Disney artist Harper Goffdrew on his own childhood nostalgia while drafting concept art for what became Main Street, U.S.A. His youthful inspiration? A former military outpost on the eastern edge of the Rocky Mountains, better known as Fort Collins, Colorado.
Harper Goff was born in Fort Collins in 1911, just a few years after the Disney family moved to Marceline. Like his future boss, Goff was the son of a newspaperman (albeit one who owned the Fort Collins Express-Courier) and an avid fan of trains. He grew up in a modest brick duplex on Howes Street, just a mile away from the stone-and-brick commercial district that had steadily replaced the city’s eponymous Fort over the previous 50 years.
Goff spent the halcyon years before World War I riding the town trolleys past splendid Victorian and Romanesque buildings, including the historic Linden Hotel, the Avery Blockand the Fort Collins Post Office, which was built the year Goff was born. Much of the gorgeous architecture and easy energy that stuck with Goff is still in full swing a hundred years after his youth in Fort Collins.
RiverNorthPhotography / Getty Images
The arrival of the automobile early in Goff’s childhood, including the construction of the first coast-to-coast highway in the United States just north of Fort Collins, may have helped inspire early Disneyland attractions like the Horseless Carriages. The Street Cars on Main Street U.S.A. also have a Fort Collins equivalent–you can still ride a restored 1919 heritage streetcar between City Park and Old Town on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays May through September.
When you get hungry, grab a bite at The Silver Grill, the oldest restaurant in Old Town. This friendly eatery has been slinging classic breakfasts since 1933. Get the Colorado Trout and Eggs, centered around fresh mountain fish right off the griddle. Or grab one of the Silver Grill’s astoundingly large, fluffy cinnamon rolls–-a longtime favorite for locals and visitors alike.
Next up, head to Choice City Drug. The eclectic aisles aren't packed with Disney souvenirs like the Main Street U.S.A. Emporium, but you will almost certainly find a unique treat or handy item. Choice City Drug has been serving Old Town Fort Collins since the 1870’s, and the current owners have been behind the counter since the 1990s. There's even a little bit of an Epcot vibe here, thanks to the unexpected selection of European groceries like German stollen bread and spaetzle.
Mona Makela Photography / Getty Images
“We had banks that looked like banks, you know, and there was a Victorian city hall,” Goff once explained in an interview. “I was born in 1911 and these buildings were around when I was a kid. When I started working on {Main Street USA}, I had photographs of Fort Collins taken. I showed them to Walt, and he liked them very much. Disneyland's City Hall was copied from Fort Collins...so was the Bank building and some of the others."
Related:Disney World Just Dropped an Opening Date for Its Next Huge Fall Addition—and Insiders Are Already Thrilled
Just down the street is the beloved Aggie Theater. Originally built in 1906 as a furniture store, the interior burned down in the 1950s and was rebuilt as a movie theater soon after. In the early 2000s, the defunct cinema found new life as a concert venue, and for the last twenty years has attracted national touring acts includingJohn Mayer, Colorado favorites like the String Cheese Incident, and early-career icons like Imagine Dragons. Fort Collins is also home to the electronic music artist Pretty Lights, and the Aggie hosted many of the producer’s early sell-out shows.
View this post on InstagramKeep an eye out as you stroll for the numerous public artworks in Old Town and in surrounding neighborhoods, from laser-cut metal Garden Sculpture 01 by Robert Klose in Old Town Square to the 1981 Campbell's Tomato Soup Can signed by Andy Warhol that sits a mile south on the Colorado State University campus.
Related: Disney Restores Cinderella Castle to Its Classic 1971 Opening Day Colors
Hence then, the article about disneyland s famous main street u s a was patterned on this rocky mountain railroad town was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Disneyland’s Famous Main Street U.S.A. Was Patterned On This Rocky Mountain Railroad Town )
Also on site :