Dogpatch, USA

[Kit76]

Does anyone Remember Dogpatch in Harrison, Arkansas? I Was 9 Years old The Last Time I Was There. That Would be 22 years Ago around 1985.
I Remember Paddle Boats More Than Anything.

Does Anyone Remember any Trips or Have any Stories about This Place?

Here is a Link about What Happened to The Park.
http://users.aristotle.net/~russjohn/attractions/dogpatch.html
Here is A link for Old Brochures and pictures
http://www.undergroundozarks.com/dogpatch.html

Have a nice day!!!!!!

Chris

[Mike C.]

I remember it. My folks took my sister and I there the first year it opened. That had to be in the early 60's. Don't remember as how there was much to do and as a kid, it seemed like a wasted vacation. We would have rather gone to Silver Dollar City. And back then, other than the cave, there really wasn't much to do there either.

[2old2tent]

Once as a kid with Mom and Dad and Memorial weekend 1977 for our honeymoon.
I know I'm a hillbilly at heart.

Jack

We were married March 5th but couldn't get away from school till May.

[Miriam C.]

Hey Jack,

Mike and I met on March 6th. Darn good month.

[WarPony]

Does Anyone Remember any Trips or Have any Stories about This Place?

I have been there twice, that I remember. The first time was around '73 or '74 and the little cart you pumped around the rail track by hand is what is burned in my mind. The reason I remember that is because I couldn't go all the way around and I started crying so my Dad came over and took me off the cart ....

I also remember the Rainbow Trout pond that you bought food out of a gumball machine to feed them with.

Jeff

[McTeardrops]

Chris

Joanne pulled the DogPatch USA patch out of my collection to prove we had been there, but I really don't remember....

What were we talking about?

[kajamelu4]

I have some fond memories of Dogpatch. And some not so great memories. The first time I went there, as a kid, everything seemed so far spread out. Lots of walking, and not a lot to do.
The second time was when my kids were small, the youngest not even here at all. Summer of 92. Our oldest son loved to fish. You could rent cane poles, and they would give you a can of corn to fish with. He caught a fish on his first cast (or would that be throw?). He was so excited he stepped into the water to get the fish as he was pulling it out. And while there, he caught another one with his bare hands. The cafe there would fry them for you. So we had fish for lunch. My kids still watch the video that we shot. They have good memories of that day!
What I remember of that trip, however, was that we took tours of 7 caves in 4 days. We had a 7 year old, a 5 year old, a 1 year old, and I was pregnant with our last. I wish I could still do everything I could do then. (Maybe that's why I have a bad knee.)

Karol

[bittmann]

Yep, Dogpatch is long dead and gone. The cave lives on, but the theme park is history.

I took my family to visit the cave in the '98/'99 timeframe. We drove by the entrance to the park, saw the BIG water wheel, still in place but off its axle, was able to look through the main gate and see the entrance plaza, and that was about it. Sorry to see it fall so far, but it'd become a shell of its former "glory".

Silver Dollar City kinda took the steam out of Dogpatch, which by the late 80s was becoming pretty dated (Lil' Abner? Daisy Mae? Who the heck are THEY?)

Some more info and links from Wikipedia

[Red Diamond Ranch]

Does anyone Remember Dogpatch in Harrison, Arkansas?


Chris

Yes, I was there in the summer of 1964. Had a really good time there with family. Funny how many people thought that evryone in the south lived like that. The wonderful thing about people is how we are more alike than we are different. IMHO, More Teardrop Trailers = more friends in more places. ( That and $2.00 should get me a cup of Coffee somewhere )
(':)')