In the early days of Disneyland, Frontierland stood out as the quiet, slow-paced frontier town between the bustling Fantasyland attractions and mysterious Adventureland jungle. The town included a saloon, shops, small restaurants, trails, and a Marshal’s Office.
For the first year of Disneyland’s operation, the Marshal’s Office stood in the center square, roughly in the same area as today’s Shootin’ Exposition. The Office donned a sign reading, “Willard P. Bounds, Blacksmith and US Marshal”. Fun fact: Disneyland: the Nickel Tour notes that Willard was a real person – Walt’s father-in-law. The office didn’t have much inside other than flags. Instead, this space served as a backdrop, rest porch, and popular place to snap family photos.
By the summer of 1956, Frontierland began growing and expanding. The Marshal’s Office finally closed, to make room for the expanded Casa de Fritos. But this former hidden gem helped tell the story of a frontier town, and paid a special tribute to Lillian Disney’s family.