Covered Wagons, Knott's Berry Farm - 1950s
I love early photos from Knott's Berry Farm, in glorious Buena Park, CA. "Early" usually means "the 1950s", at least when we're talking about color images. Otherwise we're probably looking at black and white photo prints.
This first one is especially nice, with a covered wagon, pulled by two beautiful white horses. There appears to be a row of bells on their backs - something I don't recall ever seeing on any horses, but I don't get out much. They sure would jingle! It looks like guests could probably ride in the wagon, I'm not sure where that dirt path was located. To the right we can see one of the huge wheels from one of the contraptions that once hauled logs (or so I'm told). Was this out near the parking lot?
Next, we're over near the Wagon Camp - a "natural" amphitheater where visitors could sit and watch musicians (such as The Wagonmasters) as they performed, sometimes accompanied by a flickering campfire at night. A ring of covered wagons surrounded the amphitheater, turning them into VIP seating, sort of. Your whole family could claim one! Bring blankets for those cooler evenings. I assume that you had to get there early, or they'd all be taken. Notice all of the graffiti on the inside. I'm guessing more than one message was written in lipstick, how often do you bring a writing implement to an amusement park? Never, in my case.
20 comments:
I'm guessing the covered wagon in that first pic was just following the same route that the stagecoaches traveled, but I don't remember that as an attraction. Does anyone know when they got rid of them. Those large logging wheels were parked near the loading area for the Stagecoaches, and across from the Stagecoach ticket office. They moved them about 30 years ago, and now they sit out on Grand Ave., near the tunnel that goes under Beach Blvd.
I always take a Sharpie or can of spray paint with me to Disneyland and Knott's, because you never know when you might want to deface something!
Interesting factoid: For most of my early life I thought it was Knottsberry Farm, instead of Knott's Berry Farm. Feel free to laugh.
I'm wondering why the covered wagon is just sitting there. There appears to be a bunch of carrots on the seat next to the laid back driver. Treats for the horsies, no doubt. The shirt on that guy in the background (to the right of the covered wagon) is a sight to behold! Somewhere, a court jester is missing the top half of his costume. I actually like the shirt.
In the lipstick-covered wagon, Dad looks awfully familiar, some sort of celebrity maybe? Actually, Mom sort of rings a bell, too. Probly just my 'magination. The slogan across the upper part of the canvas says, "From West Virginia To South..." something. I guess we'll never know.
Tokyo!, you know all about defacing: Mr. White Oval for a face. ;-p
Thanks, Major, for the Knottsberry Farm pictures.
JB, I believe the loading area for the Stagecoaches, was to the left and just out of frame. The wagon driver might have been waiting for a Stagecoach to finish loading and pull away. By the way, the Stagecoach loading was also moved to it's current spot (along with Judge Roy Bean's), about 30 years ago. They used to both be located where the Indian Trails dance circle is today.
The slogan across the upper part of the canvas says, "From West Virginia To South..." something. I guess we'll never know.
JB, I bet it said, "From West Virginia to Sutter's Mill." Sort of like a "California or Bust" statement.
All the covered wagons in the WAGON CAMP featured those kinds of slogans across the top of the canvas facing the stage. There doesn’t seem to be much evidence that covered wagons heading west in the 1820’s - 1870’s sported sayings on the canvases…. But in the early 1900’s and into the 1920’s there were many historical groups and societies that recreated wagon train routes with historic wagons and wagons of dubious origins and during these reenactments and parade appearances those “Oregon or bust “ type slogans were very popular … and by the time of Knott’s Berry Farms heyday, many guests would hade remembered those slogans on wagons from the early 20th century re-enactments.
In the 1870’s and 1880’s heavy freight wagons from shipping companies often featured advertising or company slogans like “overland thunder freight shippers” in their top canvases. This frontier entrepreneural spirit is captured At Tokyo Disneyland in a series of prop posters and a wagon advertisement “WESTERNLAND FREIGHT SHIPPERS : when it absolutely, positively has to be there in 12 days or else!” ….. a parody of a popular 1980’s commercial for FED EX “ when it absolutely - positively has to be there overnight “
I think TM! Is right about “From West Virginia to Sutter’s Mill,” but what an odd phrase that would have likely only been used for a very short period of time. West Virginia became a state in 1863, and large wagon trains to California petered out fairly quickly after the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad in 1869.
If you zoom in really closely in both photographs, you can see that there was stuff in the background.
Thanks for that additional detail, Mike. I guess the slogan “From West Virginia to Sutter’s Mill” would have been used for a period so short as to have been nonexistent.
Seeing the graffiti, on the inside of that wagon cover, looks so odd. Especially from pictures of that era.
We eat at a local family restaurant that had graffiti on ALL the walls--wood paneling, inside brick walls and stone walls. Graffiti on top of graffiti, for years. Over the Covid shutdown, all the walls were nicely painted [including the brick walls and stone walls], but now the restaurant has signs posted, EVERY 3 feet throughout, that state, "DO NOT WRITE ON THE WALLS." Beautiful walls with ugly signs, now. Oh well.
I would never write on the walls, but, after dark one night after our city replaced part of the sidewalk in front of our house, I wrote my and my hubby's initials [in a heart] in the setting concrete. Woke up the next morning to find that the city had troweled a fresh coat of concrete over what I had added. I never knew there was a city job position for that line of work. My tax dollars hard at work, I guess.
Thanks for the fun KBF photos, Major.
Major, from what I can tell, those aren't bells but chain link on the back strap of the harness. They appear to be older Percheron horses. And how much I enjoyed jumping into one of the circled wagons to hear whomever was playing by the campfire in those summer evening. KS
I am not expert in horse tack, but I have seen harnesses similar to these with lots of bells. No idea why so many bells, maybe KS can explain?
The family pic in the wagon is cute. The graffiti is a contrast to the well-dressed family. In some places, graffiti is considered acceptable, and is more or less self-controlled to only certain locations like roll-up doors etc. I thought this was surprising, but once I figured out that it was just part of the “vibe”, seeing it was less disturbing.
Thanks for the fun pics, Major.
JG
Bells on large delivery or “city hitch” wagons were very very common in the 1800’s and even into the 1920’s when cities still had some horse drawn vehicles in use …. Ice wagons , coal wagons , brewery wagons , fairy’s wagons were used in some cities until the 1930’s . Bells and chimes were used on the horse teams as a safety warning that the horses were in motion. I’m sure all of you are familiar with “sleigh bells” …… fun to sing songs about but they were used as motion warnings to people around a swift or heavy moving animal drawn vehicle . Incidentally an enclosed coach on sleigh runners was called a “booby hatch” lol …. Long before the name was used to mean a mental institution.
“Sleigh bells ring … are you listening ? …. Stay the hell outta the way!”
“Fairy’s wagons” = DAIRY WAGONS.
On some early Knott’s hand out maps it shows stagecoaches and covered wagons following a similar path along where Timber Mountain and Fiesta Village would eventually be built …. But another trail for the covered wagons going over to where the lake was across the street .
TokyoMagic!, it makes sense that the covered wagon would take the same route as the stagecoaches, Knott’s had limited real estate after all (being in the middle of Buena Park). I seem to remember when I visited a place in Northern California, they had similar logging wheel thingies parked where visitors could see them, I immediately thought of Knott’s! Yes, bring a Sharpie wherever you go, it’s fun to deface other people’s property!
JB, maybe you were influenced by Hersheypark? When I was a kid, it was just “Hershey Park”, and then somebody had a bright idea. “Give that man a 10 million dollar bonus! And then give one to me too!”. I guess maybe those are carrots, if so, I’m glad the driver gave his horsies a treat now and then. I’m glad you pointed out that guy’s shirt, I was wondering if anybody would say anything about it. I don’t recognize the family in the covered wagon, I think they just have that “typical” look that most people had. “From West Virginia To Su…”. No idea.
TokyoMagic!, I think I’ve seen photos of Disneyland’s load area for the Stagecoaches and Conestoga Wagons, and sometimes they appear to be waiting for one vehicle to load before it’s their turn. You sure know a lot about Knott’s!!
TokyoMagic!, aha, “Sutter’s Mill”, I would have never thought of that. I thought maybe it said “From West Virginia to Surf Town USA”.
Mike Cozart, it wouldn’t surprise me if some enthusiastic settler painted a slogan on his covered wagon, but it does seem like a very modern idea. Influenced by advertising? It’s interesting to think that in the early 1900s, the migration West wasn’t even that long ago. People probably had parents who’d made that journey. Or grandparents anyway (like Walter Knott’s grandmother; “I’m thirsty mama”). Tokyo Disneyland’s Frontierland is called “Westernland”? Hmmm. Isn’t that what the Florida version is going to be renamed? Something like that. Not sure I like it much.
Chuck, I think the name “Sutter’s Mill” was such a recognizable name to many people, I sure heard a lot about the California Gold Rush when I was in grade school - not sure if that’s because I lived in California, or if kids all over the country also heard about it.
Lou and Sue, I guess the restaurant you described might have looked charming, and I am also sure that the regular customers liked the funky atmosphere. But I kind of understand if the owners decided they wanted a nicer looking place! The signs seem like “bad show”, but I have no doubt that they were very worried about customers getting their Sharpies out and writing “gorillasdontblog.blogspot.com”! :-) Wow, your city was right on that sidewalk art, it seems so harmless. I guess I have to give them compliments, even though it’s no fun.
KS, I see the chain link, but notice the bells above the horse’s heads? And how can you tell that the Percherons are old? They look youthful to me!
JG, I mostly am thinking of the racket those bells would have made. Unless the bells were slightly muted somehow, that noise would get old in a hurry! I’m generally not a fan of graffiti, but I’m also an old fart.
Mike Cozart, I think in the movie “The Black Stallion” (great movie), a junk dealer comes out of the fog with his horse and wagon, and I believe that there are bells on his wagon. Although now I am wondering if I a having a false memory!! I guess it makes sense to have some sort of noise to alert people that a wagon/buggy was coming.
Mike Cozart, ha ha, I admit that I was wondering about the fairy’s wagons!
Mike Cozart, interesting, I’m going to have to look at my scans of old Knott’s maps.
Yep, Major….
“For a good time!: gorillasdontblog.blogspot.com”
^ Sue
Of course the fun part is getting horses to accept ringing bells. KS
I won’t laugh, JB. I always thought they were selling “poisonberries.” Seemed like a real bad business model.
For clarification: that Knott’s covered wagon reads” FROM WEST VIRGINIA TO SUTTER’S FORT”
I'd love to see a covered wagon with "To Infinity and Beyond!" on it.
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