Saturday, April 18, 2009

Knott's 1967

Here are a few Knott's Berry Farm images from 1967!

The first two are great (in my opinion) because they are classic Americana. An older couple has visited Knott's, and they both stop to have their photos taken with a genuine Indian chief. Check out his red and turquoise outfit! Far out.


Now it is grandpa's turn. He is telling the chief, "Beyond the great river and the burning desert is a land of many buffalo." Those guys and their buffalo, honestly! Or maybe he is just asking where the bathroom is. Love those beat-up old buildings, like the Knife Shop behind them. Is that thing up to code?


The Knotts version of a train depot is not as quaint or ornate at the Disneyland examples, but it is probably a lot more true to life. This photo makes me wish I could buy a ticket for a train ride circa 1967!

4 comments:

The Viewliner Limited said...

Very nice pics Major. Can always handle a dose of KBF. The cool thing about the RR station is that it was functional, you could buy tickets there and sit down and wait for your train to arrive and possibly witness a shoot out. Like you say "is more true to life".

Much like the station in 3:10 To Yuma. Have you seen the movie? Killer! LOL!

Chiana said...

Well Maj there's a genuine historic train station in a nearby town that looks just like a cross between that station at Knotts and the Frontierland DL station.

From old photos of it, the station was modified from being more open patio (like DL) to more of a full building (like Knotts) turn of the century or early in the 1900s as the train became more for shipping and less of a grand passenger thing, and it became run down. The trains that would've pulled up happen to fit. DL's are earlier models than Knott's. So in their ways, DLs is surprisingly realistic and correct too, Knotts just had that extra working/run down dimension.

The Main St station isn't too far off for a larger town's station either, just that in his passion for trains (and tribute to what started the idea) Walt raised that train station right up front and center. :D

That's a good movie Viewliner!

Nancy said...

another nice set today...we have been having great weather lately there in Southern CA :D

Chris Jepsen said...

They say the train station at Knott's was originally the actual Hansen Station at what's now the City of Stanton. I have yet so see proof, but I haven't seen it disproven either.

I think the Indian in this post is probably Chief Porcupine (a.k.a. Jim Wah We).