Californians are used to thinking of Knott’s Berry Farm as an old-school wild west theme park. Oh, and some Knott’s berry jams, too. So it can be hard to remember that 100 years ago, Walter and Cordelia Knott’s original business was selling boysenberries (a cross between a blackberry, red raspberry and loganberry) from a roadside stand. The stand did so well that they turned it into a restaurant, which sold Cordelia’s chicken dinners. Then Walter built a ghost town in 1940, using buildings relocated from genuine Old West towns. And before they knew it, they had a popular theme park ten years before their neighbor, Disneyland, opened its doors in 1955.
Knott’s Berry Farm have come a long way since 1920. This is their front entrance in March 2015:
“Money, Money, is a rich man’s word.” Where has the original (?) spirit gone ?
What about the Ranch Market, Elaine Apartments with its inside swimming pool which were on Vine Street or Hotel Brevoort on Lexington with its bungalows in a luxuriant garden with a swimming pool and a little theater scene? Any picture/story about them?
Brgds
Walt often referred to Knott’s as an inspiration for the Big Thunder Railroad in Disneyland, and the two Walters were friends. As an Englishman, I don’t get to visit Anaheim as often as I’d like (though I’ve been to all the Disney parks around the world, and Anaheim twice, Orlando 13 times!), but next time I will make sure I drop into Knott’s !
Californians are used to thinking of Knott’s Berry Farm as an old-school wild west theme park. Oh, and some Knott’s berry jams, too. So it can be hard to remember that 100 years ago, Walter and Cordelia Knott’s original business was selling boysenberries (a cross between a blackberry, red raspberry and loganberry) from a roadside stand. The stand did so well that they turned it into a restaurant, which sold Cordelia’s chicken dinners. Then Walter built a ghost town in 1940, using buildings relocated from genuine Old West towns. And before they knew it, they had a popular theme park ten years before their neighbor, Disneyland, opened its doors in 1955.
“Money, Money, is a rich man’s word.” Where has the original (?) spirit gone ?
What about the Ranch Market, Elaine Apartments with its inside swimming pool which were on Vine Street or Hotel Brevoort on Lexington with its bungalows in a luxuriant garden with a swimming pool and a little theater scene? Any picture/story about them?
Brgds
Walt often referred to Knott’s as an inspiration for the Big Thunder Railroad in Disneyland, and the two Walters were friends. As an Englishman, I don’t get to visit Anaheim as often as I’d like (though I’ve been to all the Disney parks around the world, and Anaheim twice, Orlando 13 times!), but next time I will make sure I drop into Knott’s !