thelope.com - Tinker Town, Joplin, MO, 1959

Tinker Town was a children's amusement park in the SE corner of Schifferdecker Park, Joplin, Missouri. As such, it bordered Route 66, which was still official at the time.

According to information furnished by the Joplin Museum Complex, Tinker Town was established in the late 1940s by Harrison and Alice Anderson. The attraction featured kiddie-sized versions of a Ferris wheel, merry-go-round, airplane ride, boat ride and a small car ride. The museum's information mentions that a miniature train run by Ed Gilbert "ran through the park." Given that the train in this film only runs on a short oval, I do not know if it is the train to which the information refers. It is clearly lettered "Tinker Town."

This film shows there was also a roller coaster. The styling of the coaster cars suggested automobiles so perhaps this was the miniature car ride.

The original film was shot by my father, the late William Holmes. The girl with the shorter hair is his daughter (my half-sister), Lynda Susan Holmes, also deceased.

This is a digital transfer from a VHS tape of an 8mm film dated 1959. The film was already aged and discolored when transfered to VHS. The chain of technology involved here is: 1950s Bell and Howell wind-up 8mm camera - 1980s VCR - 2005 digital 8 camcorder used as an analog to digital pass-through - 2008 laptop computer - Internet.

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Tinker
• Town
• Schifferdecker
• Park
• Joplin
• Route
• 66
• amusement
• park

[sharonmarie57]

I remember as a little girl in the early sixties, my Sister and me would go to Tinker Town with our Grandpa, it was the big event of the weekend for him to take us and let us ride all the rides, thanks for the video, bring back good memories of my childhood, back when things were simple, but we all had fun.

[1tombensky]

We are having a family reunion and I was looking for photos from Schifferdecker Park /Tinker Town and here it is! I certainly think my brothers will enjoy this find. My Dad worked for Joplin Printing Company and they had their company picnic every year at Schifferdecker, but Tinker Town and the bear are special memories. Thank you for sharing this film.