{"id":138,"date":"2015-11-11T08:00:47","date_gmt":"2015-11-11T13:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/?p=138"},"modified":"2018-01-04T13:37:04","modified_gmt":"2018-01-04T18:37:04","slug":"six-flags-over-texas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/11\/11\/six-flags-over-texas\/","title":{"rendered":"Six Flags Over Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"

In 1959, plans were being developed by the Great Southwest Corporation, investors from New York and Angus G. Wynne Jr. to build an amusement park in the Metroplex Area. The idea came about when Angus visited Disneyland in Anaheim California, where he then decided that his home state of Texas needed a similar attraction with the history of Texas mixed in. The park was modeled after the culture of the six flags that flew over Texas: Spain, France, Mexico, Texas Confederacy, Republic of Texas, and Texas as part of the United States, thus granting the name Six Flags Over Texas.<\/p>\r\n

Construction for Six Flags Over Texas began in August of 1960, and had its official opening day on August 5 1961 with an attendance of 8,374. Originally the amusement park was never intended to last more than a few years. The Great Southwest Industrial District was going to use the park as a temporary money maker to fund other projects. Though after adding new attractions within the first few years after opening, attendance was reaching over close to 2 million visitors a year by the end of the 1960\u2019s.<\/p>\r\n\r\n

\"Arlington,<\/a>

Jacoby, Doris. El Asseradero. Lester Strother Collection (AR0327), University of North Texas Special Collections.<\/p><\/div>\r\n\r\n

Six Flags Over Texas introduced several \u201cfirsts\u201d in theme park standards around the world. It was the first Six Flags park, later followed the plans to develop Six Flags Over Georgia in 1965, with the opening in June of 1967. Six Flags Over Texas also introduced the \u201cpay-one-price\u201d model where there was a single admission price that included all rides and attractions, instead of having to pay admission as well as buying individual tickets for each ride or attraction. After introducing the pay-one-price model, Disney Land quietly followed suit in 1982.<\/p>\r\n

In 1963, the log flume ride, El Asseradero (Saw Mill), was introduced becoming the first of its kind.\u00a0 The ride was engineered and constructed by Six Flags Over Texas technicians. Guests would ride in a fiberglass log through a replica of an early saw mill, the logs would be lifted and propelled through winding flumes by conveyor belts and rapid flowing water.\u00a0 The logs would be lifted up a hill to a height of 44 feet before dropping down a long slide at a 45 degree angle splashing into a flume at the end. The park would later introduce the first mine train roller coaster, Runaway Mine Train, in 1966, and then the first free fall ride, the Texas Cliffhanger in 1982 (later removed in 2007).<\/p>\r\n

Throughout the past 50 years, many rides and attractions have come and go for various reason, as well as owners and investors.\u00a0 Unlike other Six Flags parks, Six Flags Over Texas in not owned by Six Flags Theme Parks Incorporated, instead the park is owned by over 120 limited partners.<\/p>\r\n

More information on the parks history, ownership and other news about the park can be found at Guide to Six Flags over Texas<\/a>.<\/p>\r\n

-by Jaime Janda<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In 1959, plans were being developed by the Great Southwest Corporation, investors from New York and Angus G. Wynne Jr. to build an amusement park in the Metroplex Area. The idea came about when Angus visited Disneyland in Anaheim California, where he then decided that his home state of Texas needed a similar attraction with… Read more »<\/a>","protected":false},"author":28,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-138","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p60UnY-2e","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":523,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2016\/01\/27\/storybook-land\/","url_meta":{"origin":138,"position":0},"title":"Storybook Land","author":"Alexandra","date":"January 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"In 1956, Mother Goose and her brood settled down in the metroplex. Storybook Land opened in April of that year to the delight of area children, who flocked with their families to the theme park located just east of Carter Field on Highway 183. Any theme park with a storytale\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"Storybook Land Map, taken from http:\/\/bacougars66.com\/","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/storybook-2smaller-740x558.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/storybook-2smaller-740x558.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/storybook-2smaller-740x558.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/12\/storybook-2smaller-740x558.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":360,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/09\/30\/how-cool-is-the-state-fair-of-texas\/","url_meta":{"origin":138,"position":1},"title":"How Cool is the State Fair of Texas?","author":"Alexandra","date":"September 30, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u00a0 The 2015 State Fair of Texas has been up and running for a full 6\u00a0days now, and hopes are high to beat\u00a0the record-breaking numbers it saw last year. A welcome reprieve from the hot lines at Six Flags Over Texas in Arlington, families are excited for the cool weather\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Big Tex\"","block_context":{"text":"Big Tex","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/tag\/big-tex\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"An aerial view of the State Fair of Texas","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-002_01-740x601.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-002_01-740x601.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-002_01-740x601.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/09\/UNTA_AR0327-052-002_01-740x601.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/01\/21\/from-turnpike-stadium-to-rangers-ballpark\/","url_meta":{"origin":138,"position":2},"title":"From Turnpike Stadium to Rangers Ballpark","author":"Morgan","date":"January 21, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"The Texas Rangers will be starting their 2015 Spring Training Season coming up on March 4th, a little over a month before the their 2015 Season opener game against the Houston Astros on April 10th. 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Williamson, Associate Professor of Industrial Arts at North Texas State University. He was chosen at the annual TIAA conference at Texas A & M University in College Station. Williamson is pictured above,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Education\"","block_context":{"text":"Education","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/tag\/education\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"1963-64 TIAA Executive Committee: Frank Miller, M. D. Williamson, F. L. Bay, Benton Broschette, and John Ballard","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/08\/img008-740x597.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/08\/img008-740x597.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/08\/img008-740x597.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/14\/2015\/08\/img008-740x597.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":393,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/2015\/10\/07\/the-cotton-bowl-the-house-that-doak-built\/","url_meta":{"origin":138,"position":4},"title":"The Cotton Bowl, The House that Doak Built","author":"Alexandra","date":"October 7, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"In the years following World War II, Doak Walker (a.k.a. \u201cThe Doaker\u201d) was the college football favorite. A true All-American, Doak led the SMU Mustangs in academics, athletics, and leadership, leaving behind a solid legacy for all Mustangs to come. He entered Southern Methodist University as a Freshman in 1945\u2026","rel":"","context":"In \"Cotton Bowl\"","block_context":{"text":"Cotton Bowl","link":"https:\/\/blogs.library.unt.edu\/southwest-metroplex\/tag\/cotton-bowl\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Aerial photograph of the Cotton Bowl stadium in Fair Park. From the Lester Strother Texas Metro Collection. 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