This first (blurry) photo from May, 1960 was shot through somebody's windshield as they sat at the corner of Beach Boulevard and La Palma; I can almost imagine being a kid in the back seat - "There it is!". The statue of the prospector and his crime-fighting burro was a local landmark for many years. Look at all the trees! Very pretty and park-like. All right, car experts, what is that dinky automobile to the right?
I found this undated (but from the 1950's) slide in a box with no other Knott's images, and yet I am 99.9% sure that these mothers and their lucky kids are on their way into Knott's. Those signs are pretty distinctive. More classic car fun for those who care about such things!
And lastly, from another undated slide (but probably from the late 50's) is this great photo of the Chicken Dinner restaurant. It's still there today, although it has a much busier "theme park" atmosphere. This picture is my favorite of the bunch! For those who don't know, Walter Knott began building his ghost town as a diversion for the hundreds of folks who had to wait hours to get into the restaurant for one of Cordelia's famous chicken dinners. Plus I think Walter just wanted it, and had a good reason to build it! Much like that other Walter, he was confident that if he built something that he found interesting, other folks probably would too.
Once again, I'd like to recommend Chris Merritt's wonderful book, "Knott's Preserved" for those of you who are interested in the history of Knott's Berry Farm.
That little car looks like a HIllman. I learned to drive in a 1961 model of one of those and it had a very unusual stick on the column but backwards to the US way of doing it.
ReplyDeletewhew I've been in computer purgatory for a while but mmmmback. I have lots o catchin' up to do with you and Daveland - but that's the fun part! Both of your blogs always bring me happiness. :)
ReplyDeleteAnd oh mi gawrsh. This post gives me that feeling of excitement - just arriving at that magical place for a day of fun! And Mrs. Knotts' Chicken Dinner Restaurant! Aw gimmie gimmie gimmie some o' them buttermilk biscuits, ham 'n' eggs, pass that boysenberry jam!
Looks like a Hillman Minx.
ReplyDeleteThese are fantastic, Major! I almost forgot what that corner looked like before the wall went up for the addition of Camp Snoopy in '83.
ReplyDeleteI also forgot about the Wisteria vines that used to grow along the edge of the roof of the Chicked Dinner Restaurant. Those were there at least up until the '80's.
I was wondering where Chiana disappeared to!
OH! What I would give for that car!!
ReplyDeleteLove old knotts
ReplyDeletethanks
JG
By the way, were the miner and burro Claude Bell creations? I remember there was a problem with them being vandalized on a regular basis so when the wall went up, they were replaced with the metal ones that are still there today.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the car info guys, I would have never figured that one out!! A Hillman Minx?!?!
ReplyDeleteWelcome back Chiana!
Chris, was that statue really vandalized a lot? I really don't understand that urge that some people have to destroy stuff. "Knott's Preserved" does say that Claude Bell was responsible for the statue, although there is no information about it being replaced with metal versions.
Sometime after I started working there in '82, the statues disappeared. I can't remember if they returned or if they just waited until they built the wall for Camp Snoopy in '83 and replaced them at that time, but I do remember them being gone for sometime and we were told it was due to vandalism. The new ones were made of some sort of metal and they were now positioned at a higher level on top of the wall.
ReplyDeleteYears later, I met someone who grew up in the neighborhood behind the Stage Coach barn. This person told me that a group of kids (thugs, if you ask me) from that neighborhood were responsible for "blowing up" the statues. I was supposedly going to get to watch a video of them doing it....but that tape never materialized. I don't know if the story was true, but if the statues were destroyed in that manner, it would make sense why they were replaced with metal ones.
Thanks Dave! Every little bit helps...
ReplyDeleteBarry is correct. The car is a Hillman Minx, a British import. The Minx platform was also used to produce the Sunbeam Rapier sedan, and the Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger roadsters. The Rapier featured "4 on the floor" with an interesting shift ratio. First gear was very low and used for unique situations where maximum torque was needed to get moving. A normal start began in second gear.
ReplyDeleteYou might recall the Sunbeam Tiger as Agent Smart's car in the opening of the television series "Get Smart". The Sunbeam Alpine and Tiger shared the same exterior and interior. The Alpine had a British made 4-cylinder engine while the Tiger featured a Ford built 283 cubic feet V-8, the same engine available in the top-of-the-line Ford Mustang. It had lots of go (and was my first car!).