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[narrator]
Abandoned structures hold
the secrets of America's past.
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A stop on Route 66 reveals
a forgotten story
of this nation's Mother Road.
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Whatever color, whatever race,
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00:00:15,413 --> 00:00:17,896
where we learned
how to treat people
with great respect.
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[narrator] A scorched
landscape conceals
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a revolutionary
entertainment complex.
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All you wanted to do
is run up the hill.
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All right? For young guys,
this was something
you'd never seen before.
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[narrator] And one man's
extraordinary feat
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00:00:34,620 --> 00:00:39,413
of architecture speaks to this
nation's pioneer spirit.
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[Sunny] America
is absolutely come here,
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live free, build your dreams.
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Anything is possible.
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I mean, have you ever seen
anything like this?
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[narrator] Scattered across
the United States
are abandoned structures,
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forgotten ruins of the past,
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monuments to a bygone era,
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each shines a light
on the story of this land
and its people.
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These are the secrets
of Hidden America.
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Two hours, northeast
of Los Angeles,
in the Mojave Desert,
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lies an eye-catching
collection of structures
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that are a slice of American
entertainment history.
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[Alexis] You've got this
one-dimensional,
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you know,
pretty plain desert landscape
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and then just this explosion
of bright color.
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It's clearly a hotspot
for graffiti artists
'cause it's everywhere.
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[narrator] Graffiti
isn't the only reason
people visit today.
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Some people come
for a higher
adrenaline activity.
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[John] We've had
a lot of people who've come
through and trespassed,
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all had buggies,
much like the ones behind me.
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And so that kind of
is what sparked the idea.
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[Rob] The Mad Max-style
desert surroundings
and all the graffiti,
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looks like
a perfect place for it.
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[narrator] A proper racetrack
is set to be built
among the ruins,
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a new chapter in this site's
storied history.
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[John] This site is historic
for everybody in the area.
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Everybody knows what it is.
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[narrator] It was
the first of its kind
in the whole of America,
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but the good times
didn't last.
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[Alexis] Kind of
makes you wonder,
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"Did something dramatic
or sort of terrible happen
that closed it?"
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It's... it's a little bit
of a mystery.
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[narrator] The site owes
its existence to a piece
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of infrastructure
built years before.
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It wouldn't be here
if it wasn't for the road.
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I mean, it's the lifeblood
of the place.
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[Corina] Interstate 15 cuts
right through this area,
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and it's one of those freeways
that has seen
a substantial increase
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in traffic
since its opening in the '50s.
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[Rob] You've got these
absolutely massive billboards
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and you can imagine
the name of the park up there
in huge letters,
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enticing passing traffic
to stop and come in.
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[narrator] Steve Steiner
was a teenager
living in Los Angeles
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when he made
his first journey here.
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First trip, my buddy said,
"This is going to be something
you've never seen before."
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He said, "It's a long drive,
but come on out."
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[Steve] This was in 1978,
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and Billy was driving
his little 1963 VW bus
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that did about
55 miles an hour
on the freeway, tops.
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So we left Long Beach,
and two hours later,
here we were,
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and it was like nothing
I'd ever seen before.
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It was a true oasis
in the middle of the desert.
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[narrator] This is
the Lake Dolores Waterpark,
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the first water park
to be built in America.
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What you're looking at
is a critical piece
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of American
entertainment history.
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[narrator] But back
in the early '60s,
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when it first opened,
it looked very different.
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used to This area usedto be
a family campground.
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It was this lovely
picture postcard,
quaint sort of place.
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This was first thing
in the park, manmade lake.
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It's about 27 acres
with about five acres of land.
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That's an island.
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[narrator] Dr. Uppal is
part of a group
redeveloping the park.
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[Gagan] Built in 1960s
by a gentleman
named Bob Byers.
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He named this lake
after his wife, Dolores.
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So everybody driving
on this highway,
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seeing this huge
body of water,
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would make them excited
and want to come here
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and build memories
with their families.
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00:05:24,137 --> 00:05:26,379
[narrator] The lake
was a huge hit
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but Bob had dreams
of something more
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and began taking
the first steps in creating
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an attraction Americans
had never experienced before.
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The park's owner
was thinking about
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different ways to make
the space more popular,
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and a few simple slides
that would fling people
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into the lake was just
that sort of thing.
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So the first slides
were made of steel,
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and they weren't that long,
they weren't that high,
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but they were hugely popular,
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a fact that was not lost
on the owner
and kind of got him thinking.
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[Rob] Bob realized
this was the way to go,
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to make the slides
the main attraction
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and to make them bigger
and more extreme.
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[narrator] By the 1970s,
Lake Dolores had come
to resemble
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what we now recognize
as a water park.
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[Rob] A lazy river,
a huge slide that started
at a crazy height.
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These are the hallmarks
of the modern water park.
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And this was the place
that kicked
that whole trend off.
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[narrator] Steve
can vividly recall
walking through
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the turnstiles
for the first time.
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When I first got here,
it was the parking
and lots of cars.
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There were a lot of cars
back then.
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And then it was a mass
of people in water.
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Incredible.
It was a Disneyland for water.
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They had six to eight slides
that were about
50 meters long,
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I would say,
and they'd be doing
45 miles an hour,
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maybe 50 down this hill.
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00:07:04,965 --> 00:07:06,551
[Alexis] It's kind
of the Wild West,
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they did whatever they wanted.
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And I cannot be more clear.
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You would not see this today.
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[narrator] There was one slide
that was undoubtedly
the star attraction.
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[Steve] It's been
a long time but I believe
we're at the site.
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One of the scariest things
in my life.
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There was two chutes
going down this way.
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Two hundred feet,
at 40 miles an hour,
standing up.
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So this attraction,
this epic slide,
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is actually
extremely dangerous.
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Your first time down
is the nuttiest thing
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because it's as slick
as can be.
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And of course,
I went down this slide,
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ended up down,
cut it with a hand,
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and then kind of did
a... belly flop right
into the water.
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Got a lot of laughs.
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Yeah, I mean,
you might be going around,
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00:07:59,448 --> 00:08:02,310
you might get a little bumped,
a little bruised.
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00:08:02,310 --> 00:08:03,931
But, you know,
you would get up,
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00:08:03,931 --> 00:08:06,517
you would dust yourself off,
and go again.
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[Steve] Towards the end,
one of the greatest feelings
of my life.
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I went down and everyone's
looking at me,
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00:08:13,241 --> 00:08:16,379
and I was... I spin
all the way down the ride,
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all the way down to the end
and flipped and actually made
a nice flip.
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It looked great.
Never did it again.
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[narrator] Other parks
soon took notice
of Lake Dolores's success,
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especially
in a well-known city nearby.
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[Alexis] Being on the road
to Vegas was sort of
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a blessing
and a curse, right?
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In the beginning, great,
brings lots of people.
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But Vegas being Vegas,
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you know, they also started
building waterparks
and they did them bigger,
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uh, more extravagant.
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And, you know, in the end,
Lake Dolores just
couldn't compete with that.
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[narrator] A significant
downturn in popularity
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forced the park to close
in the late '80s,
but in the next decade,
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00:09:02,862 --> 00:09:08,103
it finally got
the million-dollar makeover
it desperately needed.
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A dramatic event, however,
would ruin the park's chance
of a second life.
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[narrator] In 1998,
the once-revolutionary
Lake Dolores Waterpark
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00:09:34,275 --> 00:09:37,724
reopened under a new name,
Rock-A-Hoola.
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[Gagan] It was coming back
to life.
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They brought it back.
There were rides there.
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Red, white, and blue,
American representation rides.
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People were still starting
to come in,
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and it didn't pan out the way
they had decided.
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There was
an unfortunate incident
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that also happened
in that era.
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[narrator] Less than a year
after the waterpark
had reopened, tragedy struck.
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[Gagan] There were
certain rides that were
still not regulated properly.
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They were grandfathered in
from the previous era.
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What we know about
the accident is that
it was off duty.
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It was off hours.
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So an employee,
rumored to be under
the influence of alcohol,
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decided to take
a late-night ride,
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went down a slide
into an underfilled catch pool
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and had a pretty
disastrous landing.
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Severely injured,
ended up being a paraplegic.
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The lawsuit that followed
was just too costly
for the park owners.
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They were forced
to file for bankruptcy.
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[Rob] The park changed owners
multiple times
in the early 2000s,
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but only really operated
intermittently.
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Each owner struggling
to keep it alive.
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The water park finally shut
its doors in 2004,
and it's never reopened again.
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[narrator] Without
the desert groundwater
being pumped to the surface,
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the lake slowly dried up,
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00:11:07,620 --> 00:11:13,034
but the water park's
abandonment paved the way
for a new type of business.
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00:11:13,034 --> 00:11:16,620
I've been involved
with the filming
on this property for years,
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00:11:16,620 --> 00:11:20,310
bringing film crews over,
doing different commercials,
uh, movies.
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00:11:22,068 --> 00:11:24,793
[narrator] John Miller runs
a film location company
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00:11:24,793 --> 00:11:27,517
specializing
in the Mojave Desert region.
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00:11:27,517 --> 00:11:31,517
But recently,
trespassers gave him
a new idea.
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00:11:31,517 --> 00:11:34,965
A racing track
for off-road vehicles.
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00:11:34,965 --> 00:11:38,758
[John] What we did
is we let the market tell us
what it wanted from this area.
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00:11:38,758 --> 00:11:40,517
Like, "Well, hey.
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00:11:40,517 --> 00:11:43,965
If they're already coming here
to do this, why don't we, uh,
just build it for them?"
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00:11:45,413 --> 00:11:47,517
[Corina] An abandoned space
like this in the desert
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would make
a really cool racetrack.
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00:11:49,827 --> 00:11:53,724
I could totally see
dune buggy drivers
having an amazing time
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00:11:53,724 --> 00:11:55,344
in this incredible landscape.
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00:11:56,620 --> 00:11:58,172
[narrator] As well
as the race track,
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00:11:58,172 --> 00:12:01,724
there are also plans
for a virtual
reality experience,
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00:12:01,724 --> 00:12:05,655
an RV park and a hotel.
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00:12:05,655 --> 00:12:10,551
For the first time in decades,
the park now looks like
it has a bright future.
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00:12:16,275 --> 00:12:19,379
[narrator]
The Lake Dolores Waterpark
began with one man
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00:12:19,379 --> 00:12:24,655
and his dream,
to build something Americans
had never seen before.
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00:12:24,655 --> 00:12:28,896
Decades later,
there's at least one person
who remains grateful.
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00:12:30,482 --> 00:12:34,034
Bob Byers, he went out
and just did this for fun
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00:12:34,034 --> 00:12:38,724
for his family
and then fun for everybody
that came by here.
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00:12:38,724 --> 00:12:42,275
And for someone to do that,
it takes a lot of hard effort,
a lot of drive.
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00:12:43,586 --> 00:12:46,551
And he put pride
into something
that was just so amazing,
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00:12:46,551 --> 00:12:48,551
and on behalf of everyone
that went here,
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00:12:48,551 --> 00:12:50,206
I really would love
to thank him.
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00:12:58,241 --> 00:13:03,896
[narrator] On the outskirts
of Yellowstone National Park,
deep in outlaw country,
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00:13:03,896 --> 00:13:08,586
is a structure that celebrates
the supreme freedom
of the American West.
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00:13:14,310 --> 00:13:17,931
[Rob] Wyoming is a state
of natural beauty,
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00:13:17,931 --> 00:13:21,724
mainly known
for its vast expanses
of wilderness,
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00:13:21,724 --> 00:13:23,586
not for its interesting architecture.
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00:13:25,103 --> 00:13:29,862
[narrator] Yet
there is a building here
that's hard to ignore.
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00:13:29,862 --> 00:13:32,034
[Sunny] I've talked
to a lot of people
throughout the years,
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00:13:32,034 --> 00:13:35,034
and it's an extreme curiosity.
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00:13:35,034 --> 00:13:38,103
Nobody knows what it is
but they'll take every stab
in the world
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00:13:38,103 --> 00:13:39,275
to try to decipher it.
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00:13:41,068 --> 00:13:43,172
[Rob]
Strange-looking buildings
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00:13:43,172 --> 00:13:46,482
often have
fairly strange stories
attached to them.
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00:13:46,482 --> 00:13:48,000
This is no exception.
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00:13:49,965 --> 00:13:55,206
[narrator] It was hand-built
by a talented
and ambitious man.
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00:13:55,206 --> 00:13:56,758
[Lucy] He was determined
to build something
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00:13:56,758 --> 00:13:59,896
extraordinary for himself
and his family.
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00:13:59,896 --> 00:14:04,241
You can see that
it's been made
with real care and skill.
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00:14:04,241 --> 00:14:08,310
This is sort of
an alternative Western version
of the American dream.
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00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,448
[narrator] But it doesn't have
a happy ending.
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00:14:12,448 --> 00:14:18,103
His unwavering dedication
to this building
ultimately cost him his life.
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00:14:32,310 --> 00:14:34,724
[narrator] In this rugged part
of America,
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00:14:34,724 --> 00:14:38,344
embracing the wilderness
has a long
and celebrated history.
225
00:14:39,689 --> 00:14:42,344
The nearest town, Cody,
was named after Buffalo Bill,
226
00:14:42,344 --> 00:14:45,137
the legendary hunter
and entrepreneur
227
00:14:45,137 --> 00:14:47,482
whose real name
was William Frederick Cody.
228
00:14:49,413 --> 00:14:52,310
[narrator] Twenty miles west
of the town is a structure
229
00:14:52,310 --> 00:14:57,620
that matches this wild
and dramatic scenery,
the Smith Mansion.
230
00:14:59,758 --> 00:15:01,758
When I come
driving down the highway
231
00:15:01,758 --> 00:15:03,068
and see the mansion up
on the hill,
232
00:15:03,068 --> 00:15:06,137
you can see it
five miles down,
I get excited.
233
00:15:06,137 --> 00:15:07,793
I can't wait to be here.
234
00:15:09,655 --> 00:15:12,793
[narrator] Sunny Larsen
is a mother
of two living in Cody.
235
00:15:14,344 --> 00:15:18,379
But back when she was a child,
the Smith Mansion
was her home.
236
00:15:21,689 --> 00:15:23,931
[Sunny] So this is
the cold room of the house.
237
00:15:23,931 --> 00:15:28,275
It's a room that constantly
has air running through here.
238
00:15:28,275 --> 00:15:31,655
This room, we slept in during
the summertime
when it was warm.
239
00:15:31,655 --> 00:15:34,931
This hammock
is what we slept on.
240
00:15:37,413 --> 00:15:39,689
[narrator] The ground floor
was a wooden maze
241
00:15:39,689 --> 00:15:42,482
comprising of six
different shaped rooms.
242
00:15:45,172 --> 00:15:47,655
Okay. So here you are
in the hot room.
243
00:15:47,655 --> 00:15:49,310
Uh, this is
the hub of the house
244
00:15:49,310 --> 00:15:52,206
where we pretty much
did everything.
245
00:15:52,206 --> 00:15:54,655
This was our only source
of heat.
246
00:15:54,655 --> 00:15:57,517
And this was
our dining room table.
247
00:15:57,517 --> 00:16:03,241
We spent our winters here,
and we slept in sleeping bags
and roll-outs on the floor.
248
00:16:03,241 --> 00:16:05,172
We didn't have
traditional beds.
249
00:16:07,344 --> 00:16:12,034
[narrator] Sunny sold
the house in 2019
and hasn't been back since.
250
00:16:13,965 --> 00:16:16,448
Coming back to the house now
that I don't live here,
251
00:16:16,448 --> 00:16:19,827
I no longer own it,
it's extremely emotional.
252
00:16:19,827 --> 00:16:23,758
It's just something that,
um, I'm happy to...
253
00:16:23,758 --> 00:16:26,586
to do to be able to come
back up here and see it.
254
00:16:31,068 --> 00:16:34,000
[narrator] The house is named
in honor of its builder,
255
00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:37,310
Sunny's father,
Francis Lee Smith.
256
00:16:40,724 --> 00:16:43,551
[Sunny] This place
actually speaks
to my dad's character.
257
00:16:43,551 --> 00:16:48,689
He was what you would consider
an old-time mountain man,
and he was very eccentric.
258
00:16:48,689 --> 00:16:51,862
And you can kind of see that
in the whimsical nature
of this home.
259
00:16:54,000 --> 00:16:57,689
[Lucy] This was the house
that Francis Lee Smith
was very passionate about,
260
00:16:57,689 --> 00:17:01,482
but actually what ended up
happening is that it seemed
to take over his life.
261
00:17:03,896 --> 00:17:06,517
[narrator] In the beginning,
it was a simple story
262
00:17:06,517 --> 00:17:10,724
of a father building
a small family cabin
for his wife and children.
263
00:17:13,034 --> 00:17:17,517
[Sunny] My dad primarily built
the mansion
with his own two hands.
264
00:17:17,517 --> 00:17:19,862
He would bring
the logs in here.
265
00:17:19,862 --> 00:17:23,724
He'd pull them down
into the bottom part
of the cold room
266
00:17:23,724 --> 00:17:27,034
using all these handmade
pulley systems that he used.
267
00:17:29,724 --> 00:17:33,310
[narrator] Francis Lee Smith
was a man
of limited resources,
268
00:17:33,310 --> 00:17:35,241
but he knew how to maximize
269
00:17:35,241 --> 00:17:36,827
what he could get
his hands on.
270
00:17:38,482 --> 00:17:41,413
For instance, he used timber
that had been fire-damaged
271
00:17:41,413 --> 00:17:45,482
in the forest
to actually build
the base of the building.
272
00:17:45,482 --> 00:17:48,551
He used the wooden floor
from a high school gymnasium
273
00:17:48,551 --> 00:17:52,310
and other bits
of random timber
that he'd find around town.
274
00:17:54,586 --> 00:17:57,620
[narrator] He became
laser-focused on the build,
275
00:17:57,620 --> 00:18:01,793
a fact his ex-wife,
Linda Mills,
knows only too well.
276
00:18:04,172 --> 00:18:08,620
Lee worked in town
at his regular job,
normal hours,
277
00:18:08,620 --> 00:18:12,103
come home,
and then he would work
at the house,
278
00:18:12,103 --> 00:18:15,034
on the house to like 3:00
or 4:00 in the morning.
279
00:18:15,034 --> 00:18:17,310
And this was day
after day after day.
280
00:18:18,655 --> 00:18:20,896
[narrator] The marriage ended
in divorce,
281
00:18:20,896 --> 00:18:25,655
and Francis Lee moved
into the then
one-storey Smith Mansion.
282
00:18:25,655 --> 00:18:30,413
This is when Sunny
started spending
half her childhood here.
283
00:18:30,413 --> 00:18:31,827
[Sunny] We didn't have
running water.
284
00:18:31,827 --> 00:18:33,793
We were
on minimal electricity.
285
00:18:33,793 --> 00:18:36,655
You know, we had
an extension cord that
we branched off from.
286
00:18:36,655 --> 00:18:38,482
We didn't have an outhouse.
287
00:18:38,482 --> 00:18:40,379
We lived wild
with the animals.
288
00:18:40,379 --> 00:18:44,034
We lived like
we were back in the 1800s.
289
00:18:44,034 --> 00:18:49,206
[narrator] The divorce proved
to be a pivotal moment
for the half-built house.
290
00:18:49,206 --> 00:18:51,689
It started out
as a family home,
291
00:18:51,689 --> 00:18:55,965
and then it took on a life
of its own
and just started going up.
292
00:18:57,793 --> 00:19:00,344
[Lucy] This one floor
became two floors,
became many floors,
293
00:19:00,344 --> 00:19:03,793
became a separate section,
and another separate section.
294
00:19:03,793 --> 00:19:05,862
People didn't quite know
what to make of it.
295
00:19:07,551 --> 00:19:10,172
[narrator] Above
the living quarters
on the ground level,
296
00:19:10,172 --> 00:19:15,310
four more floors were added
but never fully completed.
297
00:19:15,310 --> 00:19:18,965
[Sunny] The second floor,
which is right above
that rounded roof,
298
00:19:18,965 --> 00:19:20,931
is inside the house.
299
00:19:20,931 --> 00:19:25,379
I think it was meant to be
some kind of a master bedroom
when it was finished.
300
00:19:25,379 --> 00:19:26,724
When you get up
to the third floor,
301
00:19:26,724 --> 00:19:29,793
which has
the second smallest staircase,
302
00:19:29,793 --> 00:19:32,103
that was going
to be all enclosed
303
00:19:32,103 --> 00:19:34,310
with windows just like
the bottom floor.
304
00:19:35,965 --> 00:19:39,172
This big staircase takes you
up to the fourth floor.
305
00:19:39,172 --> 00:19:40,965
And from there,
there's ladders
306
00:19:40,965 --> 00:19:42,551
that take you
up to the crow's nest.
307
00:19:47,034 --> 00:19:50,103
[Rob] Out here
in the Wild West of America,
308
00:19:50,103 --> 00:19:52,655
one man going against
the grain,
309
00:19:52,655 --> 00:19:57,689
expressing himself in timber
and clever engineering,
it's great to see.
310
00:20:00,103 --> 00:20:04,896
[Linda] I never would have
thought it would look like
this in a million years.
311
00:20:04,896 --> 00:20:06,275
It's beautiful.
312
00:20:08,793 --> 00:20:11,517
[narrator] Francis Lee
was a maverick builder.
313
00:20:11,517 --> 00:20:15,758
His design decisions
were all off the cuff.
314
00:20:15,758 --> 00:20:18,275
[Sunny] Back in the '70s,
when he started
building this house,
315
00:20:18,275 --> 00:20:20,586
there weren't any rules
that you really had to follow.
316
00:20:20,586 --> 00:20:25,000
So he ended up just doing
everything his own way.
317
00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:26,482
Nothing is to code up here.
318
00:20:28,413 --> 00:20:31,827
[narrator]
But Sunny's father's
own way proved
319
00:20:31,827 --> 00:20:33,827
to be a dangerous way.
320
00:20:48,620 --> 00:20:53,137
[narrator] The Smith Mansion
was the lifework
of Francis Lee Smith,
321
00:20:53,137 --> 00:20:56,620
a talented carpenter
and father to Sunny.
322
00:20:56,620 --> 00:20:58,793
He was
an unconventional builder
323
00:20:58,793 --> 00:21:01,413
and almost always
worked alone,
324
00:21:01,413 --> 00:21:05,137
something he ended up paying
the ultimate price for.
325
00:21:05,137 --> 00:21:10,413
Unfortunately my dad
never wore any kind of
safety equipment.
326
00:21:10,413 --> 00:21:16,000
On this northeast corner,
he was building
on a secondary roof system.
327
00:21:16,000 --> 00:21:22,551
He was using a 12x4 piece
of plywood to measure with,
and it fell and made him slip.
328
00:21:22,551 --> 00:21:25,344
He couldn't hang on
and he fell.
329
00:21:25,344 --> 00:21:26,482
And that's the end of it.
330
00:21:26,482 --> 00:21:28,448
He laid there for two days
before he was found.
331
00:21:32,241 --> 00:21:36,793
[Rob] The phrase,
"He died doing what he loved,"
is really quite apt here.
332
00:21:36,793 --> 00:21:38,620
He loved building that house.
333
00:21:40,448 --> 00:21:43,000
[narrator] Despite
never being completed,
334
00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:47,965
the fact the mansion
is still standing proud
comes as no surprise to Sunny.
335
00:21:49,448 --> 00:21:52,310
I know how this place
was constructed,
336
00:21:52,310 --> 00:21:56,000
and I know
it's going to be here
for another hundred years.
337
00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:59,862
It might be broken down,
pieces might be falling off,
but it'll be here.
338
00:21:59,862 --> 00:22:01,034
Oh, yeah.
339
00:22:08,448 --> 00:22:13,586
[narrator] For Sunny,
this will always be
a monument to her father.
340
00:22:13,586 --> 00:22:17,103
[Sunny] This house is my dad,
in every sense of the word.
341
00:22:17,103 --> 00:22:20,758
It's crazy, bold.
It's beautiful.
342
00:22:22,206 --> 00:22:24,896
[narrator] For others,
it echoes the attitude
343
00:22:24,896 --> 00:22:26,862
of the country's
early settlers.
344
00:22:28,241 --> 00:22:30,206
[Linda] I think
it's a masterpiece.
345
00:22:30,206 --> 00:22:36,241
I think this house
represents true,
old West grit and spirit.
346
00:22:45,275 --> 00:22:48,379
[narrator]
A dilapidated building
on a quiet stretch
347
00:22:48,379 --> 00:22:53,586
of Route 66 hides
an incredible story
of compassion,
348
00:22:53,586 --> 00:22:56,206
during one of America's
most troubling times.
349
00:23:00,068 --> 00:23:04,068
[Philip] Route 66 really
is a piece of Americana.
350
00:23:04,068 --> 00:23:08,620
It has so many aspects to it,
and a lot of it
we really don't know.
351
00:23:08,620 --> 00:23:14,206
And this abandoned property
fulfils a piece of that story.
352
00:23:14,206 --> 00:23:17,206
[Jim] It's got a pole in front
that looks like
353
00:23:17,206 --> 00:23:19,689
it might have once
held up a big sign.
354
00:23:19,689 --> 00:23:22,068
But the sign is gone.
The building is boarded up.
355
00:23:23,862 --> 00:23:28,758
[narrator] This was once
a life-saving stop
along America's Mother Road.
356
00:23:30,034 --> 00:23:33,965
For some travelers,
this place
was an important refuge.
357
00:23:33,965 --> 00:23:37,551
It was a place of safety
in a world that could be
358
00:23:37,551 --> 00:23:39,517
particularly hostile
and dangerous.
359
00:23:40,758 --> 00:23:43,931
[Ed] The tension came
from the outside world, okay?
360
00:23:43,931 --> 00:23:48,689
From having to interact
with people
who didn't care about me.
361
00:23:48,689 --> 00:23:53,241
But when I was here,
I was very well-protected.
362
00:23:53,241 --> 00:23:58,344
[Kenya] This is one of the sad
and dark chapters
in American history
363
00:23:58,344 --> 00:24:04,379
that we so often ignore
because it goes against
the ideals of our nation.
364
00:24:05,551 --> 00:24:07,586
[narrator] But amongst
the horrors,
365
00:24:07,586 --> 00:24:13,137
there is a heartening tale
of a family that went
above and beyond.
366
00:24:13,137 --> 00:24:16,275
We need to make sure
that we educate
the future generations
367
00:24:16,275 --> 00:24:18,448
about this wonderful family,
368
00:24:18,448 --> 00:24:22,206
fulfilling a need
as a safe haven during
a difficult time in history.
369
00:24:29,896 --> 00:24:33,965
[narrator] The buildings here
have sat derelict for decades.
370
00:24:33,965 --> 00:24:38,103
But Reverend Allen Threatt
remembers a far busier time.
371
00:24:40,586 --> 00:24:42,241
When I was a kid,
I remember it.
372
00:24:42,241 --> 00:24:48,413
I was about seven
or eight years old,
coming out here to gas...
373
00:24:48,413 --> 00:24:53,793
the gas pump
was right here,
put gas into the cars.
374
00:24:53,793 --> 00:24:57,448
[narrator] The gas station
was opened by
Reverend Allen's grandfather,
375
00:24:57,448 --> 00:25:01,896
who made sure his business
reflected his personal values.
376
00:25:01,896 --> 00:25:04,137
We would always try
to take care of the customer,
377
00:25:04,137 --> 00:25:08,896
try to make people happy
because this was
a service station of love.
378
00:25:10,620 --> 00:25:14,793
[narrator] The Threatt story
of hospitality began in 1921,
379
00:25:14,793 --> 00:25:17,241
during one of America's
most disturbing events.
380
00:25:18,965 --> 00:25:20,344
In the woods nearby,
381
00:25:20,344 --> 00:25:24,896
you can see the remains
of a house that's now
kind of collapsed.
382
00:25:24,896 --> 00:25:30,379
But once upon a time,
this was an important place.
383
00:25:30,379 --> 00:25:35,068
This is the home that
my grandfather built
to raise his family in.
384
00:25:36,965 --> 00:25:39,758
[narrator] Ed Threatt
and Reverend Allen are cousins
385
00:25:39,758 --> 00:25:42,310
and have heard tales
of how this house became
386
00:25:42,310 --> 00:25:46,275
a refuge for people
desperately fleeing
the nearby city of Tulsa.
387
00:25:47,793 --> 00:25:51,413
[Ed] What happened in Tulsa
should never happen
to anybody.
388
00:25:51,413 --> 00:25:53,241
You know,
it just shouldn't happen.
389
00:25:53,241 --> 00:25:59,034
But my grandpa,
being the kind of man
that he was, just opened up,
390
00:25:59,034 --> 00:26:02,206
opened his heart
and let people come
to stay here.
391
00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:08,793
[narrator] The event
that people were escaping from
was the Tulsa race massacre.
392
00:26:10,103 --> 00:26:15,206
An African-American young man
is accused of speaking
393
00:26:15,206 --> 00:26:18,931
inappropriately
to a white woman.
394
00:26:18,931 --> 00:26:22,620
And ultimately,
those accusations will lead
395
00:26:22,620 --> 00:26:27,448
to a raid of a white mob
upon the thriving
396
00:26:27,448 --> 00:26:31,551
and successful black community
of Tulsa, Oklahoma.
397
00:26:34,344 --> 00:26:36,379
[Jim] It was
absolutely devastating.
398
00:26:37,862 --> 00:26:41,655
In the end, something like
35 square blocks
399
00:26:41,655 --> 00:26:43,551
of the city
were burned to the ground.
400
00:26:45,724 --> 00:26:51,965
The initial estimates
were that about 36 people
were killed in the riots,
401
00:26:51,965 --> 00:26:54,206
but later it emerged
that the number
402
00:26:54,206 --> 00:26:56,137
might have been
as high as 300.
403
00:26:57,655 --> 00:27:01,310
[Ed] These are stories
that I've heard,
where our property,
404
00:27:01,310 --> 00:27:05,482
people were able to come
and stay here and rest
405
00:27:05,482 --> 00:27:11,551
until they were able
to find additional means
to take care of themselves.
406
00:27:13,103 --> 00:27:14,758
[narrator] Later
in the decade,
407
00:27:14,758 --> 00:27:17,206
a key moment
in American history
408
00:27:17,206 --> 00:27:22,379
would turn
the Threatt family property
into the only one of its kind.
409
00:27:36,827 --> 00:27:38,655
[narrator]
The Threatt Filling Station,
410
00:27:38,655 --> 00:27:41,413
situated on the edge
of Oklahoma City,
411
00:27:41,413 --> 00:27:43,724
was a welcome stop
for motorists
412
00:27:43,724 --> 00:27:47,000
during a time
when automobile travel
was booming.
413
00:27:47,000 --> 00:27:51,517
But driving meant
different things
to different people.
414
00:27:51,517 --> 00:27:54,034
Traveling during
the Jim Crow era
for a black person
415
00:27:54,034 --> 00:27:56,620
was filled
with all kinds of dangers,
416
00:27:56,620 --> 00:28:00,413
from entering a building,
from needing to get gas,
417
00:28:00,413 --> 00:28:02,379
more importantly,
trying to go to the bathroom.
418
00:28:03,862 --> 00:28:06,206
[narrator] Reverend Allen
and Ed's grandfather
419
00:28:06,206 --> 00:28:09,551
recognized this sad state
of affairs and opened
420
00:28:09,551 --> 00:28:13,310
the Threatt Filling Station
in 1922.
421
00:28:13,310 --> 00:28:16,965
When the road here
became part of Route 66,
five years later,
422
00:28:16,965 --> 00:28:20,068
it was said
to be the only
black-owned service station
423
00:28:20,068 --> 00:28:23,379
on the whole
2,448-mile highway.
424
00:28:24,586 --> 00:28:28,793
This black-owned
filling station was critical
425
00:28:28,793 --> 00:28:30,931
to the success
of African-Americans
426
00:28:30,931 --> 00:28:33,724
that travelled along
the Mother Road.
427
00:28:33,724 --> 00:28:37,517
Imagine not being able
to get gas at a white station,
428
00:28:37,517 --> 00:28:41,758
but if you came
to this filling station,
you were home.
429
00:28:41,758 --> 00:28:44,551
You could get gas
and then keep on
motoring along.
430
00:28:46,206 --> 00:28:49,413
[narrator] As word spread
of this unique gas station,
431
00:28:49,413 --> 00:28:52,862
people began stopping here
for more than just gas.
432
00:28:55,413 --> 00:28:57,344
There was a table here.
433
00:28:57,344 --> 00:28:58,931
People could sit around
the table.
434
00:28:58,931 --> 00:29:04,103
Generally, they were
playing dominoes or cards
or something of that nature.
435
00:29:04,103 --> 00:29:07,862
And here, there were booths
and stuff like that.
436
00:29:07,862 --> 00:29:10,413
And this area over here, well,
437
00:29:10,413 --> 00:29:12,517
you can see where food
will be passed through
438
00:29:12,517 --> 00:29:14,965
from the kitchen
to different customers.
439
00:29:16,931 --> 00:29:18,655
[narrator] At weekends
in the summer,
440
00:29:18,655 --> 00:29:23,827
it was in the field
behind the gas station
where eyes were drawn.
441
00:29:23,827 --> 00:29:28,862
This side of the station,
they had what's called
the Negro Baseball League,
442
00:29:28,862 --> 00:29:32,965
where cars lined up
all the way down the road
about two or three miles.
443
00:29:34,758 --> 00:29:38,344
The backstop was here,
first, second, third base.
444
00:29:38,344 --> 00:29:41,241
We had bleachers
along the side here.
445
00:29:41,241 --> 00:29:45,068
People came here to relax
and enjoy themselves.
446
00:29:46,344 --> 00:29:48,758
[narrator] But this
service station wasn't just
447
00:29:48,758 --> 00:29:51,310
a welcome stop
for black motorists
448
00:29:51,310 --> 00:29:54,137
but a potentially
life-saving one, too.
449
00:29:55,827 --> 00:30:01,379
Just a bit down the road
was the town of Luther,
which was a sundown town.
450
00:30:01,379 --> 00:30:04,241
There were literally signs
that would say,
451
00:30:04,241 --> 00:30:08,655
"Black people
had to be out of town
by sundown or else..."
452
00:30:08,655 --> 00:30:11,862
And at a time when lynching
was still prevalent
453
00:30:11,862 --> 00:30:15,620
in this country,
the "or else" was serious.
454
00:30:15,620 --> 00:30:17,275
That was a real threat.
455
00:30:18,827 --> 00:30:20,931
[narrator] Next door
to the gas station,
456
00:30:20,931 --> 00:30:26,413
the Threatts offered
an alternative
night time experience.
457
00:30:26,413 --> 00:30:30,896
[Jim] The Threatt Enterprise
became a gathering place
for people in the community.
458
00:30:30,896 --> 00:30:34,793
They could come out
on the weekends
for barbecue and dances.
459
00:30:36,068 --> 00:30:38,793
[Ed] There was a jukebox
in the corner up there.
460
00:30:38,793 --> 00:30:41,551
There was always music
being played.
461
00:30:41,551 --> 00:30:45,344
Pretty much the floor
in the middle
was a dance floor.
462
00:30:45,344 --> 00:30:50,103
[narrator] The bar was called
the Brown Bomber
and was run by Ed's father.
463
00:30:51,896 --> 00:30:56,275
[Ed] I enjoyed every second
that I was in this place.
464
00:30:56,275 --> 00:31:01,931
My brother and I, um,
every Friday and Saturday,
465
00:31:01,931 --> 00:31:03,551
we would barbecue ribs.
466
00:31:04,862 --> 00:31:06,758
That was sort of like our job.
467
00:31:08,931 --> 00:31:13,310
[narrator] The Threatt family
had built something centered
around community,
468
00:31:13,310 --> 00:31:16,448
an approach that continued
as the service station
469
00:31:16,448 --> 00:31:18,758
passed down
through the family.
470
00:31:18,758 --> 00:31:24,758
In 1950, Uncle Ulysses
and Auntie Elizabeth
took over and lived upstairs.
471
00:31:24,758 --> 00:31:28,517
But Elizabeth would
soon have to run things
singlehandedly.
472
00:31:30,000 --> 00:31:35,000
Uncle Ulysses, he passed away
in December 1956.
473
00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:37,482
She never came
back up here again.
474
00:31:37,482 --> 00:31:40,793
That's when she had
her bedroom downstairs.
475
00:31:40,793 --> 00:31:44,000
She ran the business.
She kept it up and going.
476
00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:48,000
She did all of that while
she was still a schoolteacher.
477
00:31:51,103 --> 00:31:53,068
[narrator] At the end
of the '50s,
478
00:31:53,068 --> 00:31:57,206
traffic began to be
diverted away
from historic Route 66
479
00:31:57,206 --> 00:31:59,862
to the new interstate highway.
480
00:31:59,862 --> 00:32:05,137
Dwindling customers
and Elizabeth's old age
finally took their toll.
481
00:32:05,137 --> 00:32:09,034
And the service station shut
for good in 1974.
482
00:32:14,137 --> 00:32:17,413
[narrator]
The Threatt Filling Station
was a vital sanctuary
483
00:32:17,413 --> 00:32:21,310
to African Americans
throughout the middle
of the 20th century,
484
00:32:21,310 --> 00:32:25,655
as the road to racial equality
progressed painfully slow.
485
00:32:25,655 --> 00:32:28,310
And that journey
is still ongoing.
486
00:32:30,655 --> 00:32:36,172
[Ed] Ten years ago,
I was the Mayor of Luther
and I had a citizen tell me,
487
00:32:36,172 --> 00:32:38,413
"Don't let dark
catch you in town."
488
00:32:38,413 --> 00:32:41,000
So you would like to think
that things have changed.
489
00:32:43,310 --> 00:32:44,965
They haven't changed
that much.
490
00:32:44,965 --> 00:32:46,310
They haven't.
491
00:32:47,586 --> 00:32:49,827
[Philip] We definitely are not
at the finish line yet.
492
00:32:49,827 --> 00:32:52,448
There's definitely
some good distance to travel.
493
00:32:52,448 --> 00:32:55,137
And if I could travel,
I would travel
494
00:32:55,137 --> 00:32:57,793
with Threatt Family
Filling Station folk,
495
00:32:57,793 --> 00:33:01,241
because historically
that family has embodied
496
00:33:01,241 --> 00:33:03,172
the right spirit
that we need to move forward.
497
00:33:09,931 --> 00:33:13,344
[narrator] In Florida's
so-called Magic City
498
00:33:13,344 --> 00:33:16,517
is a venue
that helped announce
its arrival
499
00:33:16,517 --> 00:33:20,068
as one of the country's
newest vacation hotspots.
500
00:33:27,275 --> 00:33:30,379
[Kyle] We are in South Florida
at the mouth of Miami River,
501
00:33:30,379 --> 00:33:33,931
and there's no more
beautiful location.
502
00:33:33,931 --> 00:33:35,931
[Sascha] Miami Beach
is famous.
503
00:33:35,931 --> 00:33:39,000
Everything is about water,
the sea, and the sundown here.
504
00:33:40,724 --> 00:33:43,551
[narrator] Right under
the nose of Miami's residents
505
00:33:43,551 --> 00:33:45,896
lies a long-forgotten
structure.
506
00:33:48,517 --> 00:33:51,344
This is definitely
a piece of statement
architecture.
507
00:33:51,344 --> 00:33:54,172
It has a really strong,
distinctive silhouette.
508
00:33:56,000 --> 00:33:57,137
[Kyle] There are a lot
of seats,
509
00:33:57,137 --> 00:33:59,965
and it just opens out
into water.
510
00:33:59,965 --> 00:34:03,965
So you gotta think,
"This is a place where sports
are happening on the water."
511
00:34:05,620 --> 00:34:07,517
[narrator] Ultimately,
this place would prove
512
00:34:07,517 --> 00:34:09,482
to be more
than a water sports venue.
513
00:34:10,965 --> 00:34:14,344
Events you would not expect
took place here.
514
00:34:14,344 --> 00:34:15,758
[narrator]
The biggest surprise, though,
515
00:34:15,758 --> 00:34:20,344
would arrive 20 years
after a disaster shut it down.
516
00:34:20,344 --> 00:34:24,448
The assumption was that,
"Oh, my God, she's gone."
517
00:34:24,448 --> 00:34:25,827
She wasn't gone.
518
00:34:25,827 --> 00:34:28,172
Strong lady. Strong lady.
519
00:34:33,413 --> 00:34:34,862
[narrator] In the early '60s,
520
00:34:34,862 --> 00:34:38,620
the city of Miami wanted
to show the world
it was on the rise.
521
00:34:38,620 --> 00:34:41,965
They invested in large malls,
a new football team.
522
00:34:41,965 --> 00:34:46,275
And here on this
small downtown island,
the Miami Marine Stadium.
523
00:34:47,965 --> 00:34:52,103
Miami Marine Stadium
was the first purpose-built
524
00:34:52,103 --> 00:34:55,137
powerboat stadium ever built
in the United States.
525
00:34:56,931 --> 00:34:59,034
[narrator] Commissioned
in 1962,
526
00:34:59,034 --> 00:35:04,310
the stadium played a key part
in giving Miami
its iconic image.
527
00:35:04,310 --> 00:35:06,931
Longtime Miami resident,
Bill Talbert,
528
00:35:06,931 --> 00:35:10,413
spent many afternoons here
watching the action unfold.
529
00:35:11,758 --> 00:35:13,965
[Bill] I can remember
sitting in those stands.
530
00:35:13,965 --> 00:35:18,724
The powerboats were just
so incredibly exciting.
531
00:35:18,724 --> 00:35:23,137
There's 6,566 seats here,
and there's not a bad seat.
532
00:35:26,862 --> 00:35:29,827
[narrator] The task to design
this stadium was handed
533
00:35:29,827 --> 00:35:35,689
to a 28-year-old immigrant
from Cuba
called Hilario Candela.
534
00:35:35,689 --> 00:35:38,793
One of his first decisions
was to pick
a building material
535
00:35:38,793 --> 00:35:41,586
tough enough to withstand
the salty sea air.
536
00:35:43,620 --> 00:35:46,620
This stadium
is still considered
a modernist icon
537
00:35:46,620 --> 00:35:49,931
'cause it's made entirely
from poured concrete.
538
00:35:49,931 --> 00:35:53,137
And at the time,
it was the largest structure
539
00:35:53,137 --> 00:35:55,689
of cantilevered concrete
in the world.
540
00:35:57,379 --> 00:36:01,620
[narrator] But construction
of the stadium
was not the only challenge.
541
00:36:01,620 --> 00:36:04,517
A track for the boats
to race on was also needed.
542
00:36:07,172 --> 00:36:11,655
[Kenya] They created
a U-shaped basin
that allowed boats
543
00:36:11,655 --> 00:36:16,103
to turn 180 degrees
at high speeds.
544
00:36:16,103 --> 00:36:20,034
Some boats could go
as fast as 100 miles an hour.
545
00:36:21,724 --> 00:36:23,931
[Sascha] The dredging
of this basin alone
546
00:36:23,931 --> 00:36:28,000
cost the same amount
as building
the entire stadium.
547
00:36:29,620 --> 00:36:31,620
[narrator] After more
than a year in the making,
548
00:36:31,620 --> 00:36:36,034
on December 27, 1963,
the stadium officially opened.
549
00:36:37,551 --> 00:36:41,241
But opening day
would end in tragedy.
550
00:36:55,620 --> 00:36:58,793
[narrator]
The Miami Marine Stadium
was the nation's
551
00:36:58,793 --> 00:37:05,310
first purpose-built
powerboat arena,
and it put Miami on the map.
552
00:37:05,310 --> 00:37:10,551
When this was opened in '63,
this was a sleepy
little southern town.
553
00:37:10,551 --> 00:37:13,379
This was a bold statement
to the world.
554
00:37:13,379 --> 00:37:15,172
On the water,
on the Atlantic Ocean,
555
00:37:15,172 --> 00:37:17,655
in this emerging town
called Miami
556
00:37:17,655 --> 00:37:19,896
that, you know,
we're a big-time town.
557
00:37:21,413 --> 00:37:23,482
[narrator] Spectators
were fully immersed
558
00:37:23,482 --> 00:37:26,206
in the atmosphere,
thanks to the
stadium's design.
559
00:37:28,586 --> 00:37:34,137
With this closed-in roof,
the sound went up,
around, and down.
560
00:37:34,137 --> 00:37:38,275
It was loud, loud,
loud and exciting.
561
00:37:38,275 --> 00:37:40,137
It got you out of your seats.
562
00:37:41,931 --> 00:37:44,172
[narrator]
But on the very first day,
563
00:37:44,172 --> 00:37:49,862
a tragic turn of events risked
the future of the venue
before it had even begun.
564
00:37:49,862 --> 00:37:53,034
Unfortunately,
on the opening day,
one of the racers,
565
00:37:53,034 --> 00:37:55,448
James Tapp,
lost his life in a crash.
566
00:37:56,931 --> 00:38:00,448
[narrator] In a practice run,
one of Tapp's engines stalled,
567
00:38:00,448 --> 00:38:04,482
flipping the boat over
and proving fatal
for the driver.
568
00:38:04,482 --> 00:38:08,413
It was a painful reminder
of how dangerous
the sport can be.
569
00:38:09,965 --> 00:38:14,827
Despite the tragedy,
the stadium continued
to be a success.
570
00:38:14,827 --> 00:38:18,965
People were thrilled
by high-speed boat races.
571
00:38:21,172 --> 00:38:24,586
[narrator]
Over the next decade,
Miami boomed.
572
00:38:24,586 --> 00:38:28,931
Tourists flooded to the city,
with the stadium
playing its part.
573
00:38:31,068 --> 00:38:35,413
[Kenya] Miami was the center
of boat racing
574
00:38:35,413 --> 00:38:39,862
in the United States
and hosted
many different types of it.
575
00:38:41,172 --> 00:38:44,482
[narrator] But the stadium
wasn't just about racing.
576
00:38:44,482 --> 00:38:50,482
Miami Marine Stadium hosted
pageants, concerts,
bands, religious events.
577
00:38:51,931 --> 00:38:55,344
If you have like
a football stadium
or a tennis stadium,
578
00:38:55,344 --> 00:38:58,413
the field is the stage there.
579
00:38:58,413 --> 00:39:01,689
But here there is no field.
The field is the water.
580
00:39:01,689 --> 00:39:03,655
So stages were brought in.
581
00:39:05,068 --> 00:39:07,655
[narrator] Bill was one
of the many fans lucky enough
582
00:39:07,655 --> 00:39:12,000
to enjoy some
of the memorable concerts
held here.
583
00:39:12,000 --> 00:39:17,310
It's one of the unique things
you can do is see
a concert on your boat.
584
00:39:17,310 --> 00:39:20,931
Getting here at noon
and tying up boats
four or five across.
585
00:39:20,931 --> 00:39:23,551
You know, I remember
cooking lobsters
586
00:39:23,551 --> 00:39:26,172
and people were swimming
in the water.
587
00:39:26,172 --> 00:39:29,241
Man, was that fun.
588
00:39:29,241 --> 00:39:34,034
[narrator] In 1972,
a different kind of event
drew eyes from across
589
00:39:34,034 --> 00:39:35,689
the whole country
to the stadium.
590
00:39:37,379 --> 00:39:41,758
Richard Nixon
was on the campaign trail
for reelection as president.
591
00:39:43,655 --> 00:39:48,310
President Richard Nixon
held his youth rally
at this stadium.
592
00:39:48,310 --> 00:39:51,379
The rally filled
with Nixon supporters
593
00:39:51,379 --> 00:39:54,068
as they chanted,
"Four more years."
594
00:39:55,965 --> 00:39:59,413
[narrator] The stadium
was a symbol
of Miami's growth as a city,
595
00:39:59,413 --> 00:40:02,793
but it became a victim
of its own success.
596
00:40:05,551 --> 00:40:10,448
As powerboat engines
became bigger and stronger,
597
00:40:10,448 --> 00:40:15,241
powerboat racing moved
into the wide open sea.
598
00:40:15,241 --> 00:40:16,862
[narrator] Mother Nature,
though,
599
00:40:16,862 --> 00:40:19,172
would deal the final blow
to the stadium.
600
00:40:22,551 --> 00:40:27,551
[Bill] Hurricane Andrew
was August 24th, 1992.
601
00:40:27,551 --> 00:40:30,241
Remember, you would
always talk about the big one,
602
00:40:30,241 --> 00:40:32,517
on that Saturday,
it was coming straight in.
603
00:40:32,517 --> 00:40:34,448
I said, "This is the big one."
604
00:40:34,448 --> 00:40:37,344
It's scary and you don't know
where it's going to hit.
605
00:40:39,931 --> 00:40:42,137
Miami avoided a direct hit,
606
00:40:42,137 --> 00:40:45,620
but it was suspected
that the stadium
sustained some damage
607
00:40:45,620 --> 00:40:48,172
during the event,
and it was declared
unsafe for the public.
608
00:40:50,310 --> 00:40:51,827
[narrator] Post-hurricane,
609
00:40:51,827 --> 00:40:57,000
the city had other priorities
and the stadium
fell into disrepair.
610
00:40:57,000 --> 00:41:00,517
But the original
damage assessment
didn't sit right with some.
611
00:41:01,655 --> 00:41:04,862
The assumption
was for years that it's...
612
00:41:04,862 --> 00:41:08,206
it's structurally unsound,
and somebody,
613
00:41:08,206 --> 00:41:11,793
maybe
the original architect said,
"How does anybody know that?"
614
00:41:13,137 --> 00:41:16,551
[narrator] Incredibly,
after 20 years of closure,
615
00:41:16,551 --> 00:41:19,275
the original assessment
was proven wrong.
616
00:41:21,241 --> 00:41:25,551
The study was done,
and it's fairly
structurally sound,
617
00:41:25,551 --> 00:41:27,724
and that's what saved her.
618
00:41:27,724 --> 00:41:33,310
And in 2018, this was put
on the National Register
of Historic Places.
619
00:41:33,310 --> 00:41:35,724
It can never be torn down.
620
00:41:35,724 --> 00:41:37,793
And you can see, look at this.
621
00:41:37,793 --> 00:41:40,689
It looks like it'll last
for a hundred years.
622
00:41:40,689 --> 00:41:43,517
[narrator]
A restoration effort
is now underway,
623
00:41:43,517 --> 00:41:47,103
and there is hope these seats
will one day be full again.
624
00:41:52,172 --> 00:41:54,448
[narrator] The Miami
Marine Stadium symbolizes
625
00:41:54,448 --> 00:41:56,862
a time when the city
announced itself
626
00:41:56,862 --> 00:41:59,000
as an entertainment
destination
627
00:41:59,000 --> 00:42:00,551
to be reckoned with.
628
00:42:00,551 --> 00:42:03,137
[Bill] It's part
of our history. It's unique.
629
00:42:03,137 --> 00:42:06,103
It distinguishes Miami
from all the competition.
630
00:42:06,103 --> 00:42:08,068
Nobody has this.
56142
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