Heading back down into the town of Thunder Mesa, you'll find there are many more little corners to discover in this part of Frontierland. The stretch of buildings pictured above includes an Assay Office, Eureka Mining Supplies and a boot maker's shop, not to mention great details like the wagon wheels on the merchandise carts, the long skirts and aprons on the cast members and the authentic wooden sidewalk. Look closely at the end of the sidewalk. You'll see that, instead of just building in a ramp for wheelchair access, the Imagineers accomplished the same thing by building up the "dirt" along the sidewalk.
The first business on this block, the Assay Office, is merely a facade, but it's an important part of the Thunder Mesa story. In the western territories, assayers would receive deposits from prospectors and determine the quality and quantity of the precious metals contained in them. Since many folks at this time couldn't read, the office facade includes an example of visual literacy, communicating it's service with an image of a scale loaded with gold nuggets and counterweights.
The first real shop on the block is the Eureka Mining Co. The word "eureka" comes from ancient Greek and loosely translates as "I've found it!" Eureka became associated with the California Gold Rush of 1849 and went on to become the official state motto.
The interior of the space is stocked floor to ceiling with mining equipment of all sorts (along with a variety of Disneyland Resort Paris souvenirs). There's even an old lift elevator, which legend says connects directly to the Big Thunder mine.
Further along the trail is Tobias Norton & Sons, Frontier Traders. Major Tobias Norton was a character played by William Bakewell in the Davy Crockett episodes of the "Disneyland" anthology series.
Here, Norton is a trapper and trader, a story fleshed out in the details inside. There are tools of the trade, various animal hides and furs, items traded from Native American tribes in the area and a collection of photographs of some of the more famous folks with whom Norton has done business - among them Sitting Bull and Annie Oakley.
The Thunder Mesa Mercantile building at the center of town houses Bonanza Outfitters.
Bonanza Outfitters is a general store, carrying a wide range of items from duster coats to barbed wire... and, apparently, Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise (I suppose there's a connection of a sort to nearby Phantom Manor). Purists needn't worry, though. There's also plenty of uniquely Frontierland items here, including genuine cowboy boots, hats, children's costumes, toy guns and candy "gun" powder.
For an even more authentic experience, head on over to the Last Chance Cafe. Be warned, though. The bullet holes in the sign out front are your first indication that the clientele who belly-up to this bar isn't quite as refined as who you might encounter at a more reputable establishment like the Lucky Nugget.
Inside, the walls of the Last Chance Cafe are papered with Wanted posters and offers for reward, and fellas who've stopped to wet their whistle before hitting the trail have deposited saddles, satchels, holsters and rope wherever they could find a spot, before hitting the hammered-copper counter for a whiskey (or Coca-Cola) from the barkeep.
Well, that'll about do it for this stretch of Frontierland. Thunder Mesa is just one corner of this vast section of the park, however, so be sure to check back next week for much more. In the meantime, I'll leave you with one last thing: this restroom sign from inside the Silver Spur Steakhouse. I love the images of the frontier lady and gentleman, the antique telephone, the metal framing around the sign and perhaps best of all, the wonderful texture of the wallpaper. Once again, it's the kind of attention to detail that constantly astounds me when visiting Disney Parks around the world.