI expected Odom to spend an estimated $5 to $7 million on improvements and the addition of "Skunk Hollow" next to Dogpatch USA, but these plans never came to fruition.
Odom signed a long-term licensing agreement with Capp, giving the park and any future Lil Abner franchises the rights to use all characters, events, jargon, names, and titles until 1998. In return, Capp would receive two to three percent of the gross of admissions over the same time period.
For the 1969 season, Odom hired former Governor of Arkansas, Orval E. Faubus, as General Manager and President of REI. He is reported to have claimed that running the park was very similar to running the state.
Also in 1969 the b-movie
B-movie
A B movie is a low-budget commercial motion picture that is not definitively an arthouse or pornographic film. In its original usage, during the Golden Age of Hollywood, the term more precisely identified a film intended for distribution as the less-publicized, bottom half of a double feature....
'It's Alive' was partly filmed at the Dogpatch Theme park.
Success is elusive
1969 marked a particularly popular year for rustic and hillbillyHillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
pop culture. Shows such as Green Acres
Green Acres
Green Acres is an American television series starring Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor as a couple who move from New York City to a country farm...
, Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction
Petticoat Junction is an American situation comedy produced by Filmways which originally aired on CBS from 1963 to 1970. The series is one of three interrelated shows about rural characters created by Paul Henning; the others are The Beverly Hillbillies and Green Acres.The setting for the series...
, and The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies
The Beverly Hillbillies is an American situation comedy originally broadcast for nine seasons on CBS from 1962 to 1971, starring Buddy Ebsen, Irene Ryan, Donna Douglas, and Max Baer, Jr....
were in vogue on American television, and a similar rustic-themed park just a few miles away near Branson, Missouri
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
, Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City is a theme park in the state of Missouri. Opened on May 1, 1960, the park is located between Branson and Branson West, Missouri, on Highway 76...
, had become a huge success. The Li'l Abner comic strip was appearing in over 700 newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
s daily throughout the country, which kept the fictional town of Dogpatch in the public eye. In addition, Al Capp had just signed a deal for a restaurant franchise
Franchising
Franchising is the practice of using another firm's successful business model. The word 'franchise' is of anglo-French derivation - from franc- meaning free, and is used both as a noun and as a verb....
and the rights to develop his comic strip into a TV series.
Dogpatch USA was profitable in its first few years. In 1971, Odom, who foresaw unlimited potential for the park, bought out most of the remaining investors for $700,000 and became, essentially, the owner. REI borrowed $2 million from Union Planters Bank in Memphis in May 1972 to build a sister park called "Marble Falls", with the intention of making the "Twin Parks of the Ozarks" a year-round attraction. Marble Falls, a ski resort with a convention center
Convention center
A convention center is a large building that is designed to hold a convention, where individuals and groups gather to promote and share common interests. Convention centers typically offer sufficient floor area to accommodate several thousand attendees...
, toboggan
Toboggan
A toboggan is a simple sled which is a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada. In modern times, it is used on snow to carry one or more people down a hill or other slope for recreation. Designs vary from simple, traditional models to modern engineered composites...
run, motel
Motel
A motor hotel, or motel for short, is a hotel designed for motorists, and usually has a parking area for motor vehicles...
s and an ice skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
rink, was ready for the Christmas season
Winter holiday season
The Christmas season, the holiday season, or simply the holidays is an annual festive period that surrounds Christmas and various other holidays. It is generally considered to run from late November to early January. Its relation to Christmas in official use by schools and governments has resulted...
of 1972.
Success seemed to be on the horizon for Odom and Dogpatch USA, but the many unforeseen events of the 1970s cast a dark shadow on Odom's dreams. Attendance figures throughout that decade were woefully short of expectations. In 1973, interest rate
Interest rate
An interest rate is the rate at which interest is paid by a borrower for the use of money that they borrow from a lender. For example, a small company borrows capital from a bank to buy new assets for their business, and in return the lender receives interest at a predetermined interest rate for...
s began to skyrocket, and a nationwide energy crisis
1973 oil crisis
The 1973 oil crisis started in October 1973, when the members of Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries or the OAPEC proclaimed an oil embargo. This was "in response to the U.S. decision to re-supply the Israeli military" during the Yom Kippur war. It lasted until March 1974. With the...
kept many tourists home. TV shows with country themes virtually disappeared from the American TV screen
Rural purge
The "rural purge" of American television networks was a series of cancellations between 1969 and 1972, the majority of which occurred at the end of the 1970-71 television season, of still popular rural-themed shows and shows with demographically-skewed audiences...
and the popularity of hillbillies waned. The Li'l Abner TV show and restaurant chain never came to be, and Al Capp retired. Capp's retirement brought an end to one of the greatest advertisements
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
for Dogpatch USA – the Li'l Abner comic strip.
The mild winter weather which visited Arkansas through the mid-1970s proved to be the undoing of Marble Falls as a ski resort, and its snow cannons and slopes sat idle much of the time. The modest profits of Dogpatch USA were not sufficient to keep the two parks afloat, and Odom, already $2 million in debt, was forced to borrow an additional $1.5 million in the unfavorable financial atmosphere of 1973.
In 1974, Odom partnered with the University of Arkansas
University of Arkansas
The University of Arkansas is a public, co-educational, land-grant, space-grant, research university. It is classified by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with very high research activity. It is the flagship campus of the University of Arkansas System and is located in...
in Fayetteville
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
to create an in-park repertory theater featuring its own "Boars Head Players". This venture turned into a huge disappointment; the group presented two of the five promised productions, and did not return for any of the following seasons. Today, this troupe is still active at the University of Arkansas.
In 1976, Union Planters Bank began foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
proceedings on $3.5 million in debts. In 1977, Al Capp and the Li'l Abner comic strip retired, and First National Bank of Little Rock began foreclosure proceedings on $600,000 in debts. In September of that year, Odom stated that, because Marble Falls had lost as much as $100,000 a year since it opened, the ski slopes would be closed permanently. Amidst this, Dogpatch USA recorded one of its most profitable years in 1977.
Two personal injury lawsuits, seeking more than $200,000 in compensation, were brought against Dogpatch USA in 1979 and settled in 1980. By 1979, Dogpatch USA's income was less than its operating expenses, and attempts by Odom to get the town of Harrison, and later Jasper, to issue tourism bonds
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
to refinance
Refinancing
Refinancing may refer to the replacement of an existing debt obligation with a debt obligation under different terms. The terms and conditions of refinancing may vary widely by country, province, or state, based on several economic factors such as, inherent risk, projected risk, political...
millions of dollars of debt were unsuccessful. That same year Odom announced that negotiations had been underway to sell the park to a private nonprofit group called God's Patch, Inc., which would turn Dogpatch USA into a biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
-themed amusement park, but funding never materialized. The heat wave
Heat wave
A heat wave is a prolonged period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity. There is no universal definition of a heat wave; the term is relative to the usual weather in the area...
of 1980, one of the worst in Arkansas' history, made that year one of the worst for the park and marked the second consecutive year that Dogpatch USA operated without sufficient income. In October 1980, Union Planters Bank filed to take possession of both Dogpatch USA and Marble Falls. A month later, Dogpatch USA filed for bankruptcy
Bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal status of an insolvent person or an organisation, that is, one that cannot repay the debts owed to creditors. In most jurisdictions bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the debtor....
.
The OEI years—Wayne Thompson
In 1981, Ozarks Entertainment, Inc. (OEI) bought Dogpatch USA for an undisclosed amount; it would retain ownership through 1986. Taking the park in new directions, OEI, under the leadership of General Manager Wayne Thompson, reduced the park staff by more than 50% and added many attractions, one of which was "Earthquake McGoon's Brain Rattler", the park's second roller coaster ride. The amphitheater hosted concerts featuring stars such as Reba McEntireReba McEntire
Reba Nell McEntire is an American country music artist and actress. She began her career in the music industry as a high school student singing in the Kiowa High School band , on local radio shows with her siblings, and at rodeos. As a solo act, she was invited to perform at a rodeo in Oklahoma...
, Hank Thompson, and Ike
Ike Turner
Isaac Wister Turner was an American musician, bandleader, songwriter, arranger, talent scout, and record producer. In a career that lasted more than half a century, his repertoire included blues, soul, rock, and funk...
and Tina Turner
Tina Turner
Tina Turner is an American singer and actress whose career has spanned more than 50 years. She has won numerous awards and her achievements in the rock music genre have led many to call her the "Queen of Rock 'n' Roll".Turner started out her music career with husband Ike Turner as a member of the...
.
Thompson also brought in the corporate sponsorship of Coca Cola, Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper
Dr Pepper is a soft drink, marketed as having a unique flavor. The drink was created in the 1880s by Charles Alderton of Waco, Texas and first served around 1885. Dr Pepper was first nationally marketed in the United States in 1904 and is now also sold in Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico, Australia ...
, and Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods
Tyson Foods, Inc. is a multinational corporation based in Springdale, Arkansas, that operates in the food industry. The company is the world's second largest processor and marketer of chicken, beef, and pork only behind Brazilian JBS S.A., and annually exports the largest percentage of beef out of...
, and superheroes including Spider-Man
Spider-Man
Spider-Man is a fictional Marvel Comics superhero. The character was created by writer-editor Stan Lee and writer-artist Steve Ditko. He first appeared in Amazing Fantasy #15...
, Batman and Robin
Batman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
, and Captain America
Captain America
Captain America is a fictional character, a superhero that appears in comic books published by Marvel Comics. The character first appeared in Captain America Comics #1 , from Marvel Comics' 1940s predecessor, Timely Comics, and was created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby...
for personal appearances and autograph signing. Gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
and bluegrass
American Roots Music
American Roots Music is a 2001 multi-part documentary film that explores the historical roots of American Roots music through footage and performances by the creators of the movement: Folk, Country, Blues, Gospel, Bluegrass, and many others....
shows were presented, and Denver Pyle
Denver Pyle
Denver Dell Pyle was an American film and television actor. He is best remembered for playing Uncle Jesse in The Dukes of Hazzard .-Early life:...
(Uncle Jesse from the popular TV series The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard
The Dukes of Hazzard is an American television series that aired on the CBS television network from 1979 to 1985.The series was inspired by the 1975 film Moonrunners, which was also created by Gy Waldron and had many identical or similar character names and concepts.- Overview :The Dukes of Hazzard...
) was signed as the park's spokesman both onsite and in TV commercials. The emphasis on new promotions paid off; Dogpatch USA was profitable in every year that Wayne Thompson was General Manager for OEI (1981–86), and more visitors spent more money per person during these years than in any other years.
In 1981, Dogpatch Caverns and Old Man Moses Cave were sold to Bruce Raney (grandson of Albert Raney, Sr.) and a fellow investor. Old Man Moses Cave was finally renovated and renamed "Crystal Dome" and "Dogpatch Caverns" became "Mystic Caverns" again. Managed by Raney until they were sold to Omni Properties, Inc. in 1984, the twin caves continue to operate as tourist attractions.
In the 1980s, the ownership of Marble Falls was divided and changed until it became so entangled in legal problems that it was impossible to clearly identify who actually owned each part of the property. In 1983, a new investor, "Buffalo River Resorts", began selling parcels of the land for timeshare
Timeshare
A timeshare is a form of ownership or right to the use of a property, or the term used to describe such properties. These properties are typically resort condominium units, in which multiple parties hold rights to use the property, and each sharer is allotted a period of time in which they may use...
s and condominium
Condominium
A condominium, or condo, is the form of housing tenure and other real property where a specified part of a piece of real estate is individually owned while use of and access to common facilities in the piece such as hallways, heating system, elevators, exterior areas is executed under legal rights...
s, although buyers had to be informed of the uncertain legal status of the property.
The end of Dogpatch USA—the Telcor years
In 1987, The Entertainment and Leisure Corporation (Telcor) bought out 90% of OEI. The other 10% was retained by Herb Dunn, Lynn Spradley and Jerry Maland, residents of the area. Telcor, a corporation formed to buy and manage theme parks and headed by Melvyn Bell of Bell Equities, owned two other parks at the time, Deer Forest Park in Coloma, MichiganColoma, Michigan
Coloma is a city in Berrien County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,595 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all land....
, and Magic Springs in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
. Wayne Thompson, who was general manager of the park, became President of Telcor with Sam Southerland as Vice President. Thompson and Southerland were principal owners of OEI, and Southerland actually managed the finances for all three Telcor parks. Under Thompson's leadership Telcor made renovations and improvements, and a new ride called the "Space Shuttle" was added.
In 1988, Wayne Thompson departed, and Lynn Spradley, a Dogpatch USA veteran of 14 years, became GM and managed the park through the 1991 season. During this time Spradley bemoaned the fact that Dogpatch USA was forced to spend much more per patron on promotional strategies to attract visitors than other theme parks, and that most kids did not know who the Li'l Abner characters were. By this time the comic strip had been out of print for more than 10 years.
Dogpatch USA floundered in the face of stiff competition in the Telcor years, especially from Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City
Silver Dollar City is a theme park in the state of Missouri. Opened on May 1, 1960, the park is located between Branson and Branson West, Missouri, on Highway 76...
, which duplicated most of what Dogpatch USA offered but on a grander scale, and was an hour's drive to the north. And what Silver Dollar City lacked, the Ozark Folk Center
Ozark Folk Center
The Ozark Folk Center is an Arkansas living history state park located in scenic Mountain View, Arkansas dedicated to preserving and presenting Ozark cultural heritage and tradition to the public.- History :...
(a fully subsidized state park) in nearby Mountain View
Mountain View, Arkansas
Mountain View is the largest city in and the county seat of Stone County in the north-central region of the U.S. state of Arkansas. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 2,998. The town's name comes from its location in a valley surrounded by the eastern Ozark...
provided, and neither park was wrapped in an outdated cartoon franchise.
In 1991, more changes were made as a last-ditch effort to boost attendance. Emphasis was placed on arts and crafts instead of rides and entertainment. General admission was eliminated; patrons paid for each individual attraction instead. Telcor decided to save the money that the Capp estate was receiving for use of the name and characters, and with that one of the most distinctive aspects of the park—the Li'l Abner theme—was completely dropped and the name changed to Dogpatch, Arkansas.
After struggling a few more years, the park was closed on October 14, 1993. In 1997, citizens of Dogpatch, Arkansas (which had been the postal designation of the area since the park opened) voted unanimously to change the name to Marble Falls, its original name. No records exist of such a vote to change the name to Dogpatch in 1966, and residents who lived there in 1966, who are still living there today claim it was carried out against their will.
Abandonment
Although all of the attractions that were of value were removed and sold, the bulk of the structures of the park sat in decay until late 2005. Dogpatch USA was built in a commercially unattractive and undeveloped rural area, and throughout its years there was little commercial development of the surrounding area (other than the failed "Marble Falls" ski resort) to augment the park's attractiveness to visitors and tourists. The location is also difficult to access compared to other theme parks nearby. These factors contributed to the park's demise and hindered its redevelopment, despite the fact that in its heyday the park's landscapeLandscape
Landscape comprises the visible features of an area of land, including the physical elements of landforms such as mountains, hills, water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds and the sea, living elements of land cover including indigenous vegetation, human elements including different forms of...
was described by visitors as "beautiful". Its appearance during this time was comparable to Heritage USA
Heritage USA
Heritage USA was a Christian theme park, water park, and residential complex built in Fort Mill, South Carolina, USA, by PTL Club founders televangelist Jim Bakker and Tammy Faye Bakker Messner...
, a similar amusement/waterpark venture that declared bankruptcy and has also been neglected.
Shortly after it closed, the park was put up for auction on the courthouse steps in Jasper. The auction was handled by Jim Sprott, a Harrison lawyer whose wife Jan had been "Daisy Mae" at Dogpatch USA from 1968 through the 1970 season. Ford Carr, president of Leisuretek Corporation and Westek Corporation, received a quit claim for the property. At that time, however, he neglected to do anything with the park. In late 2002 he had the 141 acre (0.57060726 km²) site placed on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
with a minimum bid requirement of $1 million. Although he was looking for a $4 million bid, there were no bidders. In 2004 it was reported by KATV
KATV
KATV, channel 7, is an ABC affiliated television station serving the Little Rock television market and central Arkansas. The station is owned by Allbritton Communications Company....
in Arkansas that the property was again for sale, for $5 million. Ideas and suggestions about revitalizing the park were occasionally discussed during the Carr years of ownership, but no concrete plan materialized.
Branson, Missouri
Branson is a city in Taney County in the U.S. state of Missouri. It was named after Reuben Branson, postmaster and operator of a general store in the area in the 1880s....
. The statue was moved to another Westek property for fear that someone would try to steal it.
Since its closure the park has often been visited by urban explorers
Urban exploration
Urban exploration is the examination of the normally unseen or off-limits parts of urban areas or industrial facilities. Urban exploration is also commonly referred to as infiltration, although some people consider infiltration to be more closely associated with the exploration of active or...
(despite the fact that "No Trespassing" signs were posted since 2002, or possibly earlier), and pictures posted on various internet sites attest to this fact. Problems with trespassers and stolen property during these years led to the posting of a caretaker on the grounds.
The Arkansas Herpetological
Herpetology
Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians and reptiles...
Society (AHS) obtained written permission from the owner and conducted a field trip to the park in June 2004. AHS is a non-profit organization which gathers and disseminates factual and reliable information regarding the indigenous snakes and other reptiles and amphibians of Arkansas. Torry Chapman, moderator of the AHS web site, stated that her organization had planned a second field trip to the park in October 2005, but was prohibited by a spokesman of the owner.
Waterwaste Issues
In January 2009 a waste sewage lift station in Marble Falls flooded and ceased to function due to a severe ice storm. It caused sewage to overflow into Mill Creek, which feeds into the Buffalo National RiverBuffalo National River
The Buffalo River, located in northern Arkansas, was the first National River to be designated in the United States. The Buffalo River is slightly more than in length, with the lower flowing within the boundaries of an area managed by the National Park Service, where it is designated the '. The...
. The lift station was installed when Dogpatch was built to support the park and a large community that would grow around the area. By today's standards the facility would be considered an antique and is in need of replacement since it fell into disrepair after the park closed. It is unclear who should pay for it, since the status of the land it's on is unclear. In November 2009 the failed lift station was confirmed by the National Park Service to be one of the causes for unusually high levels of fecal coliform and bacteria coming from Mill Creek into the Buffalo River. The community supported by the massive system is about 25 subscribers. Since the accident they have had their waste disposal rates doubled, and the money used to hired two system operations. This put them at at odds with state regulations. It is estimated it will cost this community 1 million dollars to replace the system, but the only other solution would be to shut off their water. In July 2010 it was reported that the state intended to sue the Marble Falls community for contaminating the waterways of Arkansas.
On June 5, June 16 and November 16 of 2009, a routine compliance inspection was conducted by an ADEQ Water Division Field Inspector. All of these inspections revealed that Marble Falls was discharging unpermitted, untreated wastewater into Mills Creek. On February 2, 2010 the Arkansas Attorney General's office filed an injunction in the Newton County Circuit Court against the Marble Falls Sewage Improvement District for violating the Arkansas Water and Air Pollution Control Act. On June 22, 2010, the National Park Service issued a health hazard warning stating that the Buffalo River and the waters surrounding it contained unsafe levels of e. coli bacteria. Finally, in July 2010, after receiving several complaints from local residents and fisherman, the ADEQ headed up a dye test which conclusively proved that raw sewage was in fact seeping into the Buffalo River. (cite ADEQ press release)
In September 2010, amidst a trial it would surely lose, the Marble Falls Sewage Improvement District agreed to a consent order demanding it build a costly new sewage treatment facility.
Presently, Marble Falls runs its sewage through a borrowed pump. It serves approximately 100 users. The first construction phase of the new sewage facility is due for completion in May 2011. The preliminary costs for the first phase are $168,177.50; the second phase $168,850.00; the final phase $419,375.00. This comes to a total of $756,402.50. In addition to the Arkansas Highway Department's contribution of $292,307.00 to divert wastewater that goes over a portion of state property, the total amount to build a new sewage system amounts to $1,048,709.50. Once completed, it will still serve approximately 100 users.
Lawsuit
In 2005 18-year-old Pruett Nance was riding an ATV through the property. He apparently had some form of permission to be there. He collided with a length of wire strung between two trees, and was seriously injured and nearly decapitated. Whether or not the wire was put there maliciously became the subject of a lawsuit the Nance's filed against the parks owners. The suit eventually ended up in the Arkansas Supreme Court who ruled in favor of the Nances, and they were awarded $650,000. When the park owners did not pay up, the deed to Dogpatch was awarded to Pruett Nance, and he became the new owner of the park.Revitalization
In 1988 Debra Nielson began buying parcels of the Dogpatch property. Eventually the area she owned included the ski lodge, convention center, roller rink, and motel. She renamed the acreage "Serenity Mountain". She moved into the Ski Lodge and operated a bed and breakfast there. She also opened a nondenominational church in one of the abandoned resort buildings. In December 1999 Nielson leased the abandoned skating rink to the Humane Enforcement and Legal Protection or HELP. HELP was a non profit group that provided therapeutic horse back riding free of charge.In the summer of 2005 passers-by began noticing activity in the park. Debris was being cleared and the trout pond was drained. In March 2006 a news article, which discussed the clean-up project, appeared in the Harrison Daily Times. Ford Carr, who says that he spends about a quarter of his time answering questions about the property, was interviewed about the project, and claimed he was not at liberty to either confirm or deny that the property has been sold and is being redeveloped: "The official word is it's being cleaned up," Carr told the Daily Times. "That's all I can tell you."
As of June 1, 2006 the trout pond had been cleared of debris and refilled, and water flowed through it once again. The roofs of some of the buildings have been replaced and a few of the structures have been removed.
A few businesses have revived sections of the Marble Falls property. Bob Richards and Randal Phillips purchased and later reopened a portion of the property as "The Hub", a motorcycle-themed center, in June 2005. The Hub features a 60-room hotel and a convention facility that seats 1,500 in theater style. Fred and Larisse Mullens have begun a venture called "The Shepherd's Fold Retreat Center and Campground". The centerpiece is a large church, where weekly services are currently being held, next to The Hub at #4 Dogpatch Blvd. They hope to redevelop the old Dogpatch USA campground and are seeking donations. Signs on their property indicate that they also plan to open a country store. There is also a section of their website dedicated to this.
The Marble Falls post office, a small building with just a few PO boxes and a mail drop-slot, is located in what remains of the Dogpatch USA parking lot, a few yards away from the ruins of the Funicular Tram that brought visitors into the park.
The old Marble Falls Ski Lodge is now an antiques shop.
Attractions
The Trout Pond - a small trout farm around which Dogpatch USA was conceived and developed. It had been in operation for 30 years as a small scale tourist attraction before the amusement park was built. Sometime in the early 20th century, Albert Raney and Sons purchased the land, which since the 1830s had been part of the community of Wilcockson, and diverted the water from Mill Creek to create a waterfall and a pond. They named the property "Marble Falls", the name it and the surrounding area retains today.In 1966, the Trout Pond was sold to the developers of Dogpatch USA, and the Raney family continued to operate the pond throughout the park's years. The pond was, arguably, the park's most popular and unique attraction, and was kept overstocked so that visitors could cast a rented fishing line and easily catch some "big ones". The catch was then cleaned and cooked by the restaurant staff and served to the lucky angler. After the park closed, the Trout Pond sat untended for many years along with the rest of the property. Trout were fished out by trespassers until none remained. In 2005 it was drained and cleaned. It has been refilled, and water again flows through.
Dogpatch Caverns - A nearby show cave that was incorporated into the park. It had been a tourist attraction since the late 1920s, and in 1949 it was purchased by the Raney family and renamed Mystic Caverns. It was sold to the developers of Dogpatch USA in 1966, and renamed "Dogpatch Caverns". The cave was renovated and many safety issues were addressed. During renovations, a second cave was discovered next door; it was named "Old Man Moses Cave" after a Lil' Abner cartoon character, and barricaded to preserve its pristine condition.
Plans were made to renovate the new cave during Phase II of Dogpatch USA construction but Phase II was never completed. Both caves were sold in 1981. "Dogpatch Caverns" was renamed "Mystic Caverns" once more, and "Old Man Moses Cave" was finally opened for tours and renamed "Crystal Dome"
Mystic Caverns and Crystal Dome
Mystic Caverns and Crystal Dome are show caves located between the cities of Jasper and Harrison, in the state of Arkansas, U.S.A., on the Arkansas Highway 7 Scenic Byway near the defunct amusement park Dogpatch USA...
. The caves are the only original Dogpatch USA attractions in operation today.
Frustratin' Flyer - a steel "Monster Mouse" coaster created by Herschell. Installed in 1968 for the park's debut, it operated until 1991. Dogpatch USA brochures after 1973 continued to show a Monster Mouse in operation. The mouse was sold between the 1991 and 1992 season.
Earthquake McGoon’s Brain Rattler - a toboggan
Toboggan
A toboggan is a simple sled which is a traditional form of transport used by the Innu and Cree of northern Canada. In modern times, it is used on snow to carry one or more people down a hill or other slope for recreation. Designs vary from simple, traditional models to modern engineered composites...
roller coaster by Chance Rides. The ride was apparently part of the park when it was opened in 1968. In early brochures it was depicted as being a track wrapped around an enormous tree, but the ride was actually made of metal. At some time in the 1970s the ride was closed, possibly due to maintenance problems. It did not reopen until the park was sold to Ozark Family Entertainment in 1981, and was believed to be in service for the remainder of the park's years. The ride is currently in operation as the Wild & Wooly Toboggan at Little Amerricka amusement park in Marshall, Wisconsin.
Funicular Tram - A "decliner inliner", the tram was used to transport visitors from the parking lot into the park below. It was purchased from an unknown manufacturer in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
and shipped to Dogpatch USA at a cost of $250,000. Installed in 1970 and opened at the beginning of the 1971 season, it could transport 1,700 guests per hour at a speed of 13.5 feet per second (4.1 m/s). As passengers descended into the Dogpatch USA valley they were given a short monologue about the park over the tram's PA system. In the early 1990s, two newspaper articles reported that the PA system was not functioning properly and produced only static. The tram itself remained in service until 1992 when the park eliminated general admission, and has the distinction of being the only ride that remains in the park, although it lies in ruin.
Lil' Abner's Space Rocket - The ride was added no later than 1978 and, because of its overt off-theme nature, its addition is thought to signal the beginning of the end of the park. The ride, prominently displayed on brochures from the era, was removed when the park closed in 1993 and its whereabouts are unknown.
Trash Eaters - The park had trash cans equipped with huge animal heads that "ate" (sucked) the trash out of patrons hands and into their mouths. The heads were shaped like goats, pigs, and even razorback
Razorback
Razorback is an Americanism, loosely applied to any type of feral pig or wild boar in North America. The term has also appeared in Australia, to describe said animals in that country.-Introduction to the Americas:...
s, and the unusual design encouraged patrons to properly dispose of their litter
Litter
Litter consists of waste products such as containers, papers, wrappers or faeces which have been disposed of without consent. Litter can also be used as a verb...
by making it an amusing experience. The trash eaters used an unusual design. There was a blower motor inside the trash eater "house". The inside of the "house" was sealed so that when the door was shut, a vacuum was created which sucked trash into the trash eater's mouth. The trash then hit a stop and fell into the trashcan located inside the trash eater "house". Several of the trash eaters remain on the property today.
Other Rides - Other rides included:
Wolf Island Paddle Boats,
Boat Train ride (replaced in 1988 by bumper boats),
Helicopters (kiddie ride),
Ol' 99 (a kiddie train ride),
Wild Water Rampage,
Yo-yo ride,
Paratrooper ride,
West Porkchop Express (train),
Scambler ride,
Merry-go-round,
Antique Cars,
General Bullmoose's Gravity House (a blacklight maze, fun house),
Shooting Gallery,
Hairless Joe and Lonesome Polecat's Kickapoo Joy Juice Barrel Ride (Rotor ride) replaced by a children's play area in 1988,
Sky Driver (replaced the Brain Rattler in 1989),
The Wheel of Misfortune (a Round Up, spinning ride, Wheel of Fortune spinner theme-decor)
External links
Photography of the park in operationPhotography of the abandoned park
Related information