A Magical Boyhood

In 1999 Ruth Disney, the only sister Walt had, selected Marceline to show case the family memorabilia.  She also reached out to collectors encouraging them to display their Disney treasures in the museum.  Ruth also was a journal keeper and avid saver of letters and articles.  Many of those items are in the museum.

  I especially enjoyed hearing a recording of Walt Disney interviewing his parents on their 50th wedding anniversary.  He had offered to take them anywhere for that occasion and they chose Marceline.  Also on display are Disney autographed lithographs, as well as small models of buildings in his theme parks,

 Another item in the museum is a piece of Disney's "Dreaming Tree", as well as a large scale drawing of the tree by 'Arcy'.

Pictured above is a piece of a large cottonwood tree under which Disney did his dreaming and drawing.  The tree,once located by a spring on the family farm, was unfortunately struck down by lightening in 2008.  Under this tree Disney would do his dreaming and drawing (his Aunt Margret would keep him supplied with a Big Chief writing pad and pencils).  Here he did what he called some "belly botany".  He would observe the nature which surrounded him- as the animals, birds and even the wind blowing through the leaves of the tree.  From these memories he would draw his cartoons for Mickey Mouse and "Silly Symphony".  As an adult Disney would put aside time to sit and reflect under this tree on his return trips to Marceline.  

Walt's task on the farm was to watch his younger sister Ruth.  Pictured above is a replica of the barn where they spent many happy hours.  Walt had some wild hog rides on his pet runt of a pig he called "Skinny".  Also in this barn he constructed a circus tent with burlap bags and attempted to put on a show for neighborhood kids using some disinterested cats to perform tricks. 

Walt's recollection of his first view of his farm home in Marceline was that of a whitewashed house with a very fine front lawn.  The house has been altered quite a bit, with an addition added to it.  The house has owners currently, but we were able to checkout the barn and the site of the cottonwood tree, which now has a sapling of the original planted in its place (placed by Disney's grandson).  In 1906 Walt's dad purchased the farm house from a Civil War veteran, it sat on 45 acres of land on which grew an apple orchard.  While growing up in Marceline Walt had many other wonderful recollections to share, which I found in a Tour Guide of the town.  He had a neighbor who taught him to fish, another would play the fiddle for him, and a doctor in town would take him on buggy rides - this man also encouraged him to draw and gave him little presents for his efforts.  Walt's deep love for trains also started in this town- his uncle was an engineer on a train running from Fort Madison, Iowa to Marceline.  He would pick Walt up just outside of town and give him a ride into the train depot.  There is another Disney museum in California, but we were quite pleased with the one in Marceline.  And everything else we found in the town of Marceline gave us an understanding of Disney's childhood and the influence it had on his successful career in animation, and film production- as well as how he came to build the theme parks which we know as Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom.