Trader Sam

**Trader Sam** is a character from the *Jungle Cruise* in Disneyland who is affiliated with the story of *Tower of Terror.*

## History

### Biography

#### Origins

Trader Sam is a South American man who came from a large family of warriors, hunters, shrunken-head traders, and cannibals. Allegedly his grandfather was one Billamongawonga A.K.A. Trader Bill, himself a successful acquirer and trader of shrunken heads. Sam had many mystic powers, most notably being his extended if not immortal lifespan with Sam having been a grown adult during the 1710s-1720s at the latest. For over 250 years, Sam travelled the world studying different cultures with a particular interest in magic, trading, mixology and recipes.

#### Golden Age of Piracy

In the golden age of piracy of the 1710s-1720s, Sam ran a pub in the Caribbean Sea which was frequented by pirates. Amongst his customers were one pirate captain Jack Sparrow and his mother who had a particular love for the bar. Sam and Jack spent time together amongst tribal cannibals on the isle of Isla de Pelegestos during a time when Jack manipulated them into making him their chief. Prior to the summer of 1729, Jack's mother died and had her head turned into a shrunken-head by an unknown party. Jack left this head in the possession of Trader Sam due to knowing Sam's modus-operandi and her love for Sam's tavern.

Also during the golden age of piracy, Sam did trading with infamous historic pirate Edward "Blackbeard" Teach of the Queen Anne's Revenge, obtaining a spy-glass from him. During this deal, Sam was attracted to Blackbeard's daughter Angelica Teach. Sam also managed to come into possession of a musical locket which was one of two identical objects that belonged to the nautical deities Davy Jones and Calypso. Another addition to Sam's collection during this period was a ship-in-a-bottle portraying the pirate ship *The Wicked Wench*, the vessel of pirate Hector Barbossa which infamously sacked the cursed island of Isla Tesoro before perishing at the hands of the isle's treasure.

#### Adventures

Following July 17, 1805, Sam travelled to the East Indies and became affiliated with the Swiss family Robinson which was marooned on an island which they would name, "New Switzerland". Also during the 19th century, Billamongawonga became the business-affiliate and right-hand man of one Harrison Hightower III. Sam also befriended a Canadian harpoons named Ned Land and spent time with him in San Francisco during 1868. Land was recruited to assist in hunting down a, "Sea monster" which turned out to be a Victorian submarine known as, "The Nautilus" which was run by one Captain Nemo. Ned later sent Sam trophies from his adventures with Captain Nemo and the Nautilus, detailing the whole story to him. Around this period, Sam also became an early scuba-diver.

In the early 20th century, Sam became affiliated with a group known as the Adventurers Club, an organization of globe-trotters founded by one Merriweather Adam Pleasure which was descended from a group known as the Pillagers Brigade. Of the members to note during this period he was closest with one Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt who he frequently travelled to South America and who was best known for the time he spent as president of the United States of America. Roosevelt often frequented Trader Sam's bar for drinks and was quite fond of the man.

One notable adventure which Sam went on during this period had him travelling to the East-African port of Harambe where he went on an elephant-back safari with the company Kilimanjaro Safaris. Around 1911 he might have become affiliated with the Jungle Navigation Company and its founder Dr. Albert Falls, a member of the *Society of Explorers and Adventurers*. The company would at some point establish a base along the Amazon river nearby where Trader Sam and his cousin Chief Nah-mee made their motherland operations. Sam and Nah-mee would frequently work alongside the JNC and assist in their operations while also brewing Dr. Falls' favourite drink, "The Schweitzer Falls".

Prior to her death in 1912, Sam saved the life of one Anna Mary Jones and the two became good friends. Sam went on to be a close family-friend of her family which included her husband Henry Jones, Sr. and their son Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr.. On the November 6th of 1912, Vanessa Capshaw of the *New York City Preservation Society* reached out to Trader Sam in-order to send him an artifact which they had recovered from the Hotel Hightower. Said artifact was a portrait of one Billamongawonga which had been commissioned in tribute of the trader by one Harrison Hightower III.

#### Indiana Jones & the Jungle Cruise

Starting in 1931, Albert Falls' granddaughter who had become president of the JNC began conducting river tours known as, "The Jungle Cruise" to bring in extra income from Hollywood cinematographers and tourists. This operation resulted in a boom of capitalist enterprises around the Jungle Navigation Company's bases in the Amazon rainforest and Lost Delta of the Mekong river in Cambodia. By this time, Sam had earned himself a reputation as being the, "Jungle's head salesman", frequently making business-offers to guests of the Jungle Cruise passing through the Amazon rainforest. By this time he had also taken in a pet in the form of a baby Indian elephant which he named, "Ellie". During this time, Sam became close with an experienced river-boatsman named Charlie Allnut from World War I and who offered his services to Sam's leisure.

Throughout the 1930s, Sam also frequently assisted a now adult Indiana Jones who had become a world-renowned archaeologist. Circa 1931, Sam travelled to the Lost River Delta of Cusco, Peru where Indiana had uncovered the long lost Temple of the Crystal Skull. Following a 1935 adventure in Bengal, Indiana Jones sent Sam a series of, "Voodoo" dolls made by the mad priest Mola Ram to be disposed of, instead Sam merely kept them in safe-keeping. In the same year when Indiana Jones and his excavator friend Sallah Mohammed Faisel el-Kahir uncovered the Temple of Mara in the Lost Delta of Cambodia, Sallah reached out to Sam with a map of the temple and encouraged him to bring customers to the temple so that their excavation could receive extra revenue. Around this time, Sam ran a shop known as *Tropical Imports* which had affiliations with Jones' enterprise, the Jungle Navigation Company, and a mystical island in Hawaii that held a locale known as the Enchanted Tiki Room.

In the mid-late 1930s, Sam would establish a bar in the Polynesian isles known as, "Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar" with the help of the Jungle Navigation Company and a manager named, Skip Documentary. From this bar he brewed mystical beverages for many guests and conducted magic from within its walls. The bar was decorated not only with Sam's trophies but also with tikies of Māori deities and the shrunken heads of his opening day crew. Sam still had relations with the Adventurers Club during this time, namely members Samantha Sterling, Otis T. Wren, Hathaway Browne, Fletcher Hodges and Colonel Suchbench who following the New Year's Eve of 1937 sent him large amounts of decor to keep within the bar. By 1938, Sam would have written at-least four books under the moniker of, "**T.S.**". These books included *"Friends for Dinner", "What's in a name", "Top Hats and Umbrellas", "Banana Trade"* and *"The Missing Mask"* with copies going on to be located in the library of the Jungle Navigation Company's headquarters.

#### Later history

Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar would continue its operations strongly from the 1930s to the 1950s. In the 1940s, Sam continued his relations with Adventurers Club member and aviator Hathaway Browne who was a regular of the bar. Sam often sold Browne alcohol to use as an enchanted plane-fuel. In 1941, Sam was hired to give one Walt Disney a tour of South America; Walt later went on to become Sam's best customer. Around this time, Sam also travelled to Casablanca in Morocco where he befriended fellow bartender and cafe-proprietor Richard "Rick" Blaine who held Trader Sam in high regards.

At some point in the 1950s, Sam and Skip planned to further his enterprises by establishing a new bar on a different Polynesian isle along the Seven Seas Lagoon. He named this new bar, "Trader Sam's Grog Grotto" and became very familiar with the people of the Polynesian village where it was situated. Sam however was a consistent womanizer who had affairs with many women on the island. One notable customer of the bar was a wealthy anthropomorphic toad known as J. Thaddeus Toad whose disastrous driving lead to Sam confiscating his keys. Sam also travelled to a club in Hollywood known as the South Seas Club which he was so fond of that he hung a menu from it in the Grog Grotto.

In 1955, Sam travelled aboard a shrimping vessel known as the Miss Tilly to the tropical port of Placid Palms, Blustery Bay. This esplanade was spoiled however when a massive hurricane known as Hurricane Connie hit the bay and marooned the Miss Tilly atop a volcano known as Mount Mayday. Around the 1960s, Sam began working on moving past his cannibalistic tendencies. In the 1960s he also became friends with aviator Robin Crusoe who sent Sam letters while he was marooned on a different Polynesian island.

## Tower of Terror connections

### Tower of Terror

Sam is supposedly the grandson of Billamongawonga, the right-hand-man of Harrison Hightower III. A portrait of Trader Bill taken from the Hotel Hightower was sent to Sam in 1912 by Vanessa Capshaw of the New York City Preservation Society.

### Other connections

#### Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Crystal Skull

Sam has a photograph of himself outside of the Temple of the Crystal Skull, framed in his bar. Sam was also close friends and affiliates with Indiana Jones who excavated the temple in 1931.

#### Magic of Disney Animation

Sam made a cameo on a poster with Mickey and Minnie Mouse on it titled, "The Jungle Cruise" where he is also listed in the film's credits. This film is mentioned as having debuted on the July 17th of an unknown year in the Theatre of the Stars, a location on Sunset Boulevard.

#### The Rocketeer

In the Enchanted Tiki Bar, Sam has a coat-tag from the South Seas Club while in the Grog Grotto he has a menu from the club framed on the wall.

## Other appearances

### Jungle Cruise

Sam appeared at the end of the Disneyland version of this attraction, offering guests a deal for, "One of his heads for two of theirs". In the Magic Kingdom he was replaced by his cousin Chief Nah-mee. In 2021, this was changed to, "Trader Sam's Gift Shop!" where he sells stolen items taken from tourists in the jungle.

### Skipper Canteen

Several books written by Trader Sam are found in the library of the Skipper Canteen.

### Trader Sam's Grog Grotto

Sam is the fictional proprietor of this bar in Disney's Polynesian Village Resort.

### Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar

Sam is the fictional proprietor of this bar in the Disneyland Hotel. References to Sam's history and character are scattered throughout the bar.

## Behind the scenes

Trader Sam is an infamously racist character originating from the Jungle Cruise. Sam was designed by artist/actor Samuel McKim who is also believed to be Sam's namesake. Sam was made as an offensive caricature of the Jivaroan peoples of the Amazon rainforest and Indigenous peoples from the tropics in general. Notable traits relating to this include him being a murderous, "Savage", a cannibal (not a trait of the Jivaroan), a thief, and merchant of shrunken heads (in real life, sacred items taken from battle whom colonists pressured the Jivaroan into trading). In 2021, Sam was removed from the attraction due to the overt racism of the character though the scene which replaced him was written by white imagineer Kevin Lively and perpetuates the racism of the character, being a gift-shop run by Sam where he sells off items which he has stolen.

Sam originates from the Jungle Cruise in Disneyland with his Magic Kingdom/Tokyo counterpart being his cousin, "Chief Nah-mee", often referred to by skippers as, "Trader Sam". Sam was also the namesake for the Trader Sam's bars opened in 2011 and 2015. These bars expanded on Sam's backstory and retconned him into the stories of several films and attractions, including Tower of Terror.

## Trivia

* Trader Sam is similar to Constance Hatchaway from the Haunted Mansion as they are both major characters from mainstream Disney attractions whom make a profession out of decapitation and are connected to the story of Tower of Terror.
* In addition to Harrison Hightower III, Trader Sam has connections to several other members of the Society of Explorers and Adventurers.
	+ Sam was present at Placid Palms, Blustery Bay during Hurricane Connie. Said hurricane also marooned Captain Mary Oceaneer in Placid Palms.
	+ Sam is a long-time affiliate of the Jungle Navigation Company of Dr. Albert Falls. He possessed a bronze bust of the doctor and also knew Falls' favourite drink, implying that they were familiar with one-another.
	+ Trader Sam is a family-friend of the Jones family and frequent collaborator with Indiana Jones. Indiana Jones also frequently employed S.E.A. member and aviator Jock Lindsey.
	+ Sam was close with the Adventurers Club, a splinter-faction of S.E.A. which was founded by Merriweather Adam Pleasure.
	+ He is identified as having travelled to Mystic Point searching for drink ingredients. This is a colony which was run by British nobleman Lord Henry Mystic.

## External links

* *Trader Sam* on the *Jungle Cruise Wiki*.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BZMawU1gPdi/
2. ↑ https://www.mousesteps.com/images/stories/Disneyland/Disneyland%202011/Trader%20Sams/IMG\_7374.jpg
3. ↑ https://www.mousesteps.com/2011/09/25/detailed-look-at-trader-sams-enchanted-tiki-bar-disneyland-hotel-from-august-2011/2/
4. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Bem3CQMFiDj/
5. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BhP0WDNFHiR/
6. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/B1xO5kFAHp0/
7. ↑ https://jungleskipper.com/uploads/posts/sea-part-1/PameliaPerkinsLetter.jpg
8. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BZcEgKllDSx/
9. ↑ https://www.endorexpress.net/parks/disneyparks/2011/08/trader-sam-meet-indiana-jones/
10. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BZWe4Zjgo1G/
11. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/B8hkeJvAwvV/
12. ↑ https://allears.net/walt-disney-world-chronicles-the-trader-sam-story/
13. ↑ https://www.mousesteps.com/2011/09/25/detailed-look-at-trader-sams-enchanted-tiki-bar-disneyland-hotel-from-august-2011/4/
14. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/CRm0XY9hNqo/