Some theme parks call the people who work for them “cast members”. Others call them “associates,” or “team members,” or just simply “employees.” Americana 1900 is a little bit different. The thousands of people employed by Americana 1900, regardless of their job, if they work directly with visitors or work strictly behind the scenes, are considered “Townsfolk,” and every one of them, from the person on their first day of employment to the Founder of Americana 1900, Jonathan H. (Jack) Cahill, is considered a “resident” of Americana 1900. Any Townsfolk who have even a remote possibility of direct guest interaction are expected to always be “in character,” greeting guests with a polite tip of their hat (if a gentleman) or a nod of the head (if a lady) while welcoming them to “our little town.” The Townsfolk of Americana are always willing to join visitors in a pleasant conversation based on their Americana persona, answering questions, giving directions and even offering to escort guests to a specific location or attraction if possible. This immersive character interaction is just one way that Americana 1900 brings people from the twenty-first century back in time to the turn of the century- the nineteenth century turning into the twentieth. Every Townsfolk wears a bronze name badge bordered with the simple, welcoming phrase...
...and that is what every Townsfolk does with every visitor to Americana 1900- they both welcome them and encourage them to slow down, enjoy the sights of an elegant era, the sounds of calliope music and steam railroad whistles, the taste of remarkable cuisines from across the nation, and even the smells of heirloom flowers in the gardens and bread baking in the bakery.
The townsfolk of Americana, the men and women who every day welcome thousands of visitors to the eight interconnected yet unique Townships that together form Americana 1900, don’t wear costumes. They don’t wear uniforms, or outfits. They wear garb. Everything that the Townsfolk of Americana wear, regardless of what Township they’re in, is based on period-appropriate clothing from that era. While the actual fabrics used are not necessarily authentic- a heavy woolen dress worn on a hot, humid July day in Alabama would be tortuous- the designs are inspired by fashions of the period and are appropriate to the Township where the townsfolk primarily live and work. That being established, a farmhand from Morrison Farm would not look out-of-place in Maple Grove, and a fashionably-dressed family from Courthouse Square would fit right in as they strolled through State Fair or past the remarkable attractions lining The Pike. One of the core themes of Americana 1900 is that it is a real community, a cross-section of America between the years 1880 to 1920, and if there is a bit of fashion overlap as townsfolk stroll through one Township on their way to another, this just adds to the historic impact of this remarkable experience.
An early concept for Americana 1900 included underground passages for Townsfolk to utilize in moving between Townships, or for the delivery of supplies for the many stores and craft shops found throughout Americana 1900. That concept, however, was soon discarded as being both unnecessary and contrary to the more important concept that Americana 1900 is not just a collection of unrelated, unconnected “lands,” but a living, breathing community. Townsfolk strolling through Courthouse Square and Century Plaza on their way to Maple Grove would not be an incongruous sight, but would add to the historic atmosphere of each Township they pass through. Supplies, merchandise, even trash removal is done using horse-drawn carts or wagons, and occasionally one of those new-fangled Ford trucks might be seen making a delivery to a store in Courthouse Square or a shop on The Pike.
Many theme parks play background music in their different lands through concealed speakers. Each track is intended to subconsciously convey the “feeling” of the land that visitors are in, like the background music of a movie. Americana 1900 doesn’t do that. Neither does it need to, and to be honest doing so would be contrary to the entire concept of the park. The music of a rural town in 1880 would be nothing more than the clip-clopping of a horse as its iron shoes strike the cobblestones, the chirping of the birds singing in the trees on the village green or the sound of the train ringing its bell as it approaches the train station. The music heard emanating from the fairgrounds would be the melodies being played by the carousel’s organ, or the screams heard from the riders of the roller coaster. The ringing of the bell carillon hanging in the Courthouse clock tower or the harmonious melodies of a barbershop quartet drifting from the open door of the barbershop would be the normal sounds of everyday life in 1900. Americana 1900 is not a silent park- it has its own sounds, its own music, but a different kind of music that is heard by visitors who take the time to listen.
Since these natural sounds are not available to readers of this presentation, except possibly to those with an especially vivid imagination, an audio track will occasionally be provided to present the background music that otherwise would be unnecessary to visitors to the actual park. It is certainly not a requirement to listen to these tracts, and perhaps most readers will be willing to attempt to listen to the sounds coming from the descriptions that their own imaginations will provide. The music of Americana 1900 is the music of everyday life from more than one hundred years ago.
Americana 1900 is not like any other theme park found anywhere in the world. It is a living, breathing trip back in time, where visitors can discover the life that their great-grandparents experienced. It is a place of fun, of adventure, of discovery, and a unique kind of park where visitors are encouraged to slow down, stroll leisurely without feeling rushed and appreciate the remarkable beauty of a time in our national history where aesthetics was just as important as efficiency.
Americana 1900 truly is
