Word had spread. The Lone Ranger was on a Union Pacific train headed west. Destination? Lone Ranger Frontier Town. Occasion? The program’s fifteen years of radio broadcast were cause for celebration. And a celebration there would be.
Lone Ranger Frontier Town Afternoon Festivities in Cheyenne, WY
For just one memorable day, Cheyenne, Wyoming, was transformed into Lone Ranger Frontier Town and became the epicenter of the Lone Ranger’s adventures. There were parades and proclamations and performances. Speeches made and honors conveyed.
The presidents of both the program’s sponsor, General Mills, and the broadcasting network, ABC, were there. It was the most elaborate promotional event of the time, and few since have achieved such success. Against this backdrop, General Mills launched the Cheerios Lone Ranger Frontier Town promotion—for just a Cheerios box top and a dime each week during July, you could collect all four sections of the Lone Ranger Frontier Town map with the town buildings printed on the back of each box for cut-out and assembly. (Full Lone Ranger Frontier Town sets became the most collectible of all Lone Ranger premiums.)
Relating only the commercial success of that day, however, would leave out an important detail. During the war that had just ended, The Lone Ranger program had become a platform for community action, promoting the sale of War Bonds and other war efforts. With the war over, attention turned to the affliction that had struck so many children (and adults) during that period—polio. The National Society for Crippled Children (now Easter Seals) became the primary beneficiary. In the weeks before Lone Ranger Frontier Town, young listeners were encouraged to contribute what they could to aid this cause and “help less fortunate boys and girls run and play again”. While the steady flow of pennies, nickels, and dimes accumulated to many thousands of dollars raised for a very good cause, perhaps more the more enduring legacy was actually living a part of the Lone Ranger Creed—”Everyone has within himself the power to make this a better world.”
About that train ride to Lone Ranger Frontier Town…
A few days after Brace’s passing, J. P. McCarthy broadcast a tribute in which many of the program’s original actor’s and production staff shared memories of him. Chuck Livingstone, the program’s director for many years, was on that train. After changing trains in Chicago, news had gotten out that The Lone Ranger was aboard.
Brace got out in the platform between two of the cars and looked out the window. And as it came along in these little cities, little towns, there were groups of from 40 to 200 children—schoolchildren that had heard about this. As he came by they’d all wave at him, and he waved his hand at them. I stood there watching him, and, golly, the tears were just streaming down his face. It was something which I shall never forget, and definitely demonstrates the feeling that this man had. Brace never felt that it was honoring Brace Beemer, though it was in a way, but this was a salute to this person, this character which he had created and had played so well and so long.
Looking forward to this. Wow…even the name Brace Beemer is fascinating! Kudos to you on this journey to preserve history, your heritage, and in honoring your mother and her father.
I was born on July 15, 1939, so I was almost ten years old when this episode was aired. I have definite ans specific memories of it, especially of the “secret” about the name of the town that was to be Lone Ranger Frontier Town. I remember the episode when the name was announced. We all knew about “Cheyenne” because of the tribe that featured in so many western broadcasts and movies, but I, for one, had no idea how the word was spelled. I thought it was “Shian” or something similar. Over 60 years later, in 2011 or so, I visited Cheyenne for the first time. The next year I was there for the start of Cheyenne Frontier Days, the world’s largest outdoor rodeo. Truly, life is good.
I have a radio copy on tape of highlights that day, 6-30-48, as originally broadcast on ABC radio. Its very entertaining and a moving event before television was common place. To this day, I still enjoy listening to Lone Ranger radio shows.
Paul: I’m researching a post about Radio Premiums for my GOld Time Radio site dedicated to Network Radio’s Golden Age at http://www.jimramsburg.com Commercial content has been stripped from all air-checks of Lone Ranger broadcasts. Your tape from Frontier Town is a marvelous souvenir! Could you email a copy to me that I might post on my forthcoming site? Naturally, full credit will be given to you as its source.
Best regards,
Jim Ramsburg
I remember the Lone Ranger coming to town. We listened to the Lone Ranger on the radio and it was so exciting to think he would be in Cheyenne. Since I was only 7 1/2 years old, I’m not sure just how accurate my memories are. I recall the store fronts were made to look like the old west with wooden posts and walkways. I had a western shirt, jeans, and cowgirl hat, a holster with a cap gun, but I didn’t have any boots. Since I wanted to really look like a cowgirl for this special parade, I put on my older brother’s western boots which were WAY too big for me so I had to kind of shuffle to walk. I remember people smiling when I shuffled by with my whole get-up. Amazing that it was a time when someone that young could go places without an adult–just with other kids. I have good memories of growing up in Cheyenne!! 🙂 As an added note, someone reported on the radio that they had to teach the Lone Ranger to ride in the parade because he had never been on a horse
I can assure you that Brace could ride ANY horse, and expertly so! I’ll post some early “horsing around” pictures soon.