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Frontierland is one of the themed lands at the Disneyland Park in Paris. Themed to the American Old West of the 19th century, Frontierlands are home to cowboys and pioneers, saloons, red rock buttes and gold rushes. But what's the history of Frontierland?
A long time ago in the American West there was a small and peaceful valley lying in the shadow of the red buttes known as Big Thunder Mountain.
It was little wonder that this unique landscape inspired the imagination of those who lived in the valley. Ancient traditions of the native tribes, in fact, told of a powerful spirit protecting the mountain...
Known as the Thunderbird, this deity would punish anyone who dared desacrate the rocks of Big Thunder. It was said that a flap of its mighty wings would cause the earth itself to tremble and open up.
For the longest time, the spirit's rule was respected by all... until, one day, white settlers arrived in the area. Searching the land for precious minerals and other riches, they didn't care to heed the natives' warnings of a vengeful supernatural being.
Indeed, their search would soon prove successful. A rich vein of gold was discovered in the red rocks of Big Thunder Mountain, and as soon as word got out, more and more settlers streamed into the area transforming the serene wilderness into a lively and steadily growing gold-rush town!
The owner of the mine, an industrial baron called Henry Ravenswood, soon founded the Big Thunder Mining Company in order to handle the increasing mining operations in and around the mountain.
For his own family, the increasingly wealthy Henry Ravenswood began construction of a splendid mansion on a hill overlooking the sprawling town.
Its owner's dearest pride and joy, however, was his beautiful young daughter Melanie. Of fair complexion and auburn hair, she grew up protected, free to pass her time in the expansive manor gardens under Henry's watchful eye.
All of this good fortune, however, was to change just when Melanie Ravenswood was preparing to celebrate her wedding...
After eleven years of plundering the riches found in Big Thunder Mountain, it would seem that its guardian spirit had finally had enough.
As the day of the wedding arrived, however, the groom was nowhere to be seen. Melanie searched for him throughout the house, but in vain.
Whether it was actually caused by the Thunderbird's mighty wings or by geological forces of nature, in 1860 a terrible earthquake struck the town of Thunder Mesa. Henry Ravenswood and his wife Martha perished in the quake, while the gold mines collapsed in a shower of rubble and rockwork.
But even before this grave event, it would seem that trouble had been brewing at the Ravenswood home. Rumors said that Melanie's suitor planned to take her away from Thunder Mesa, and that Henry was furious! After his tragic demise, it seemed that nothing more would stand in the way of the wedding...
Over the years, the manor fell into decay. The inhabitants of Thunder Mesa, too scared to set foot on the estate, began calling it Phantom Manor. There were tales of brave souls who had dared to enter the house and never returned.
Coming Soon: The Legend of Frontierland [THE MOVIE]
9 сен 2024