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.
16 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 ….
The saloon in that first pic isn't the Calico Saloon (which was in Calico Square, across from the Calico Train stop). This one was the Silver Dollar Saloon, and was located on Main St. In fact, it can be seen in that night photo. The sign is too dark to read, but you can just make out a circle with the silhouette of a head in it, on the sign. That was supposed to be a silver dollar. And below that sign is another one that reads simply, "SALOON." At some point in the 2000s, this space was completely ruined by converting it into a very cheap and tacky electronic shooting gallery. I think that happened shortly after they converted the original shooting gallery into a "Panda Express." They ruin everything, don't they?
The Silver Dollar Saloon and Judge Roy Bean's were "satellite" locations for Sutter's Grub Stake, where I worked for a chunk of my time at Knott's. I spent a lot of time out there taking cash out to the "bartenders," when they'd run out of certain denominations of money, and I think I even helped out the "break person," by giving the bartenders a break on rare occasions. Sometimes I'd just go out there to check on them and chat. The men hired to be "bartenders" were always a bit older. Many of them had retired from something else, and a couple of them were school teachers, who only worked on weekends and school vacation times. They were all pretty cool and fun to chat with.
"Sarsaparilla" was on the saloon's menu board, but it was actually just root beer that was served. Some people would ask if it was genuine sarsaparilla.
In the first pic, we can see a sign in the upper left corner which reads, "All Nations Welcome Except Carrie." One of the bartenders explained to me that that referred to "Carrie Nation." Those signs moved around from time to time, but they went pretty far back in Knott's history. I've seen them in very old photos and postcards. There was another one that we don't see here, which read, "Spit On The Ceiling, Anyone Can Spit On The Floor." And there was another one that read, "WYBMADIITY." One of the bartenders told me that stood for "Will You Buy Me A Drink If I Tell You." But I supposed you could make that say anything you wanted. He might have spent hours out there staring at that sign trying to come up with something that fit.
Also in that night shot, on the far right, we can see the legs and feet of Handsome Brady and Whiskey Bill. Even though they have been moved at times, they have spent most of their time right there on the side porch of the Gold Trails Hotel. Marilyn and Cecilia (aka Nell and Belle) have moved around much more over the years.
That is all! Thanks Major, for the vintage Knott's pics. I had seen that first one before (maybe as a postcard?), but had no idea that it had been used for a souvenir slide!
Oh.....also in that first pic, there is a framed black and white photograph of a man, hanging over the mirror behind the bar. If you look closely, he has two sets of eyes and two sets of eyebrows. At the bottom of the photo was the name, "Boozy." I never knew the history of that, but then I never asked. That picture was also around for many years. I wonder if it ended up in the dumpster, along with the Haunted Shack?
Last comment.....for now. In case anyone is interested in just how cheap and how tacky the shooting gallery was that replaced the Silver Dollar Saloon, here's a pic. Silver Dollar Shootin' Gallery. It looked this bad for years, but was recently upgraded somewhat, to look just a little bit more like a bar. Still, it is nothing like what it had been for it's sixty-plus years. They should have just turned the space into a VIP lounge, or a meet 'n' greet with Snoopy......or even the Disney princesses.
Is there a better tasting punch than Boysenberry punch? I don't think so. Nectar of the gods.
Pretty nice shot of Calico Square, with ol' No. 41 smoking it up for effect.
TOKYO MAGIC: “Carrie Nation” was also know as Granny Hatchet . She was a leader of the Temperance movement… she would walk into saloons with a axe and start chopping into the bar , barrels , kegs … etc. where the current Western Trails Museum is was once the Ghost Town Temperance Saloon & Fandango Hall … and inside was a framed portrait of Carrie Nation ( Caroline Amelia Nation) but as the heroine of the establishment!
I think the boysenberry punch is too sweet . So I cut it with Gin!
Mike, I knew who Carrie Nation was, but I didn't know they had a framed pic of her in the Temperance Saloon/Fandango Hall. What went on in that space back then? Was it just another small saloon, or was there more to it, like dancing? I never went in there until Mott's Miniature's moved from Jeffries Barn, into that space. It might be the only space at Knott's that I hadn't explored during all of my childhood and teenage visits to the park.
That night view puts the "ghost" in Ghost Town. The spirits of Handsome Brady and Whiskey Bill's soon materialize and begin to vocalize. The Ghost Town ghosts come out to socialize.
Love the photo color tones which gives it a rust and patina. Nowadays Ghost Town has pretty flowers in containers tucked here and there around the area. Thanks, Major.
Photo 1 hit me right in the feels, as the kids say. I have a black and white version of the same view, but with a different bartender, more of a Sam Drucker type. Tokyo, I definitely remember that “Spit on the Ceiling” sign, I know I have been in that room before.
A shame to see what careless management made of it, but it’s to be expected I suppose, like JoAnn Fabrics and Red Lobster.
Looking at photo 2, I think I can hear Chuck hacking up a hairball over the train colors. Terrific picture though. Maybe being a dance hall girl was how Granny Clampett got to be a granny?
Photo 3 is very atmospheric, which is good, because I’m addicted to air. I’m sure it’s meant to evoke a ghostly aura and happy memories, and it worked.
Thank you Major for bending your rule on souvenir slides, these touched a nerve today, in a good way.
JG
All very informative, and the slides really don't seem "commercial" to me....the Disneyland "official" slides look very Polly Perfect...but of the regular "Castle" "Matterhorn" etc. These are great. The saloon to shooting gallery is most definitely TRE. Wow. That there is a shooting gallery seems odd in these days, and I'm not sure how long they will last. Thanks Tokyo for answering all the questions I was going to ask. The saloon is more like the "Salute to everything not PC"...hee hee. It's a bit "done up"...but authentic feeling all the same. I am wondering in the olde West days how they actually signed things...or if there was any signs at all. My Boysenberries gave me a small crop this year...not ripe yet...but I'm excited to make some Boysenberry punch too. They do have a flavor all their own for sure. The train scene is really great...with that vast expanse of dirt...very authentic, right down to the "professionals" on the right. They do look strangely real...and are staring right at the camera. "creepy". The nighttime shot is rather spooky, and "back lot" feeling....was Knotts ever used as a back lot? Seems like another way that Mr. Knott could make more money. I honestly think M/M Knotts really didn't know/feel how wealthy they were...or perhaps they were always thinking "what if the crop goes south this year". I saw a post about buying Knotts Boysenberry HYBRID starts...hmmm...if it's a hybrid Boysenberry that means it was crossed with something else AFTER it's original hybrid...probably to make it "stronger" or more disease resistant. I will say that the plant is a delicate flower, and drinks water like no tomorrow....and not recommended for a NE garden unless you want to treat it like a newborn baby. Just saying. I look forward to more Knotts behind the scenes stories. I have become a Knotts fan, and look forward to FINALLY going back at some point in time. Hopefully, there is a semblance of pre-TRE bits and pieces. Thanks Major for the trip to fabulous Buena Park, California.
@ JB-
"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".
Just imagine my disappointment when I first read the ingredients on a bottle of Thousand Island Dressing only to discover it didn't contain real islands-!
The bartender looks like Seymour, The Master of the Macabre, before he hosted the first Halloween Haunt. The bullet hole behind him is an authentic touch.
TokyoMagic!, circa 1973 I asked the Silver Dollar Saloon bartender what WYBMADIITY meant, and got the same reply as you; I was slow to catch on. Thanks to you and Mike for starting to unravel the mysteries of the Temperance Saloon. I remember Mott's Miniatures in that space from an October 1986 visit. Carrie Nation was 6 feet tall, and must have cut quite a figure swinging that hatchet. Her ghost would be an appropriate character in the Halloween Haunts; The Carrie and Lizzie Bed and Board.
Thanks Major for these moody shots, I think I see a shady lady in the upper window of Goldie's; or maybe it's Carrie.
Nanook, in all my years, I don’t know if I’ve ever had genuine sarsaparilla. That doesn’t mean that Knott’s didn’t have it, but it’s not a common drink these days.
JB, good question about the bottles - maybe they had real booze? Colored water would fade or get stinky. I don’t know if Marilyn and Cecilia have moved a lot, TokyoMagic! will have to weight in! I would have loved to explore the old Ghost Town at night with nobody around, that would have been so cool! Where the heck did you find a bottle of sarsaparilla to buy?? Ye olde soda shoppe?
Mike Cozart, I wear a burdock root around my neck to keep away toothaches, so I am well-versed in its properties. I love products that can be traced back to those old Expositions in Paris, Buffalo, San Francisco, etc! There’s something romantic about the idea of a place where people would present their great ideas. My great-grandpa invented sweaters that you wore on your thumbs, but those didn’t take off the way he’d hoped.
TokyoMagic!, I keep forgetting that there was more than one saloon at KBF. A little honest competition between saloons is good for the consumer! Electronic shooting galleries are lame, years ago I did the one at Disneyland and it was a profoundly unsatisfying experience. Thanks for relating more of your personal Knott’s experiences! Very fun. Now I’m truly wondering how different root beer and sarsaparilla taste. Are they “pretty similar”? Extremely different? No idea! I recently found out that what we buy as cinnamon at grocery stores is not real cinnamon, but the bark of the cassia tree. I just thought I’d tell you that, apropos of nothing. I’m sure we’ve seen that “Spit on the ceiling…” sign before, maybe in a Pitchur Gallery image? I love the oddball funkiness of the inside of that saloon, somehow that makes it all feel more authentically old, as if it was run by a weirdo owner. Hey, I do see the feet of Handsome Brady and Whiskey Bill! Thanks for all the fun info.
TokyoMagic!, sadly, I would assume that you are right about that odd photo winding up in a dumpster. Unless somebody we know has it in their collection!
TokyoMagic!, I have to admit that that shooting gallery looks pretty lame. At least the one at Disneyland has lots of fun details, even though I am still not crazy about the actual experience.
Steve DeGaetano, when I was a kid, there was nothing better than a cup of ice-cold boysenberry punch on a hot day! (By the way, should “boysenberry” always be capitalized?). But when I had some over 10 years ago, it seemed watered down, sadly. Maybe I had changed, but the punch was the same.
Mike Cozart, Carrie Nation sure sounds like a barrel of laughs. Just imagine seeing a little old lady walking into a saloon with a hatchet, and then attacking the kegs! “Lady, I’m afraid there will be no happy hour for you”.
TokyoMagic!, You DON’T want to know what went on the that space!
K. Martinez, your comment got me to thinking, there are ghosts from many eras in Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion, but I don’t believe there is a cowboy ghost. I know that the Phantom Manor is all “western themed”, but it does seem surprising that not one cowboy made it into the HM!
JG, I do find these commercial slides to be very appealing, probably largely due to their antiquity - plus they are not as common as Disneyland’s “store bought” slides, which are out there by the jillions. ....”a Sam Drucker type”; if my brother didn’t watch “Gunsmoke” every day, I wouldn’t have gotten this! I know that Chuck is away on a secret mission, so he probably won’t be seeing today’s photos, unless he has cell service where he is.
Bu, I’m always astonished at the sellers on eBay who try to peddle old Pana Vue slides that have almost always turned a horrible shade of magenta, and then they want $9 per slide. I wouldn’t take them for free! For those interested, Bill Cotter sells discs with the Pana Vue images, in high quailty, and color-corrected. It’s a much better use of your money! I doubt that the concept of being “PC” a thing in the Old West, they were happy to let you know what they thought of anybody. I keep seeing “Boysenberries” capitalized, now I have to figure out if that is proper! I realize that they are named after Rudolph Boysen, but it feels like it doesn’t need to be so formal. Maybe I’m wrong. I don’t know if the Ghost Town ever had dirt roads, if it did, I think it must have only been in the earliest years, even though I admit that the roads look like dirt here. There have even been discussions about Frontierland’s streets being dirt, which, come on, there is NO way. I don’t know how many vintage artifacts are left at Knott’s, that land has been developed about as much as it can be. I think it’s a shame that they used some acreage for the water park, seems like a waste.
Nanook, I thought there might be at least ONE island!
Stefano, ah, Seymour, I have fond memories of watching him. I have a few “not great” slides of him judging a kid’s costume contest, I forget if it is supposed to be at KBF or not. I haven’t looked at them in a long time. I wish I remembered Mott’s Miniatures - I think it’s interesting that both Walts seemed to have an interest in miniatures, even if WK displayed somebody else’s collection.
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