Santa Fe Avenue & Main Street USA
WHY IT'S IMPORTANT : WALT VISITED THIS LOCATION NEAR THE OLD SANTA FE TRAIN DEPOT AND WATCHED THE TRAINS PASS BY, AS A YOUNG BOY WHILE HIS FAMILY LIVED IN MARCELINE (FROM 1906 to 1911).
Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe - The abbreviation on the side of the engine (homage to The Disneyland's newly constructed railway), was painted sometime between December of 1955 and July of 1956, just in time for Walt's dedication of Marceline's public pool. These words carried great significance to Walt Disney, linked to cherished boyhood memories of the rural Missouri farm town he once lived in.
The Santa Fe Railway ran through the countryside a short distance from the Disney farm. When the Disney family lived in Marceline at the beginning of the nineteenth century, they could actually see the billowing smoke from the stack, and watch the rolling stock right from their property. In order to get a closer view, a young Walter Disney visited the local town park (named in honor of Edward Payson Ripley (1845-1920), and which had been donated to the city of Marceline in 1898. Some Disney enthusiasts and fans may remember that Elias Disney's cousin Mike Martin operated main-line locomotives on the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe Railway which passed right through Marceline. Walt would put his ear to the rail to hear the approaching train, hoping that it would be his Uncle Mike Martin who was an engineer. According to Walt Disney Hometown Museum, “on a dare, Walt once climbed into a cab and pulled the whistle chord, but jumped out and ran when the whistle shrieked.” In several interviews, Walt recollected listening to Mike's railroad stories as a small child. Without being dogmatic, it is possible that Walt could have very well watched the 1911 locomotive (pictured) go by when it was in service to the local line.
The railroad also had great relevance to the town of Marceline, as it affected Marceline's official transition from quiet farmland to bustling town in 1887. This was owing specifically to the freshly laid tracks of the Santa Fe Railroad.
Years later, some of these sights and sounds would evidence themselves within Disneyland's landscape (i.e. the heavily-forested Rivers of America with it's Mark Twain steamship bear a rather striking resemblance to the town of Hannibal along the mighty Missouri River). Most Disney fans know that the Disneyland & Santa Fe Railroad was indeed inspired by the Santa Fe depot and Santa Fe tracks that ran through Walt's boyhood town of Marceline. Nearly fifty years later, Santa Fe would sponsor the railroad of Walt Disney's magic kingdom in Anaheim, California - a partnership which would last from March 29th, 1955 to September 30th, 1974.
The next time you hear the steam whistle blowing down the tracks of the Disneyland Railroad or hear the words Santa Fe in a Disney Parks Resort, remember the inspirational railway that ran through Walt's boyhood town of Marceline!
Today, guests of Marceline may visit a decorated, landscaped Ripley Park at the intersection of Main Street USA and Santa Fe Avenue! The City of Marceline isn't shy about it's connection to the Santa Fe Railroad, Disneyland, or Walt Disney. The park is home to plaques and informational signage if you would like to hear the tale of the local railway, and how it came through Marceline. If you'd like to soak up the ambiance in the town's square, there are plenty of places to relax - numerous benches to choose from, as well as a gazebo ergonomically placed before a beautiful man-made pond with water feature.
