It was on this day in 1973, that Walt Disney World guests could explore an all new island in the Magic Kingdom, thanks to the opening of the Tom Sawyer Island Rafts. To join in the opening-day festivities were Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher themselves! Almost. In reality, it was two teenagers, Steve Pierceall and Becky Bleigh, dressed like the famous characters, who were chosen during the annual Mark Twain observance in their hometown of Hannibal, Missouri. The celebration also set sail with the maiden voyage of the new steamboat, the Richard F. Irvine, complete with singers, dancers and Disney characters aboard. Joining “Tom” and “Becky” for a recreation of the Tom Sawyer fence painting scene were newspaper carrier boys from five major U.S. cities. This event marked the second time a Hannibal “Tom” and “Becky” were flown to a Disney park for a celebration, the first being back in 1956, for the opening of Disneyland’s Tom Sawyer Island.
