How sad to see the Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper, and its cowboy movies and wagon and train rides, apparently brought down by Wild West World’s bankruptcy. As our editorial Tuesday noted, there are other ways to enjoy "lip smacking bar-b-que and great cowboy music," as a Prairie Rose billboard put it, but none quite so informal and entertaining as at the working ranch near Benton.
With the supper club now closed and up for auction Aug. 24, its many fans can only hope a buyer will step forward who is interested in reopening the Prairie Rose and keeping its tunes and food coming.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
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62 Comments
The food at Prairie Rose is catered by Spears. Enjoy!
The Prairie Rose was a shining star for the Wichita area. Those that have been nay-sayers have never been there, even though they will say they have. Good entertainment where the whole family can enjoy is a very rare commodity. I know if I had the money to keep it from closing, I would.
The Prairie Rose venue would be a great addition to Cow Town.
I agree Sheryl Baker. It’s most likely the County Commission that puts up these road blocks in making viable additions to Cowtown.
Cowtown could be a World Class exhibition if it wasn’t for the limited vision of the County Commission.
There could be:
-Fine Dining and EntertainingLike Prairie Rose-Civil War Re-enactments by the hundreds of Re-enactors in the Kansas area-An ongoing crafts and art show and sales (quilts, can goods, Kansas unique and historically represented displays-Library wants a place to move, how about near Cowtown, with a special section devoted to the History of Kansas and Wichita-Interaction with the other tourist venues in Wichita, Botanical Gardens, Zoo, etc.-Place a Magnet School in the area. Have the kids going there specialize in whatever subject, but have them participate in the History of Kansas on occasion-Put in a Branson-like entertainment venue there
So on and so forth, but the County Commission continues to fritter away opportunity with projects costing hundreds of million of dollars that TEAR DOWN more buildings instead of erecting them.
I’m wondering if Ethridge will be back. They said he is auctioning off his house. Is he leaving town?
Cowtown has chosen to be historically accurate instead of Hollywood myth.
The “cowboy songs” they sing at the Prairie Rose were written in the 1930’s to the 60’s. Prairie Rose is a John Wayne, Clint Eastwood “spagetti western” view of cowboys.
Nothing authentic there . . . not even the hats.
It’s good family fun and worthy entertainment for bus-loads of out-of-towners who’ve never been on the back of a horse.
But as someone who has actually worked cattle on horseback, it doesn’t have much connection with the historical cowboy.
There’s only one problem. Prairie Rose is situated in BUTLER county…not Sedgwick! That is one BIG road block, people!
It is unfortunate that Prairie Rose might be lost. I hope a way can be found to prevent that.
I wish a hard-ass type accountant had slapped Etheridge upside the head a few times before he went forward with http://WWW. While he may have had a noble vision he was sorely lacking in reality. It is too bad his advisors were apparently similarly lacking.
“I wish a hard-ass type accountant had slapped Etheridge upside the head a few times before he went forward with http://WWW.”
Ben, guys like etheridge are “hard headed” entrepreneurs, not hard nosed. I’m pretty sure LOTS of folks tried to bring reality to the situation, but I know the general type.
They rant and foam in your office about how you are holding back development, stopping good entrepreneurs with too much “red tape”, dont care how many jobs are created for the “little people”.
Then they call the city or county and whine about the “negative attitude” of the local economic development people. They will rant endlessly about their “vision” and about how SOMEBODY needs to step up to the plate and get some jobs created here.
Then the city or county frowns on the economic development people, the private sector bankers start calling their political buddies to find out where the HELL their “guarantees” are and ask why isnt this project going through faster?
I’m also sure, from the reports of this chinese checkers financing scheme, that etheridge was following the bible when he put the deals together.
Something about the left hand should not know what the right hand is doing? Mission accomplished. I think they ALL succeeded in THAT!
heheheh. I’ve seen these guys wave the bloody shirt of “entrepreneurs uber alles” and invoke the image of the hard working “little guy”.
At more than 20 million, how’s that “little guy” stuff working out. The myth of the american entrepreneur rising to the top with public finaning and the “help” of the economic development programs is just that.
Myth. If it was a GOOD deal, the banks would have taken 100 percent of it for themselves.
But I will say this for the prairie rose. It’s success is largely due to it being INTERACTIVE.
Going to the show and dinner was something to DO, not just something to sit or stand and SEE. I say it all the time. Attractions for doing have a much better chance of success than those for “seeing”.
I keep hereing posters saying Prairie Rose was successful and was making mony! If that were the case how come it was reported that attendance at PR was dwindling? Face facts folks! Prairie Rose was NOT making enough to make a profit for Etheridge! Good family fun? That’s in the eyes of the beholder!!!
Yea, it’s a shame. And while yes, Capn, there was little “authentic” cowboy about it, that doesn’t matter. The “cowboy” culture today is a mix of the authentic with the Hollywood, the real interwined with the romantic. And that’s not just a fabrication of Hollywood; cheap novels have been glorifying the cowboy since the beginning.
Have you been to Prairie Rose? Those entertainers were d*** good at what they did, authentic or not, and the audience had a good time, and not just here. They’ve filled Carnagie Hall. It’s not my musical cup of tea, but it was masterfully done, and a good time.
So yes, it’s a shame. If it can be saved, it should be. But that’s the price of risking it all on http://WWW.
The thing that’s troubling (given the previous thread’s comments) is that so many here seem to take such pleasure in Ethridge’s failure. That speaks volumes about those people.
… or perhaps it speaks volumes about etheridge and taliban terry?
Looks to me like THEY dont have much community support.
Karma, she’s just a bitch, aint she?
Point proven. Thanks, KFG.
Deny much gmc?
Let’s see, KFG.
You revel (yes, “revel” is the right word) in the failure of WWW, the loss of Ethridge’s original business, the potential loss of his home, etc., and the losses to be taken by his investors (wisely invested or not), because you disagree with one of his investors, who Ethridge let use his facility for church services.
Did I sum it up correctly? I think so.
That may well be the very definition of small, petty, and mean-spirited.
But by all means, continue your revelry.
GMC - I find myself largely in agreement with you. OTOH, I will say that Etheridge did exude just a bit too much arrogance and I suspect that is part of what took him down. Also, a bit of ‘guilt by association’ with Fox didn’t help.
I did enjoy PR and hadn’t seen any reports of attendence dwindling as claimed above. It is my understanding that it and its related businesses there WERE thriving. As I said above, it’s too bad this whole thing seems to be coming down.
I think a big part of teh rpoblem is that he had a successful “niche” market but thought he could expand it 10-fold. Sort of like those who think they can do the same thing with hockey or arena football.
If Etheridge leaves, will he take Terry Fox with him? That’s all I wanna know.
Ben, IIRC, the story that covered the sale of the Prairie Rose also had a sentence or two buried within that indicated dropping attendance over the past year or so. This wouldn’t surprise me, BTW, as I’ve heard (never went there myself) from clients, etc., that it was an entertaining evening once, but no particular reason to return.
VT - good point on “once you’ve seen it you’ve seen it”
Unless you have small kids the ’staying power’ is limited.
If WWW was on the up and up, then it was spectacularly mismanaged. If not, it was a scam from the get-go. Either way, it’s a really good reason to keep Etheridge the hell away from Cowtown or any other Wichita landmark we want preserved.Somebody might ask if those Prairie Rose musicians got a final and cashable paycheck, while we’re at it.
Statistics are a funny thing. You can make them say what you want.Had attendance fallen. That depends on how you look at it. The PR was not open every night and the seating capacity was only about 400. Rarely were they not sold out and the nights that usually were opened and subsequently not open were due to several things. Several evening events were cancelled due to icy roads and several “normal” evenings when they would have normally been opened, the PR Wranglers were appearing elsewhere.
So if you take a shortsided look at the statistics someone wants you to see, the attendance could be said to have dwindled when in reallity the place was usually sold at 95% or greater every night they were open.
I probably attended the Prarie Rose once a year maybe twice.
It was when family was visiting or to take friends who have never been.
It really was a great show. I only wished I knew that this was happening and I would have tried to go one last time.
So much for:
“I don’t look good naked anymore”
GMC,
Point 1: Thomas Etheredge went out of his way to personalize every public aspect of Wild West World. He made sure his name was always out front, he made sure that “Etheredge” and “Wild West World” were always mentioned together in the same sentence. His sales method was to make it _all_ about _him_. He bought his own sales pitch, and became a caricature of his own little cult of personality.
Point 2: Pastor Fox did precisely the same thing at Immanuel Baptist Church. There was not a single aspect of Immanuel’s mission that didn’t have his name on it, or him taking credit for it. He even went so far as to have his name engraved on the granite sign in front of the church. “Immanuel Baptist Church, Rev Terry Fox, Pastor.” Then there are the billboards advertising Immanuel - remember those? 20-foot giant head picture of Fox, tiny picture of Immanuel in the background. Another self-caricature and personality cult, like none seen in Kansas since the days of Carrie Nation.
Point 3: Thomas Etheredge served 4 1/2 years for securities and investment fraud. Terry Fox was reportedly fired from Immanuel Baptist Church for diverting funds from the church’s mission into his political activities.
Point 4: The Etheredges went out of their way to turn a corner of their theme park to the most politicized, most radicalized church in all of Kansas. Two personality-cult attention whores, Etheredge and Fox, chose to make the theme park and Summit Church all about them.
Point 5: The Etheredges have been bankrolling Fox and his mission of hatred and intolerance for years. Fox, his “church” and his parishioners returned the favor by sinking almost a combined $1 million into Wild West World.
We, the direct targets of Fox and Etheredge’s political activities, are supposed to pity these people? We’re supposed to have compassion for two men who set out to ruin the lives of tens of thousands of Kansans. Two men who each in their own way have defrauded honest Kansans of their hard-earned money. Two men whose narcissistic personalities led them both into financial ruin.
I don’t think so.
I understand, Tom, why you don’t like Fox. Fair enough.
Eldridge’s prior conviction is irrelevent; your associating Fox’s “reported” (read: rumors and speculation) reason for being fired is a meaningless association. It presumes a connection between those two things - one an old fact, the other pure rumor - that you have absolutely NO evidence of.
Eldridge did not “turn a corner of their theme park to the most politicized, most radicalized church in all of Kansas.” I understand that’s your opinion of the church, but permitting Fox to hold services there once a week is hardly “turning a corner over” to Fox. I think a more honest statement is mine - Eldridge let Fox use his facilities.
So, at the end, you let your hatred of Fox (understandable, from your point of view) turn into pure glee over the plight of Eldridge and his investors. It may not have been a sound investment. It may not have been the best-run business. True enough. It will cost, it appears, Eldridge dearly.
The glee you appearantly take in that, as I noted w/ KFG, strikes me as small and petty. It still is.
GMC70,
I agree 100%!
I might add that Tom even further went over the line with his claim that:
“We’re supposed to have compassion for two men who set out to ruin the lives of tens of thousands of Kansans.”
Tom,
You have absolutely no proof what-so-ever of the intentions of Etheredge in setting out to hurt people.
I’ll happily admit I’m gleeful.
I wanted them to fail. I wanted them to know that their politics affect their bottom line when they practice both together.
GMC,
The diversion of funds was reported in the Eagle in late September of last year. There was even a WEBlog entry about it. The diversion was _dishonest._
Thomas Etheredge served time for investment fraud. He admitted this publicly.
Neither of the above statements are “rumors and speculation.”
If you knew anyone at Immanuel, you’d know that the Etheredges were among that church’s largest donors, and among Fox’s biggest cheerleaders in his radical politicization of the church. The Etheredges left Immanuel the same day Fox did. The relationship between them is beyond dispute. They took that relationship and made it a VERY public part of Wild West World.
Etheredge’s investors are getting what they deserve. His vendors, suppliers, and employees are _not_. For them, I have pity and compassion. They are just the latest victims of Etheredge’s and Fox’s frauds.
He supported Terry Fox, and supported Terry Fox’s agenda. I guess that’s not good enough for you?
“We’re supposed to have compassion for two men who set out to ruin the lives of tens of thousands of Kansans.”
Tom,
You have absolutely no proof what-so-ever of the intentions of Etheredge in setting out to hurt people.
Posted by: Nathan | July 25, 2007 at 05:08 PM
Nathan,
Fox and Etheredge’s political activities have directly harmed the lives of tens of thousands of Kansans. Every gay man and lesbian in this state is paying the price for their bigotry and intolerance. My statement is accurate, and I stand by it.
So I’ll add one more to the “small and petty” list. I had thought you were bigger than that, P-mom.
Not on this matter, not at all.
I’ll gladly go down to small and petty. I have just as much distain for those who want to shove their idea of religion down my throat.
GMC,
So every time you attack someone for going after your 2nd Amendment rights, that makes you “small and petty,” right?
::eyeroll::
The difference is that I, nor do I think GMC70 does, wish that the personal lives of people trying to hurt my right to own a weapon are so adversly effected.
I hope that their political push fails.
I do not revel in any misery they may suffer personally like you on the left seem to do when those you disagree with do.
Nathan,
Two years ago, during the anti-marriage amendment fight, Fox confronted me and screamed in my face that even if I begged Jesus for forgiveness for my “filthy lifestyle,” I would still be damned to hell. He made it VERY clear that there would be “no redemption” for me, no salvation. He said this in a spray of spittle, with his finger wagging in my face.
I’m glad Terry lost some money. Terry is glad I’m going to burn in hell. Tell me, Nathan - what’s worse? A few thousand dollars in financial losses, or no hope of redemption or salvation, and eternal damnation?
P-mom:
The difference - that you choose not to see - is that I do not wish personal ill on those who disagree with me. I may disagree with them, and deeply so. I may believe that their ultimate goals are contrary to my civil rights. I may work to defeat legislation they promote, or vise versa.
But I do not wish personal or financial ill on others, nor celebrate it if it happens. To do so is small and petty.
That’s the difference.
GMC,
You call it small and petty. I call it justice.
Call it what you like. It is what it is.
GMC,
Wasn’t it you who yesterday lectured me about sticking to the issue, and not attacking the poster?
What does “you’re small and petty” count as?
It’s not like I wished death upon them. I don’t. I don’t wish bad things to happen to them. But when they use their business to further a religious endeavor or their money to hurt others, then yes, I’ll wish that gravy train to end.
And I’ll bet you’re just as petty when the gravy train is for the ones you oppose.
Given where this thread has evolved, it appears that IS the subject.
In fact, the first line of the opening post by Rhonda,
“How sad to see the Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper, and its cowboy movies and wagon and train rides, apparently brought down by Wild West World’s bankruptcy.”
seems to me makes the reaction to this failure exactly the subject. It appears, in your eyes, it’s not sad at all, but a cause for celebration.
And THAT’s sad.
I wonder if a group might come forward and take it over to keep in open? Johnny Western?
P-mom:
“I don’t wish bad things to happen to them.”
Oh but you do; or at least you celebrate same when it happens.
And you obviously don’t know me, and my relationships with others, very well. I’ve known many fine individuals with whom, in politics, religion, our outlook on society, gov’t, public issues, etc., I have NOTHING in common with. We could not be more opposite.
We often disagree. We argue. We cuss and discuss. But they are still fine individuals. (And Tom, I’m not defending Fox’s incident with you here; I think that’s not only wrong, as a matter of faith, I think he’s wrong too.)
And then we share a beer. We move on, and are friends, often close friends. It’s called being an adult, and keeping things in perspective.
GMC, a bit of a wandering thought through things philosophical. I’ve the same type of friends as you with whom I cuss, discuss, etc., followed by a beer or other beverage, and as you say, it meets the definition of what it means to be an adult to which, I think I can say, we agree. I do wonder, from time to time, if it isn’t our shared profession which makes it a bit easier for us to do so than perhaps for others. By this I’m not suggesting that all adults must be attorneys or that all attorneys are adults, within the definition accepted; far from it. I’m merely setting out my thought that given we do what we do, it’s a bit easier for us to not take things so personally, and have what we feel is a perspective which allows us to so do. Don’t know if this has any validity, but it’s closing time, and wanted to “publish” my thoughts.
For the record, I was shocked when I heard on the news that The Prairie Rose and everything attached to it was going under.
I went once and thoroughly enjoyed the program.
Some really good harmony singing.
It’s a shame that Etheridge had such a grandiose vision, and the people around him couldn’t assess that for what it was.
What he had built at the Prairie Rose was already pretty successful.
VT -
I agree. It’s something as attorneys we do professionally every day: be combatants in the courtroom, and friends outside.
But it’s not that hard, and it’s something I was able to do in the first career, long before law school. It just takes discipline, the ability to understand others point of view and respect it and recognize that it is a legitimate view and legitimately held, even as I disagree with it.
Persons of good conscience will disagree. And that’s OK.
I think the issue becomes untenable when the ‘difference of opinion’ strikes at a person’s core beliefs. That is why I have a visceral dislike for people like Fox.
And I might add that others might have a similar dislike for Tiller.
Karma is just another word for “as you sow, so shall you reap”.
Fox and etheridge sowed the seeds of hate and oppression. Big surprise that is what they are reaping now.
And the backlash isnt over yet. Dont think for one moment that Karma has had her day. She’s just warming up.
Wait ’till we get a chance to vote on something that damages THEM as much as they have damaged us.
A quirky nitch corporate audience does not an Amusement or Theme park make.A lesson learned the hard way.
Wait ’till we get a chance to vote on something that damages THEM as much as they have damaged us.
Posted by: ksfarmgrrl | July 25, 2007 at 06:14 PM
Do you believe a casino fit that bill at all?
A number of thoughts on various posts in this thread -
-Nothing is stopping SG Co or Cowtown from re-creating Prairie Rose at Cowtown. It’s a good idea, but probably too good an idea for politicians to think up.
-Everything I have heard and read Etheredge was too much of a micromanager to pull of anything as grand as Wild West World. That combined with Yes, weather beyond crappy and no where near enough deep pockets led to it’s demise.
-I’ve read where $1,000,000 worth of season passes (at $50 a pop that is 20,000). This is solid support and not indicitive of some left-wing backlash or revenge on the owner’s politics.
-Immanuel Baptist the most
KFG,
How are you damaged?
Specifically, what has been done to you?
You keep talking about all this hatred and oppression forced upon you.
Yet, last I checked, you are still with your significant other. You still have your farm. You are still on this blog expressing your opinion. You can do just about whatever you want to.
Yet you claim to be oppressed by all this hatred.
Hmmm….
Something is not right here.
weblog’s most famous victim. It cracks me up that some of these people act like there’s walls up around the state border and they can’t leave.
“I’m glad Terry lost some money. Terry is glad I’m going to burn in hell. Tell me, Nathan - what’s worse? A few thousand dollars in financial losses, or no hope of redemption or salvation, and eternal damnation?”
Posted by: Tom | July 25, 2007 at 05:22 PM
I wouldn’t worry about Terry Fox Tom and I’m sure you don’t.
paraphrased: No one comes to the Father, but by me.
Meaning, whatever the intentions of Preachers or Ministers, although they deliver the message, there is only one path to Heaven and Salvation.
That is, if you accept it.
Non-acceptance of course, is your own business.
Would you still feel that way if someone told you that you couldn’t marry the love of your life…that your relationship was an abomination and that children shouldn’t be with you because of that love?
Nathan,
In 2004, Farmgrrl took an authorized day off from her job, and traveled to Topeka to testify against the relationship (much more than marriage) ban. Her testimony was quoted in newspapers statewide.
Understand something here: Farmgrrl was exercising her Constitutional rights to petition her government for a redress of grievances. Farmgrrl was exercising her First Amendment right to free speech.
For her exercise of her Constitutional rights, Farmgrrl was fired from her job.
Is this what you went to Iraq to fight for, Nathan?
I find it odd that Mr Ethelridge who served prison time for financial crimes was so easily able to secure loans for large amounts of capital. Sorta like a child abuser opening a day care. While I don’t know if their were financial shenanigans going on isn’t business 101 you don’t tie your personal assets to your business that’s the whole point incorporating
Etheredge was incarcerated in Texas twice for fraud. He is no loger allowed to do business there. Look it up.
Somehow Tom, I think there is probably more to the story than you are relating.
From my observations of KFG on this BLOG, she probably told those involved (including her employer) to do something unnaturally with themselves.