I remember panning for gold there in 1966! I still have the gold in a little bottle. Your videos bring back great memories of my California childhood:)
Great video, my wife wrote this. My grandfather was Walter Knotts attorney in his early years. One day my Grandfather was driving and saw Walter walking down the side walk with his money bag. He pulled over and told Walter to get in his car. Walter said no that’s ok I enjoy the walk, my grandfather said someone is going to hit you over the head and take your money. He took him to the bank and Walter said ok, but I am going to walk back...so he did! It was about a few weeks later and Walter called to say he had been robbed and so he wouldn’t be walking to the bank any more! Did you know that Mrs Knott would sit at the end of the counter and check every dinner that came out of the kitchen?
I was born down the street in Dairy Valley (Artesia) in 1950, my parents were from Bellflower and they both knew the Knott's Family and Bill Rigdon, (could be Higdon, not sure, it's been a long time) Bill worked for Walter early on, he was a Blacksmith & Prospector too and helped create many of the attractions and the Gold Panning Pool (where I learned to pan for gold when I was about 4 or 5). In those days there was No Admission to anywhere, it was all free just to walk in. The original stand was on Beach Blvd (Hwy 39), Mrs. Knott's Resturant replaced the old shack and also was on Beach Blvd., then later was a Civil War/Cowboy Shop of sorts, they had Civil War Cannons out in front of it. The Stagecoach Ride was Bill's idea and started in that area, along with the Electric Mini Model T Rides that paralelled Beach Blvd. Skipper Frank was a TV Kid Show Host in the 50's and he and his brother (I think) built a lot of these cars in Mr. & Mrs. Pyette's Barn in Bellflower. The Pyette's lived 2 lot's away from My Grandparents, My Dad's Family on Grand Street. My Mom was born in Bellflower in 1925 (she's still alive and well at 95 years old). Her Grandfather on Her Dad's side was John Fusch from Norwood, Missouri and was a Farmer and built a Carousel for his kids (My Grandpa Fusch & his brothers and sisters) that was pulled by a Donkey. Grandpa & Grandma Fusch went to Church every Sunday and the Knott's Family was part of the Congregation. Grandpa told Walter Knott about the Carousel and later on he found it and made it a part of the Berry Farm in a section called "Old MacDonald's Farm" which was very close to the Gold Panning Pool and the Seal Pool, yeah they had Seal's there too that you could feed them with Anchovies. My Parent's & us kids moved to Garden Grove in 1955 just down the street form the Brand New Disneyland in Anaheim. Great Video ! Brings back memories. Great Channel ! I'm a History Buff myself and watch all of your video's. I'm also a Author of one History Book as well, it's on Amazon (Kindle) just for your Information. It's called "The Return of the Giant Serpent", it's dirt cheap at $3.49 but you can review the first 15 to 20 pages for Free. Darrell Lane
Thank you for the wonderful insight into more of the history of the area and the Knotts, their friends, etc. growing up in L.A. county, we actually preferred Knott’s to Disneyland. In the early ‘70s they had to start charging admission, Mom said it was because of the hippies camping in the parking lot, haha. We always had a lot of fun visiting the park in my childhood. We even saw Pat Boone perform in the former John Wayne Theater. We also visited Calico Ghost Town a few times, and would even drive out to “Scotty’s Castle,” and eat in the cafeteria there and look in the gift shop, but never took the tour. I would enjoy seeing a tour of the castle though, if anyone has documented it.
Darrell Lane..You mentioned Skipper Frank in your comment. I was one of the kids that got picked out of the audience to be a contestant on the cartoon carousel kids show where you would be Skipper Frank’s cohost for that day. The show used to come on before Bozo the. clown in the late 1950’s or early 1960’s. Thanks for the history lesson.
I remember being told during a tour of Independence Hall that the bricks were hand formed in order to give them an "aged" effect to resemble the original building more. The fact the clay and bricks were from Lake Elsinore and Riverside is news to me. I grew up in Riverside and am very familiar with all of the old clay mines around Lake Elsinore. Thanks for a great walk down memory lane. For the record, I am of the generation who remembers visiting Knotts before there was an admission charge. Those were the days of driving from Riverside and parking at Knotts (in grass lots) and spending a day just walking around the park enjoying the free activities and maybe catching a ride or two. Great times.
I remember visiting Knott's Berry Farm in the 70s and noticed a small trailer home---something very small you would tow behind a car---sitting in a spot highly out of place. I joked to my wife that it was where Walter Knott lived. Then I noticed a police guard standing nearby whose sudden response showed me I was right. He lived there, just as I would have done, smack dab in the middle of the park in his little trailer home, enjoying the place and the people through cracks in his curtains.
I worked there in the mid 1980's in the rides department. I worked in Ghost Town running all the rides and my friend (Supervisor) actually became the head of Knott's. Most fun job I ever had.
Man times were alot better back then..It was a better life...I live in Austin Tx and we made a road trip in 1986 and it was alot of fun we came in a station wagon and we were calling ourselves the grissswalds..lol 😅 we came to knotts,disney,and magic mountain..I was only 12 yrs old but had lots of fun..I just recently visited again in 2023. And I'll take 1986 anyday...Times were just so much better back then..
I am so glad I found this video. Brings back a lot of memories. As a young boy growing up in North Long Beach I would ride my bike ( 13 miles up and back) to Knotts Berry Farm
It’s possible that our paths crossed at that great amusement park. I am glad you found our video as well. Thank you so much for watching and we hope that you will subscribe to our channel.
Great video! I'm still playing catch up on all of your videos and enjoying it. According to my mom, Mr. Knott and my great grandfather went in 50-50 on a mule to work both of their farms in the 1920's
I loved this park as a kid in the 70's! My grandparents had a sweet donkey named Beck and donated her to Knott's Berry Farm when they had to move from the ranch. I think she was there for several years. Thanks for another great video!
I really enjoy your historical videos and especially appreciate how you hi-lighted Walter and His wife's dedication to each other, Walters reverence for our countries foundation and his incredible dedication to preserving our history.
I was totally unaware of this place, it's history, and the fact there is a theme park in operation. I have heard the phrase "Knott's Berry" spoken, but always thought that "Knottsberry" is what was being said. (An actual type of berry.) This was a very educational video for me. BTW - John Wayne looked happy.
Wow, thanks. That is the desired effect. I want it to appear more like a TV show than a vlog. I cringe at that terminology. Thank you for reaching out and commenting! Much appreciated, Jeff
Yes you must visit when the restrictions in California are lifted! And yes the chicken dinners are good but they were probably better when served up by Mrs. Knott!
I loved Knott's and went there as both a child and as an adult. The last time I was there was probably 20 years ago though. I also have been to Calico Ghost Town a couple of times. Very fun places.
Thank you for showcasing Knott’s Berry Farm! Loved to go there growing up in Southern California! I actually went to a Richard Marx concert at the theatre in the 80’s ! Small, intimate setting vs big concert venues!
When we were kids we used to get excited to smell chlorinated water because it reminded us of our vacations to Disneyland and Knott's. That's because the rides had that smell and so did the hotel pools. LOL. The Calico Mine ride also had a distinct smell of concrete and oil.
You are so welcome! I, too, have fond memories of that place as a child and have gone less and less the older I have become. Hopefully we'll all be heading there (spaced out of course) in the coming years to relive the magic! Thank YOU for watching! We hope you will become a subscriber!
I visited as a kid in 1965 as a tourist from the Mid-west. It seem much smaller and rustic back then. My one great memory was I got to shake the hand of a real American Indian!! Looking back that was a bit exploitive, but the guy had a job and it was exciting for a kid.
Great video, as always. I still buy their Boysenberry jam and syrup when I visit the U.S. Have loved Boysenberries all my life and in my younger years we had bushes of them on my granny's dairies. Also, picked some for money in the summer at ranches that used to be on Hatch Rd. in Ceres/Modesto. Want to visit Knott's before I die, it is on my bucket list. Thank you again for producing things worth watching !
I loved this episode. I grew up in california, La Puente then Covina. I remember as a child of 10 or 11 and into the young teens, going to knott's berry farm. I was on the train sitting next to an actor dressed as an indian when there was the fake robbery. I also loved the little chapel where there was a instrumental song playin I wish I knew now. It was great. I'm 73 now came back to massachusetts after I graduated in '67'. But those are 2 memories that stand out. I've shared it with my baby sister who was born in 66 in california but has never seen knott's berry farm. Thank you.
Suzzane - My sister graduated Covina High in 1966, I graduated in 1969. Our family went to Disneyland each year as a special occasion but dinner at Knotts Berry Farm was more often. We would roam around the grounds before dinner until they started charging, then it was just dinner for us. There was so much entertainment growing up in the LA area back then.
@@FeatnikSF I graduated from northview high school in cucina 1967. My mother always wanted to come back to massachusetts so after I graduated we did. Settled in westfield. Only miss california when it's cold and snowy here.
Great job on this one! My mom is from Garden Grove and I grew up going to Knott’s every summer when we visited my grandfather. I always loved the history and my family’s stories about Knott’s and it will always hold a special place in my heart! Thank you!
I will be releasing a new video on Sunday (I hope) about a recent visit to Disneyland through the eyes of a "history hunter." We hope you will check it out!
Awesome. I actually met Mr Knott very early in the morning.... if memory serves me.... New Year's day, 1973 or 74. He was the grand Marshall for the Rose Parade. My father and I were part of a support group for a float, in a moter home parked on Orange Grove blvd.... a Pasadena police officer, knocked on the door, to ask if Mr Knott could use our bathroom...... true story !
Hey thanks, Brian! Glad you liked it! As you can tell, so do I! If you haven't subscribed to my channel, would you? Thanks so much! I will encourage me to create more video adventures!
GREAT doc & great channel. I will be consistently tweeting these out to my 20,000 history lovers. When my new show is up n running I will reach out to have you as a guest. -Jon Robberson
Pro Tip: If you secretly talk to the guy who voices Sad Eye Joe and give him information about anyone you're with, he'll work it into the conversation and surprise that person with their personal name and whatever you tell him to say. :)
Great Trip you 2. Thank you for bringing us along. This was to be My Husband an my Trip this year. Since I have lost him in December 2022. It's been hard. However when you have been with someone for 45 years it just seems as if someone pulled the rug out from under you. Thank you. I have enjoyed this virtual tour and the Opportunity to ride along. Jeff and Sarah, Thank you again.
Great episode about my favorite theme park! I appreciate all the historic details regarding Knotts Berry Farm, and really enjoyed the old footage of the Groucho interview! Well done!
I am glad that you enjoyed this episode. Sarah and I had the unfortunate experience of going to Knotts berry farm last month on a Saturday. It was crowded beyond belief and we waited 2 1/2 hours to ride the ghost rider roller coaster. It was ridiculous. Caution to anyone who reads this… Never go to knots berry farm on the weekend. It is a miserable experience.
@@jbenziggy We went on President's Day and it was very busy, but we returned the following day, and the park was very quiet. We enjoyed the ghost town atmosphere without the large crowd quite a lot.
Grate episode. We wish bud had got some credit for his mine and log ride. He also made the bell inside Independence hall. Hopefully he is worthy of a history Hunters episode. After all Wendell "Bud" Hurlbut Invented the Hidden switchback Q line. And he was the inventor of the log flume. Keep up the grate work.
I have a faint memory of visiting Knotts Berry Farm as a small child. I remember having fun but not any specific memory. I would have been about 3-4 I’m guessing. Thanks for the videos!
My parents our family and their friends would drive up from San Diego in there new then 51 Chevy wagon for chicken dinners Then in the late sixths when attending Long Beach State I would take our daughter over on Sunday afternoon for an outing it was free then except for the train ride.
Boy! How did I miss this one? I loved every minute of it. I went there at a young age. Thank you. What I find different now is the amount of people carrying back packs. We didn't do that back then. I often wonder what people carry in them that they must.
Been a KBF passholder for 7 years now and I've never looked back. I've visited the park dozens of times in the past with my wife, siblings, friends, family, and more, and if the Lord allows I'll be visiting the park dozens of times more!
I love the park too but we went on a recent Saturday and it was miserably crowded. It took 2 hours 45 minutes to ride the Ghost Rider. Such a waste of time. I left muttering to myself, “There’s too many people on the planet.”
@@jbenziggy Yeah, I know what you mean. Thankfully Knott’s has plenty to see and do where their roller coasters to me are an afterthought. Ghost Rider is either the very first thing or the very last thing to get in line for since it always has a long queue. Weekdays are better days to go since it’s not as crowded, but the downside is the park closes earlier.
I was just a young kid when I went to Disneyland and Knotts Berry Farm so I don't really remember a lot of it. A big thanks for this trip down memory lane. Told you I was Binge watching!!
Looks like a mixture of Patrick Duffy and Tom Skerritt, and I’m absolutely loving it! Thanks for sharing your love of Knott’s!!! Grew up going there, tons of nostalgia. Hope more people make videos like this...
@@jbenziggy Been viewing more of your content, and now I’m a new subscriber! Hope you do a video of the old SPADRA CEMETERY near Cal Poly Pomona. And yes, if you rocked a beard, you’d definitely look like a late 1970’s Tom Skerritt haha
My family moved to northern Orange County in 1950, mainly in Fullerton. Have been here ever since. We visited Knott's (and Calico) often. Ghost town section has always been my favorite. (Thanks also for your thorough historical research.. No one else that I know of has reported the true history of the old, small locomotive, a Porter, beside the blacksmith shop.) Knott, BTW, farmed land out in the Newberry Springs area (Mojave Desert) long time ago.
I used to live in Fullerton. In fact I worked at Knott's Berry Farm in 1961-62 and graduated from Sunny Hills High School in 1962. I went to Fullerton High School my freshman year and we lived on Shadow Ln. close to Hillcrest Park.
Yes it certainly has changed since 1959. I kind of wish it had stayed the small ghost town that it was but I guess to compete they had to introduce all kinds of roller coaster type rides. Thanks for watching and we'd love to have you subscribe!
Great episode! I remember going to Knott's Berry Farm as a kid when it was free. No roller coasters back then, only the log ride and mining train. Riding on the stage coach was fun, too! There also used to be a place where you could pan for gold. Fun times.
I grew up in Newport Beach. In the mid 50’s when I was about 12, I first went to Knotts. I remember most the bandits coming aboard the train-shooting their guns. It was loud! Lots of smoke too. Also remember the haunted shack. There was optical allusion where water appeared to flow uphill! My 12 year old brain just couldn’t figure it out. What great memories! Similar to Disneyland in 1955.
Knotts Berry Farm has a lot of history I was not aware of. We went in the early 1970’s to see Gary Puckett & the Union Gap in concert. Hopefully their prices of admission won’t get as ridiculous as Disneyland. Thanks for all your research and diligent work on these vlogs. It’s important to archive these things for future generations to come.
Thank you very much for your vote of confidence. You are correct about admission prices being much lower than Disneyland however that is a double edge sword because the crowds when we went to Knott’s recently were miserably crowded. I think we got to ride three rides the whole day. That’s how crowded it was on a Saturday. I don’t think I will ever go there again on a weekend. It’s just too crowded.
Thanks for letting us know that “double edged sword” detail on Saturdays being crowded. I can also see why they don’t pretend to rob the train anymore for safety reasons. We felt like we were right there with you soaking it all in down to that tasty corn 🌽 on the Cobb the nice & patient young man was enjoying in the background there.
My memory of the park was when we visited in the early 50's. I was probably about 4 or 5 years old.They had a horse that would tell you what your birthday was by walking and picking up some numbers on wooden blocks. And swing the number at you!!! I often wondered what his name was.
Thank's Jeff & Sarah for good memories, always enjoyed Knott's Berry Farm as a kid & adult.Took my family & grandkids there as well. Disney declined are yearly pass one day, so we did'nt have much money do to gas & food. So my wife & I went to Knott's & explained what happened at the ticket booth. The person helping us got on the phone to head office. After they hung up they gave us the afternoon rate for my wife,kids & I. The park had just been open for 3 hours. We always prefer family friendly Knott's over the Mouse 😂 Thank you Jeff & Sarah for fond memories.
“Berry “ informative! Learned things I never knew, even after visiting Knotts dozens of time while we lived there from 1980-2000. Sadly California has changed dramatically and unfortunately, not for the better .
Thanks, Jeff & family. I have just discovered your interesting channel. The childhood memories of visiting Knott's Berry Farm are gone. The last visit was with my eldest daughter on Veterans Day around 1994. Thank you.
@@jbenziggy Maybe a very distant Shrewsbury Shropshire relative. Dodd might have had a son. When some Anglicized their Welsh names, the son of Dodd became Dodson. Also, many pre-Ellis Island Dodsons became Dotson and Dobson, since their accents were foreign to the English gatekeepers.
The first time I went to Knott's Berry Farm, it was all dirt, unpaved. 1958. Before I retired from the Sheriff's Dept, the last time I went was in 2010, New Years Day. On that day, the park opened early for all Government workers and Military personnel. Admission was free with Government ID and one guest. The Chicken restaurant opened at 7am for breakfast and we toured the park when it opened. Good times.
In 1962-1963 we lived off Lincoln Blvd in Buena Park. The only things I remember was at 7 years old, we were let out of school when JFK was killed. And visiting Knotts Berry Farm. Also we would go pick rhubarb somewhere right by the the berry farms and my Mom would make rhubarb pie. I hated it !. I'm not sure if it was owned by Knotts or not, or if it was legal or not to take. Thanks for bringing up these old memories ! You guys are awesome.
Thank you very much, Grant. I think some of our childhood memories are kind of what makes us the people that we are today and holding onto those memories is very important. Thank you very much for sharing your experiences of living in that area. It sounds like you had an amazing childhood!
