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Walt: The Man Behind the Myth


Among all the celebrations honoring the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney's birth, none have been remotely like the one held in Walt's hometown, Marceline. After spending the first several years of his life in Chicago, Walt's parents brought him -- and his four siblings -- to this small Missouri town in 1906.

There, the family lived on a 45-acre farm on the outskirts of the town. Many of Walt's traits seen in later life were likely influenced by the years he spent there -- including a love of animals and a dedication to the kind of group effort that was a hallmark of American farming around the turn of the century.

Today Marceline has about 2,600 residents. But Walt's birthday celebration drew something in the neighborhood of 40,000 to 50,000 visitors anxious to participate. Among those who attended were the governor of Missouri and his family, as well as Walt's grandson Brad; his nephew Ted and Ted's wife, Carolyn; and a number of members of the Missouri legislature. Many of the honored guests came into town on a train especially prepared for the event, called the Disney Special.

Among the highlights of the event were an old-fashioned barn raising, a fiddle jam, and a huge parade down Marceline's main street (which, not surprisingly, bears a striking resemblance to Main Street in Disneyland and Walt Disney World.) The parade alone attracted some 25,000 people. "The streets were just lined with people who wanted to experience what Walt had when he was a child," says Kay Malins, one of the celebration's organizers. "Disney fans came from all over the world just to walk in the parade. It was an old-fashioned walking parade, with high school marching bands and people walking all the way down."

Marceline residents took advantage of Walt's birthday to mark the official opening of the Walt Disney Hometown Museum, which is housed in the historic Santa Fe Depot in downtown Marceline. The museum plans to feature photographs, papers, and artifacts from Walt's years in Marceline, including the tool kit that Walt's father, Elias, used to build houses and barns.

 

Centennial Celebration

Centennial Celebration

Centennial Celebration

Centennial Celebration

Centennial Celebration

Centennial Celebration

Centennial Celebration

Centennial Celebration

Centennial Celebration

Centennial Celebration

 

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