Silvertown
Silvertown was the heart of the park. The street was lined with western style storefronts. 'Crash' Corrigan appeared frequently on the street, and he participated in the western acts staged for the guests.
The sandstone formations seen in the historical views are recognizable in the recent pictures. These jumbled rocks add much to the attractiveness of the area, past and present. They reduce the bareness of the current landscape. Fires destroyed the town thirty years ago, and only foundations exist today. These several views show the relatively bare area that remains. The foundations of the barn are the largest remnants of the town.
Jungle Jim Pool
The signs at the regional park call this area the Jungle Jim Pool. Jungle Jim is the main character in a series of action films which starred Johnny Weissmuller. Scenes for these films were shot at the Corrigan ranch and in and around this pool.
The artificial pool is concrete-lined. The concrete room with windows housed the cameras for underwater filming. Above the pool is the Jungle Jim Dive Rock. This platform was constructed for easy and attractive looking dives into the pool.
Information at the pool states that it was used for a variety of films including the Jungle Jim series (1948-1955), Creature from the Black Lagoon (1954), and The African Queen (1951), perhaps for some of the shots of Humphrey Bogart pulling the stranded boat in the water. The pond, currently dry, was used for boat rides at Corriganville.
Fort Apache
A western fort was built in this area for exterior scenes in the film Fort Apache (1948), directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and Henry Fonda. The fort set was altered as needed for subsequent films, while also serving as an attraction at Corriganville. Only the foundations remain today. The hilly area with rock outcrops enhance the scene.
Corsican Village
Corsican Village, a set representing a 19th century village on the island of Corsica, located in the Mediterranean Sea, was built in 1947 in a small cove near the Fort Apache set. Corsican Village was featured in the film Vendetta (1950), starring Faith Domergue. Nothing remains of it today.
Sherwood Forest
An oak woodland was named Sherwood Forest or, alternately, Robin Hood Forest. Visitors to Corriganville lunched in a pretty picnic area next to Robin Hood Lake. The native oaks provided an attractive background for many western films.
Caves & Hideouts
Small features on the ranch were used to represent entrances to a cave or a hideout. The cave or the hideout did not exist, but proper camera angles and set enhancements gave the impression of their existence. The artfully posed tree and rock made a convincing and attractive entrance to a hideout.
Rock Formations
Although the trail through the regional park is relatively flat, the terrain is actually quite hilly. The trail mostly avoids the hills. The jumbled rock formations dominate the landscape. They provide a visual attractiveness even in the areas which have been battered by many years of heavy use.
Further Reading