SELF-DEFENSE TRAINING

subjects with such authority, I was mesmerized, wishing as a kid I could go back to that Western time and place where I could see these immortals my dad spoke so highly of.

Unbeknownst to me, there was such a place in Florida, and when my dad thought I was old enough, he introduced me to the magic kingdom before there was an official Magic Kingdom; for me, that magical place was Six Gun Territory.

BEFORE DISNEY WORLD came to Florida, one of the three main tourist attractions was Six Gun Territory, a 200-acre Western-themed park near Silver Springs in Ocala, Florida.

The Wild West theme park opened in February 1963. It was literally like going back in time. The attraction was built around an Old West town set in the 1880s. After visitors parked their cars, they boarded an authentic steam train. The train would take you through a time portal and passage to the Old West town. The journey would either have safe passage to its destination or be interrupted by an attempted train robbery, which would turn into a gunfight. As the adventure continued, the train would pull into the train station in Six Gun Territory.

The town was built with 40 authentic Old West buildings, which included a beautiful two-story courthouse, a jail, a bank, saloons, a schoolhouse, and Mexican and Indian villages. Once there, one could learn about the cultures of both the Mexicans and Native Americans. There were plenty of stores and vendors, but my fondest memory – and always our first stop at my dad’s insistence, since we went about every Sunday – is worshipping God in the park’s nondenominational church.

Other fond memories of Six Gun are the TV personalities the park brought in. The first celebrity I ran into at Six Gun – and I mean that literally, as I was reenacting a bank robbery with my friends with our cap guns – left me star-struck. I was running around the corner of Six Gun’s bank, when I ran smack into a wall of a man and was knocked flat on my butt. This mountain of a man picked me up and said, “Hey, little partner, you alright?” That man was actor Dan Blocker, who played Hoss on the TV show Bonanza

Another fond memory is when my dad took me into the saloon for some beers – root beer, of course – to watch the can-can girls, and what a show they put on. One time in the saloon show, they had an extraordinary guest who was singing, and I was stricken as she came down from the stage into the audience and gave me my first kiss on the cheek by a woman other than my mom. That kiss came from Amanda Blake, who played Miss Kitty on Gunsmoke. I also met actors Lorne Greene from Bonanza and Clint Walker of Cheyenne fame.

Of course, the most unforgettable memories are the excellently choreographed gunfights by the professional stuntmen. The theme was always the same, whether the scenario was a train robbery, bank robbery, jailbreak or revenge-killing attempt; it was always good guy versus bad guy. The good was always outnumbered, but with a strong will, courage and a sawed-off shotgun, at Six Gun Territory, good always triumphed!

So, what moral of the story could be made for Americans? Always do good, be strong, have the strength and courage to face adversity, no matter the odds, and be willing to fight and defend others for the greater good. That is what America stands for.

Six Gun Territory had an excellent run for 21 years, closing on January 1, 1984 – but did it really?

IN SEPTEMBER 2018, Kirby Farm in Williston, Florida, hosted a reunion event with some original Six Gun Territory gunfighters. Kirby Farm bought the original train from Six Gun and put it on their property. The train is fully functional and prone to being held up by train robbers, known as the Shadow Riders, but have no fear, as the marshals are never too far behind.

This event now continues a few times a year. There is something for everyone in the family at Kirby Farm’s Six Gun Territory, from reenactments to children’s rides. There are Western singers, can-can girls, wagon tractor rides, eateries and various vendors to shop. They also have a Native