Video: Robot Abe Speaks
1880 Cowboy Town
Buffalo Ridge, South Dakota
Of the many charms of 1880 Cowboy Town, Abraham Lincoln's Dakota Territories speech impressed us the most. We found him standing at a podium in a horse stable, behind heavy mesh fencing. His stovepipe hat was pulled down to cover everything above his mouth and beard. Push the button and hear Abe speak (we recognized as the voice of Dean Songstadt, 1880 Cowboy Town creator and owner).
We had to shoot Lincoln's pre-recorded speech three times, because the first two times we fell on our asses laughing. No disrespect for the President, but it was that hat. The unique positioning supposedly spared us from the deadly effect of Abe's wonky animated eyes. [2:19]
May 2009: We've heard from a few visitors that, sadly, Abe Lincoln's eyes have been repaired. No worries! There's sure to be something else going wonky at 1880 Cowboy Town.
