Knott's Berry Farm Souvenir Slides
I got to the end of one box containing vintage Knott's Berry Farm slides (don't worry, there's more), and found a series of souvenir slides - the kind a visitor might buy at the gift shop next to the chicken restaurant. As a rule I avoid souvenir slides, but these were old enough to have a certain charm. Of the dozen, I scanned the three that I thought were the most interesting.
Inside the Saloon, the bartender sizes us up. Greenhorn? Trail-hardened cowpoke? Yellow-bellied rustler? Frontier priest? Humorous signs make the bar look like a theme restaurant on La Brea Avenue. The "No Whiskey Sold to..." sign is probably historically accurate, unfortunately. Hopefully you wanted boysenberry punch, because that's all they served. Well, maybe root beer too.
If you walked out of the Saloon and glanced to the right (northward), this is a scene you might see, with the beautiful narrow-gauge Ghost Town and Calico Railroad. Marilyn and Cecila relax in the shade to our right (they look pretty lifelike here!). This photo seems to predate the addition of the Calico Mine Ride.
Here's an unusual night view, streets apparently freshly hosed down for the evening. I believe this is looking west on Main Street, we can just see the Livery Stable in the distance.
3 comments:
Major-
"Hopefully you wanted boysenberry punch, because that's all they served. Well, maybe root beer too".
What... no Sarsaparilla-?
Thanks, Major.
I wonder what was in all those bottles on the shelf? More Boysenberry punch?
The lovely lasses, Marilyn and Cecila, seem to have been moved around the park a lot over the years? And I agree, they look especially life-like here. Of course, in this shady light and slight blurriness, even Granny Clampett would look like a young dancehall girl.
The nighttime photo is a strange picture to include as a souvenir slide; wet, barren, darkly lit streets. Not exactly welcoming. But still interesting to folks like us.
Nanook, I bought a bottle of 'sarsparilla' the other day. After reading the contents label, there was no actual sassafras in it, just the usual root beer flavors. Although it did have a bit of a 'home brewed' flavor even though it was non-alcoholic. I liked it!
Not yer typical Knott's pics, but fear not, it wasn't for naught. Thanks, Major.
REAL Root Beer uses Burdock Root.
REAL Sarsaparilla uses Sassafras Root.
Both have German herbal origins .
Root Beer was first debuted at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. It was sold as a mixture in a bag with instructions on how to blend it with carbonated water and simple syrups. At first it was marketed as ROO-TINE … but it was changed to ROOT BEER with hopes that mining companies would buy it for their mining camps so miners would drink it over real booze and not get drunk causing fights and accidents impending mining operations. If you want an idea of what real 19th century root beer tasted like , even though it was made without liquor , take a modern glass of root beer and add a shot or two of bourbon or rye …. That’s what root beer tasted like before the 20th century ….
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